West Indies v England - 3rd T20I as it happened: Phil Salt stars as ...
For once, the stats really do tell the story
31 runs for Harry Brook from a seven ball cameo, for a strike rate of 443. It had looked almost out of sight when he came in, before suddenly the impossible was the inevitable.
Let's not forget the 109 run, unbeaten innings from Phil Salt from 56 balls.
That really was a good pitch to bat on, eh? This series isn't just alive, it's kicking.
Just watch this final over
An innings and a half
England win by 7 wickets!
Wow! What an astonishing over that was, and what a remarkable contribution from Harry Brook to keep the series alive.
Four runs from him to start the over, and a glorious 86 metre six over extra cover to follow, reducing the target to 11 runs from four balls. Then another six! The best of the lot, as Brook launches a full toss from Andre Russell, who missed the mark by a distance, over the deep square leg boundary. West Indies look concerned as England need five. Two easily run next, from Brook a pull to midwicket. It's all over with the next ball. It's a wide delivery from Andre Russell, that Brook sends way way way over the third man boundary. Phil Salt looks broken but in what must be the best possible way.
England 202-3 (Brook 7, Salt 109). Overs: 19. 21 runs required
Joseph in the attack with his final over. A dot ball, then good fielding in the deep by Rutherford saves the boundary from a shot to backward square by Salt. Another dot and another magnificent maximum over long off by Phil Salt keeps England in the game, while a single from his next shot doesn't feel like enough. The final ball of the over is one more single.
England 192-3 (Brook 6, Salt 100). Overs: 18. 31 runs required
Jason Holder back to bowl his fourth and final over. Can he close out with a wicket? Phil Salt catches a second wind and connects with ball, just short of a length, clubbed over midwicket to take himself to 93 runs. Back to back sixes, clearing the same boundary by a distance and the light is beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel for England. Not three in a row but a first 100 for Phil Salt comes off the next ball. Eight fours and four sixes for that brilliant innings. Just needs one final burst of energy. But Livingstone comes back to face, and Holder strikes. For 30 runs, Livingstone is caught by Powell at the long on boundary as he goes for a big shot. Brook ends the over and opens his account with a stunning six and give England a chance.
England 172-2 (Livingstone 29, Salt 87). Overs: 17. 51 runs required
Alzarri Joseph goes for the yorker, misses, and Livingstone says thank you. He keeps his balance, and clears the boundary by a mile. Will this be the thirty run over they need? It won't, as Joseph steadies himself with a full ball aimed outside off stump. Phil Salt is looking frustrated now but a no ball brings up a free hit for Liam Livingstone. He almost takes advantage down the ground but it's caught by Powell, and they run one. Salt connects well with the next ball, but Brandon King times his dive to perfection and keep England to two runs, while bringing up the fifty partnership. The final ball sees Joseph miss the length and its Salt again who gives everything to get the full toss over the midwicket boundary.
England 152-2 (Livingstone 21, Salt 76). Overs: 16. 71 runs required
Into the final five overs, as the last five have really pegged England back. The first ball of over 16 will help, as Phil Salt sends Andre Russell over midwicket for a vital six, before taking a single and handing back to his partner. Two will do for Livingstone from a full ball, pitched outside off. It should have been a single but for some sloppy fielding. West Indies are really limiting England who are running out of gas.
England 140-2 (Livingstone 17, Salt 68). Overs: 15. 83 runs required
Joseph back to bowl with six overs left and the run rate getting away from England. Time to take risks, but Salt seems to have lost his mojo. Three singles for England, as both batters play shots but just don't make the contact they need. A welcome, rare wide from Azari Joseph, that he thought was good but the umpire didn't like and it gives Liam Livingstone the chance to take a breath. With his next shot, a ball that just missed the length, goes for six down the ground. More where that came from? No. Just two more singles.
England 128-2 (Livingstone 9, Salt 65). Overs: 14. 95 runs required
England really falling behind now, as Holder comes in, starting with a slower ball that turns into the body of Livingstone but no score. He finally gets onto one, with a great shot that goes all the way over deep square leg for six. Holder's slower balls are deceiving Liam Livingstone who swings way too early and doesn't make contact. The faster one he does get onto but it's not well time and he only manages a single down the ground. The over ends with a great bit of a fielding from the captain, caught just on the volley.
England 119-2 (Livingstone 2, Salt 64). Overs: 13. 104 runs required
What can Motie do with his final over? He can take a wicket, that's what. Jacks last just six balls, and is out caught behind to Pooran. A great delivery that, just short of a length and Jacks scratched it behind. Livingstone in at number four for England, needs to get going quickly. But Motie has other ideas, sending a great delivery that evades the batter and only marginally misses the bails. A call for run out on ball five of the over, but Livingstone is saved by the dive.
England 116-1 (Jacks 1, Salt 63). Overs: 12. 107 runs required
The return of Andre Russell is to Buttler's liking, and he brings up his 50 with the ramp, in response to a slower ball. He falls with his next big shot, out via a relay catch in the deep as Akeal Hosein hands it over to Joseph before stepping over the boundary. In comes Will Jacks at the crease, with the run rate required up to 12.71. Good line and length from Russell to Jacks keeps the batter from getting onto his first three balls. Jacks gets off the mark with the last ball of the over, tapping it to deep point.
England 111-0 (Buttler 47, Salt 63). Overs: 11. 112 runs required
Drinks and we enter the final quarter of this match. England have dominated with the bat, but to stand a chance they've needed to. They can't afford to falter, let alone collapse. Motie back at the Darbeau end and 115 runs needed. Motie bowls a nice tight line and all the best footwork from Buttler, and imaginative shot playing, can't deliver quite bring the big scores they need. Just two each off that over.
England 107-0 (Buttler 45, Salt 61). Overs: 10. 115 runs required
One more for Akeal Hosein, and he starts with a nice ball round the wicket to leg stump, stumped for one. The next ball brings up the hundred for England, and it's a 77m 6 over the long off boundary for Phil Salt. They need this. A dot ball then a single through extra cover and two more, one off the pads from Buttler to add ten to England's total.
England 97-0 (Buttler 43, Salt 53). Overs: 9
A change of ends for Motie for over 9. Can West Indies break this partnership? They can't, but good bowling from Motie limits England's additons to five singles. That was what they needed, as the RRR increases again.
England 92-0 (Buttler 40, Salt 51). Overs: 8
Jason Holder back into the attack, as England have fallen slightly behind the required run rate, which currently stands at 10.99. Salt plays a nice shot to the leg side that a good bit of running brings England two more runs. Four very welcome runs come from Salt who hits the slower ball to the backward square boundary. A couple more runs come from a leg side shot that falls short and England show they're prepared to run if they have to. The final ball of the over brings up Phil Salt's 50, comprised of three sixes and four fours. Better from England in that over, find the space and running well.
England 81-0 (Buttler 39, Salt 41). Overs: 7
An easy midwicket boundary for Buttler to the first, slow ball from Alzarri Joseph. These two are really standing up now, just when they need to. A no ball from Joseph brings Buttler a free hit, but he can't make the most of it, and just adds a single from his pull to the leg side. Have West Indies started the innings a little too complacently? Better bowling from Joseph with ball four, very nice length but Buttler just nudges it away. Another single to deep third, and that over cost the West Indies just nine runs.
England 73-0 (Buttler 33, Salt 40). Overs: 6
The new bowler is Gudakesh Motie, who is greeted with a superb six from Phil Salt over long on. Just the single brings Buttler back to the strike, as Motie pulls his length back and aims more for the off stump. The England captain responds with an innovative reverse sweep to deep backward point. Salt ends Motie's first over as he started it, with another big six over long on.
England 55-0 (Buttler 28, Salt 27). Overs: 5
Very good start for England. Akeal Hosein will go again, and bring up a "catch it" shout from his first ball, but Salt's shot drops a touch short. The next ball goes for one bounce and four through mid-on. West Indies change their field to put men on the off-side boundary, to which Buttler responds with a reverse sweep over backward point. They ends the over with two sensible singles. Fine partnership so far.
England 44-0 (Buttler 23, Salt 21). Overs: 4
A change of bowlers, brings in Andre Russell, whose first ball goes to Jason Holder who just stops the ball with his foot at the rope as England add three. A bit sloppy with their fielding so far, the West Indies. Better bowling from Russell, that Buttler has a swipe at but misses before nudging the slower ball to the body for a run. Phil Salt plays the Russell's yorker beautifully and picks up four more from a leg side swipe through cover.
England 35-0 (Buttler 13, Salt 22). Overs: 3
Back with Hosein at the Darbeau end, and Buttler, with the second ball, positions the ball past Andre Russell for another four through mid-on. A pair of runs and a single off the next two balls, before a fumble in the field which doesn't cost the West Indies anything but might be a sign of something. Another misfield from Mayers at point allows England to score a double and take them to 35.
England 25-0 (Buttler 13, Salt 12). Overs: 2
Jason Holder bowls at the other end, and he starts with a length ball, and one just short, that England will take singles from. Ball three is short and Phil Salt likes the look of the offcutter, that's too wide, and Salt is able to get a one bounce four. England know they have to go for boundaries and they're playing positively already. No time to waste. The next ball brings up a shout for LBW, as the full ball looked to hit Salt on the pads as he was going for a slog sweep. The umpire says no, and review shows it would have hit the stumps but was pitching outside the line, so by a whisker Salt survives. (There's also almost a run out in the same move, but that's a different matter.) Salt, seizing the day, sends a six over the leg side with his final ball of the over. England have gotten going.
England 14-0 (Buttler 13, Salt 1). Overs: 1
Akeal Hosein kicks things off from the Darbeau end and we almost start with a wicket, as Phil Salt very nearly plays on to his stumps. England are off the mark with the third ball as Hosein targets the off stump nicely. But Buttler finds the space to play with two huge shots in as many balls, the first over Hosein's head, the second over long off.
West Indies have hit more sixes than fours
Carlos Braithwaite: "I was happy at 190. Declare?"
He's got very good reason to smile and make jokes. The ex captain enjoyed that knock from Nicholas Pooran, especially. Steve Finn is bit more downhearted. "Eight for two feels like a long time ago."
Brutal from the West Indies
"I had a proper game plan and I stuck to it," says Nicholas Pooran at the break. "Today I was in a good position." That's an understatement. 82 runs from 45 balls contributing to the highest score ever recorded in Grenada. The West Indies scored 16 sixes over that innings. It's hard to see England equalling or bettering, but stranger things have happened.
West Indies 222-6 (Russell 8, Holder 18). Overs: 20
Reece Topley to bowl the final over for England, but the damage is very done. Each of the last overs has gone for more than 12 runs. A new bat for Andre Russell, and Topley gets away with the full toss, which Russell scuffs to midwicket before Jason Holder goes very high and very very long. An extraordinary shot, out of the middle of the bat, right down the ground. Another boundary for Holder, as he flicks his wrist and eases the ball between the midwicket fielders. Holder ends England's misery with another six runs, smacked over cover.
West Indies 204-6 (Russell 7, Holder 1). Overs: 19
Penultimate over then, is Curran with his final go with the ball. He opens with a wide that skips through Buttler's legs for four - not what England needed. A single for Rutherford brings the menacing figure of Andre Russell up, and he's being a bit tentative to start, happy to get off the mark with a drive through extra cover for a single. It's Rutherford who smashes the first six of this partnership, a powerful shot into the top tier, off the slower ball from Curran. Curran gets his man the next ball, a bouncer, that Rutherford drags straight, and is caught by the long on fielder. A good 29 from 17 for Rutherford. A single for Jason Holder brings up Andre Russell who has a look, flicks a switch and sends one all the way, straight over for his first six.
West Indies 183-5 (Russell 0, Rutherford 22). Overs: 18
Pressure on Rashid for what may be his last over. He's bowled well, but there's only so much one man can do. Pooran is enjoying his time at the crease, as Pooran scores another big six over the square leg boundary, from a googly that was practically drawn to the perfect spot on the bat to bring up the 50 partnership. A chance of a catch two balls later, but it's too far for the fielder at deep square. One ball later is the end of Nicholas Pooran. A bit of relief for England, as the shot is same but just falls short and into the welcome hands of Livingstone. Andre Russell in at number 7 for the West Indies and he respectfully defends with the first one he faces.
West Indies 168-4 (Pooran 68, Rutherford 21). Overs: 17
Seven bowlers used for England today, with mixed results. Four to go now, as Mills is back with the ball. His first is too easy for Rutherford, who looked to be waiting for the slower ball, and sends it straight back over his head for four. He gets onto the next one, and lifts it high and far over square leg. The wind helped it over the boundary, you'd say. A good stop from Atkinson to a hard half volley that finds him at deep cover, before Pooran places the next ball, a leg cutter through midwicket. Pooran delivers the best of the day with his next opportunity, a huge strike for six over cover point. The final ball of the over is another boundary, and the most expensive over of the day, at a cost to England of 25 runs.
West Indies 143-4 (Pooran 54, Rutherford 10). Overs: 16
Into the last five overs, can Rashid produce some more magic? He's not used to bowling this late in an innings but this is a crucial time for England. He's turning the ball well, and the momentum feels like it's with England. Pooran brings up the half century with the most delicate of shots, nudging the googly behind to the third man boundary. A possible LBW shout is refused, and England don't fancy the review, as the West Indies pick up just eight from that over.
West Indies 135-4 (Pooran 48, Rutherford 8). Overs: 15
Sam Curran again, after a good first over, is hit towards the deep but a good dive from Livingstone limits it to two runs. Nothing the field can do about the next ball, though, as Rutherford shows good hands, and bisects the pair on the offside for four. Curran is mixing it up and helping England claw their way back into the game, with just 15 off the last two over. Other than the slower delivery that brought up the boundary, another decent six balls from Sam Curran.
West Indies 126-4 (Pooran 47, Rutherford 1). Overs: 14
Moeen rejoins the attack and Nicholas Pooran's first shot against him is a thing of beauty, a leg side drive over extra cover. A single brings Rutherford to the strike, who gets off the mark with the fifth ball of the over, but it's almost a run out. He'll be back on next as Moeen's very decent over cost just six runs.
West Indies 120-4 (Pooran 42, Powell 39). Overs: 13
Surrey's Sam Curran comes in for England, perhaps lacking in confidence having had a difficult tour of the Caribbean so far. Still time to turn it around, though. His first ball is full, and goes for a single in the overs. His second is smashed, but along the floor and is nicely picked up. The first LBW shout of the day comes up on ball three, and though the umpire isn't interested, England request a review. Ultra edge indicates no bat involvement, but the ball was pitched outside the line, so the decision is upheld. It was a good ball, though. Curran seems inspired and comes up with a very dangerous ball next, a wide yorker that goes straight through Pooran to the keeper. The next ball is a bit too wide, but Curran is bowling well. Can he close out the over without conceding a boundary? Better than that he claims the captain's wicket! Redemption of sorts for Curran. The ball was a nippy bouncer, that Powell top edges. Jos Buttler has time to get underneath it and it's a comfortable catch. A quickfire 39 for Powell.
West Indies 115-3 (Pooran 40, Powell 38). Overs: 12
Liam Livingstone comes in to bowl offspin to the left hander, but Rovman looks up for it. Indeed, he takes on the fuller ball from Livingstone, smashes it over long off for six, before repeating the trick almost exactly, but even further, the very next ball. 36 off 16 balls for the captain. Two wides tell us Livingstone is struggling, and which brings up a rapid 50 partnership. A better end to the over, as Livingstone costs just the three singles. Two very expensive overs we've just seen.
West Indies 97-3 (Pooran 38, Powell 24). Overs: 11
25% of the way into the match (or more) and the West Indies are in a healthy spot you'd say, further ahead of where they were a few days ago at this point. Atkinson starts the next period with a pacey ball that Powell delights in, sending it for the biggest six so far, over the square leg boundary. A single brings Pooran into the strike and he hits a slower fourth ball for a six of his own, in the opposite direction, behind square. The pair run two with the final ball of the over for a 16 run over.
West Indies 81-3 (Pooran 32, Powell 15). Overs: 10
Rashid continues in the attack, unsurprisingly. His balls are all over the place - in a good way - and Powell seems content to see these overs out, picking up singles where they can. But Powell is still going to go for them where he can, and he reads the fifth ball well, slog sweeping into the midwicket gap and picking up four more. A midwicket single for the captain and it's time before the drinks break.
West Indies 73-3 (Pooran 30, Powell 9). Overs: 9
Tymal Mills, who has been expensive on this tour, joins the attack, and his first ball to Pooran is nudged through midwicket for a single. Good running adds a pair, and gets the captain off the mark, while keeping the strike, before he places his next shot through square leg and is just denied the boundary. Pooran hits the next ball high and long but it's into the wind, just over the rope where some athletic fielding pats it back in, and the Windies only run one. A full, wide, slow delivery is a gift for Powell, who does get his first boundary on the final ball of the over through the gap in extra cover.
West Indies 62-3 (Pooran 28, Powell 0). Overs: 8
Adil Rashid comes in for England and the legspinner's first ball is delicious, just beating Pooran's outside edge. No run off the second ball, either, as Pooran can only drag at it. A run off ball three, but with ball four he gets his man and that's the break England needed. Shai Hope tried to slog it but doesn't get enough on it, or under it and is caught by Salt inside the deep midwicket boundary. Gone for 26, and it's time for the captain, who backs himself - he scored 50 of 28 the other day. Just the one run off that over. Just what the doctor ordered.
West Indies 61-2 (Pooran 26, Hope 27). Overs: 7
Liam Livingstone, right arm off-spinner, into the attack for the first post power play over. His first ball is good, Pooran can only tap at it, but then latches onto the next one for a big six over long on, which brings up the 50 partnership. A leg break to the right hander hope only adds a single to the West Indies total. You sense England would like to break this partnership as soon as possible.
West Indies 52-2 (Pooran 19, Hope 25). Overs: 6
Reece Topley to finish the power play, as the hosts have moved nearer 10 runs an over than 5. Topley steadies the ship somewhat, with some short balls that Hope and Pooran are a bit hesitant to attack, only finding fielders, adding singles to their tally. Until the last ball of the over when Hope steers one to backward point that is well fielded by Livingstone to prevent the four.
West Indies 47-2 (Pooran 17, Hope 22). Overs: 5
Gus Atkinson joins the attack and Shai Hope welcomes his first ball with a maximum over long on. Timed perfectly, and made to look easy. A shorter ball for Atkinson's second, and Hope is happy to tab it just behind square for a single. Pooran lifts ball three over the covers and it skips away to the boundary as the Windies begin to make the most of this power play. It's starting to look like flex, as Pooran sends Atkinson's next ball all the way for six. These two batters are definitely in at this point. Eighteen off that over.
West Indies 29-2 (Pooran 6, Hope 15). Overs: 4
Topley stays on the attack, and he really is attacking, but so is Shai Hope, who is making good decisions so far. Just singles from the first four balls, before Topley plays one to the left hander that's a little too straight, it doesn't swing, and Pooran flicks it away for a boundary that beats Mills' dive.
West Indies 22-2 (Pooran 1, Hope 13). Overs: 3
Moeen with offspin to the lefthander Pooran, who is finally off the mark, as Pooran guides it through the covers. Shai Hope delivers the first six of the day, and almighty shot, straight down the ground and caught by a local who justifably enjoys the applause. Another boundary for Hope, but Will Jacks should have got down to it - instead it went through his legs. A better over for the West Indies, who go from 5 and over to 7.
West Indies 10-2 (Pooran 0, Hope 2). Overs: 2
Reece Topley making his first appearance on this tour of the Caribbean, and Mayers defends the first to extra cover, the second to off, and with his third ball Topley takes his man. What a ball that was, an absolute jaffa. Off a length it bounces up and Mayers squared up to it, but the ball caught an edge and was an easy catch for Jos Buttler. Two more line and lengths to the new batter, Shai Hope deliver no run but hope is off the mark with his third. An inswinger, Hope clips it to backward square.
West Indies 8-1 (Pooran 0, Mayers 0). Overs: 1
Moeen Ali opens the bowling from the river end, and gets hit for four second ball. King slashes it through backward point over Adeel Rashid. And another one down the ground - just a bit too full from Moeen and King couldn't resist sending it down the ground. Ball five is better though, and Moeen strikes! The perfect length and it turned just enough to go through the gate. King burned bright and is gone for 8. Mooen asks for a slip for the new batter and ends the over with a dot. Not a bat start for England.
17:25 - Carlos Braithwaite: "I would hope they feel under a bit more pressure."
Asked if the Windies 2-0 lead might mean they go into the game a bit more relaxed, our pundit hopes not: "You want to win series and I'd be very disappointed if they take their foot off the pedal," says Braithwaite in the TNT Studio. "They need to be ruthless and seal the series."
17:20 - Akeal Hosein: "Winning always helps."
"As a spinner you always have to be on point. It's just about clearing my head and executing the plan. Batsmen do funny things to show you off. After you get hit for two sixes you have to decide if he played a good shot or if I got it wrong. Winning always helps. "
17:15 - Confident?
17:10 - The teams
West Indies: 1 Kyle Mayers, 2 Brandon King, 3 Shai Hope 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Rovman Powell (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Gudakesh Motie, 9 Jason Holder, 10 Akeal Hosein, 11 Alzarri Joseph
England: 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Reece Topley, 11 Tymal Mills
Just the one change for the West Indies - Sherfane Rutherford replaces Shimron Hetmyer.
17:05 Jos Buttler wins the toss
Heads is called and heads it is. The England captain is up for a chase. West Indies will bat first. An unwelcome stat, but one that presumably doesn't concern Buttler, is that six of the last seven matches at Grenada have been won by the team batting first. Rovman Powell, the Windies captain, indicates he'd have made the same call but says "it looks like a pretty good wicket" - it's the same one they won on the other day. "Both captains seem convinced that it will play better."
17:00 - Stat attack
Jos Buttler needs just two sixes to become England's joint highest maximum maker (with Eoin Morgan) on 120.
England have lost four of their last five T20s against the West Indies.
Which of those two do you think is of most concern to the tourists?
16:55 - It's not catches but sixes that win matches in this game
How about this from Andre Russell on Wednesday?
16:50 - A bit of team news
Full elevens to come, but it seems as if England will be ringing the changes. Reports are that Rehan Ahmed will give way to Ben Duckett or Reece Topley, while Gus Atkinson seems set to come in for Chris Woakes.
16:48 - How's your bouncebackability, England?
16:45 - Good evening
Welcome to over-by-over coverage of the third T20i match of this five match series between the West Indies and England. Having lost the first two, Jos Buttler’s side have just forty overs in Grenada to give themselves a fighting chance of saving the series and halting what feels like an interminable white-ball slide.
King hits 82, bowlers keep things tight as West Indies win second T20I against England
Brandon King and captain Rovman Powell both hit 50s and then the bowlers kept things tight and took regular wickets as West Indies won the second T20I.
In the second of their five-match T20 series against West Indies in the Caribbean, England won the toss and put their opponents into bat, having lost the first match against the hosts.
West Indies made 176-7 at just under nine runs an over while in response, England ended on 166-7.
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