West Indies vs England: Jos Buttler's stunning 83 leads tourists to seven-wicket win and 2-0 series lead in Barbados

cricket Thursday 14 November 2024 22:36, UK

Captain Jos Buttler scored a brilliant 83 and put on a game-changing partnership with Will Jacks to guide England to a seven-wicket win over the West Indies and move 2-0 up in the five-match T20I series.

Saqib Mahmood (2-20) and the returning Jofra Archer (1-31) despatched West Indies' top order in the power play, with Liam Livingstone (2-16) also impressing to leave the hosts struggling at 80-5 after losing the toss and being put into bat.

Rovman Powell's 43 was ended by Dan Mousley (2-29) but the hosts added 73 runs from the final six overs to post 158-8, with hopes of a victory raised when Phil Salt - who fired an unbeaten century in the series opener - was out from the opening ball of England's chase.

Buttler fired six maximums in his stunning 45-ball innings and put on a 129-run second-wicket stand with Jacks (38), before Liam Livingstone smashed a rapid unbeaten 23 to see England reach their victory target inside 15 overs.

Mahmood conceded eight wides from his opening 10-ball over but made England's breakthrough when Brandon King (one) skied to Livingstone at mid-off, with Evin Lewis (eight) then gloving Archer - replacing Reece Topley from Saturday's win - behind and giving Salt an easy catch in the next over.

Roston Chase narrowly avoided edging his first ball to Jamie Overton at slip but was trapped lbw by Mahmood for 13 to leave West Indies 35-3 inside four overs, leaving keeper Nicholas Pooran and captain Powell to rebuild the hosts' innings.

The pair added 35 for the fourth wicket before Pooran (14) prodded forward at Livingstone and presented a simple stumping for Salt, with Livingstone also removing Rutherford (one) lbw in his next over after a successful review.

Powell (43) showed attacking intent by hitting Rashid for 16 from one over, taking the hosts past 100, only to see his innings ended by a brilliant yorker from Dan Mousley to give the fast-bowling spinner his first international wicket.

Gudakesh Motie (nine) departed when Overton charged in from long on to take a diving catch off Rashid, while Shepherd (22) picked out Jacks in the deep off Mousley early in the final over, with Matthew Forde finishing unbeaten on 13 as the West Indies finished strongly.

Hosein (1-24) made the dream start to England's innings when Salt chipped to King at extra cover for a golden duck, with Buttler almost toe-ending onto his leg stump during an eventful opening over.

England quickly recovered and Buttler fired three consecutive boundaries as part of a 23-run over to end the powerplay, with Jacks also impressing as the pair passed their half-century stand inside 33 balls.

Buttler hit Motie out of the ground for a maximum and smashed Chase over the rope in the next over to bring up his 32-ball half-century, with another big six over long-on off debutant Terrance Hinds continuing England's control of the contest.

Chase was smashed for successive sixes by Buttler, who then hit him low down the ground for a boundary, before the partnership was ended when Forde took a catch at the second attempt after being picked out by Jacks.

Buttler was dropped by Rutherford in the same over but was out the next ball after trying to hit down the ground and being caught by Powell, a second wicket in four balls, although the hosts were unable to make any further inroads in England's batting line-up.

Livingstone crunched Shepherd for successive boundaries before closing out a second comprehensive victory in as many days with another big six, seeing England home with 31 balls to spare and meaning they can now wrap up a series success with a win in St Lucia on Thursday.

England captain Jos Buttler, player of the match, speaking to TNT Sports: "It is great to spend time in the middle. I was a bit scratchy for the first few balls but I managed to come through that period and really enjoyed it. It was great to be back out there.

"I have lots of experience, I have played for a while and batted in lots different positions. I am just waiting to see what happens and playing what is in front of me.

"We have got to start again [in the third T20I of the series]. We are playing a top team in the West Indies, who are excellent in T20 cricket. They will come back hard and we have to be ready from ball one in the next game."

West Indies captain Rovman Powell, speaking to TNT Sports: "Obviously the surface gave a bit to the fast bowlers, something that it's a trend here in Barbados. Teams generally win the toss and bowl because of what can happen in the first six [overs].

"It's a case of us trying to come out of powerplay not three down. The statistics show that if you do that, the majority of the time you come out on the losing side. As a batting group we have to adjust.

"Somebody in the top four or five needs to bat the majority of the overs. In the past we have done that but have struggled to do that in this series. The next three games provide an opportunity for batters to do that."