The final game of England’s tour ended much like the first: with Shai Hope clinching victory for West Indies with a match-winning six.
His unbeaten, run-a-ball 43 was the highest score of a tense low-scorer in Tarouba, and his clean strike over cover off Chris Woakes sealed the series decider with four balls remaining.
Something is brewing in the Caribbean. Since their ignominious first-round exit at last year’s T20 World Cup in Australia,
West Indies have won three T20I series out of three under Rovman Powell’s captaincy.
In August, they beat India 3-2 in Daren Sammy’s first T20I series as white-ball coach; in December, they beat the defending world champions by the same margin.
This finale was played on the same strip at Trinidad’s Brian Lara Cricket Academy as the one used in England’s 75-run win 48 hours previously, but the games could hardly have been more different: after 459 runs in 35.3 overs on Tuesday evening, Thursday’s game saw just 265 in 38.5, culminating in a scrap for the finish line.
In pursuit of 133, Hope soaked up 31 balls for his first 23 runs before finally shifting up a gear when he squeezed Rehan Ahmed away for his first boundary.
West Indies made things difficult for themselves, but England’s late collapse after being sent in – they lost their last six wickets for just 22 runs – proved decisive.
They will fly home empty-handed on Friday, after losing both the ODI and T20I legs of this tour. (ESPNcricinfo)
