A stunning display of ball-striking from openers Shai Hope and Evin Lewis led West Indies to a record-breaking consolation win in their penultimate T20I against England.
The pair staged a 136-run partnership off just 55 balls to mow down a large chunk of their 219 target, scoring 10 sixes and 11 fours between them, before Rovman Powell’s 23-ball 38 made further inroads and Sherfane Rutherford saw them home in the highest successful run-chase in T20Is at Darren Sammy Stadium, and their second-highest in all T20Is.
Half-centuries from Jacob Bethell and Phil Salt took England to the joint-highest first-innings score at the venue, matching West Indies’ 218 for 5 against Afghanistan at this year’s T20 World Cup.
That was after Salt and Will Jacks had made a quickfire start on an excellent pitch to take England past fifty inside the first five overs of the match.
But on this occasion, West Indies had the firepower to match them and salvage something from a series already sealed by England, who won the first three games.
Hope springs, Lewis launches
John Turner, making his T20I debut after his first two appearances for England during the ODI leg of this tour, opened the bowling and conceded just five off his first over.
Saqib Mahmood followed up with a maiden, but Turner’s second went for an eye-watering 25, starting with Lewis’s six over deep backward square and ending with 4, 4, 6, 4 from Hope as West Indies signalled they were up for the fight.
Hope stayed sublime with back-to-back fours off Mahmood, who had caused the hosts no end of trouble this series, followed by a gorgeous drive off Sam Curran.
Hope brought up his fifth T20I fifty – and third this year – in just 23 balls with a cracking four in front of square off Rehan Ahmed, three balls after hitting him over deep midwicket for six.
Lewis sprung into action with a six over long-on as Liam Livingstone entered the attack, followed by a four to bring up West Indies’ hundred off 7.3 overs.
Lewis’s next six, measured at 105 metres, was truly jaw-dropping as he latched onto Livingstone’s leg-break and deposited it firmly over long on, and he rounded out a 30-run over with one more, evading Bethell as he launched himself in vain just inside the rope at deep midwicket.
Lewis brought up his fifty in 26 balls with four off Curran and he reached 68 from just 31 balls before holing out to Dan Mousley, running in from the cover boundary off Rehan.
Powell beats crazy collapse
Hope was run out next ball when Nicholas Pooran nudged a Rehan delivery to mid-on then sent Hope back as Livingstone fired the ball in to the bowler with Hope still backing up.
Then Pooran edged Rehan’s next ball, a googly, onto his off stump.
After 10 overs, West Indies were 138 for 3, their highest score at the halfway point of a T20I innings, needing 81 runs in 60 balls and with two fresh batters at the crease. It suggested more twists to come.
Livingstone took an excellent catch over his shoulder running back from mid-on to remove Shimron Hetmyer but left the field after appearing to have jarred his knee in his exertion.
Of equal concern to England at the time was the fact that West Indies captain Powell was looking all business, having raced to 27 in 14 balls.
He became Turner’s maiden T20I wicket, pinned on the back thigh in line with off stump, leaving his side with 23 runs to get from 21 balls.
Rutherford skied Curran high over the bowler’s head and when it dropped in the middle of four converging fielders it felt like being West Indies’ night, if any more evidence was needed.
Rutherford and Roston Chase held firm, Rutherford’s six down the ground off Mousley taking his side to within one boundary of victory with seven balls remaining.
He took just one, slamming the very next over deep midwicket for another maximum, and victory. (ESPNcricinfo)
