West Indies beat England by five wickets in thrilling fourth men’s T20 cricket international – as it happened

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"It really doesn’t add up," Cook remarks, pondering the outcome. "It’s better to have Pepper in play since he’s a stronger batsman and fielder compared to Overton, especially when Overton can’t bowl."

It’s certainly a puzzle. Perhaps we’ll get some answers in the final game of the series, set to start at 8pm GMT tomorrow. We think there might be at least one adjustment to the team following Liam Livingstone’s knee injury while making that incredible catch. He’s had such a string of unfortunate injuries.

With West Indies bringing excitement to the series through their impressive chase, I’ll bid you goodnight. We’ll return tomorrow for the toss. Thank you for joining us – take care!

Powell commented, “It’s been a situation where winning the coin toss often leads to winning the match. However, the team played well today. We figured that using five bowlers might not be the most effective choice for us. Alzarri Joseph is crucial to our team, and we need the other bowlers to step up and match his level of play. To be honest, our bowling options are somewhat limited, which creates a chance for bowlers in the Caribbean to show what they can do. It’s been a challenging series for our bowling squad, but they are putting in the effort. There's still plenty at stake for tomorrow.”

Jos Buttler: “Wrist spinners are incredibly valuable. I was really impressed with Rehan today; he showed a lot of courage and helped bring us back into the match. He's a young player with a lot of confidence.”

Shai Hope Named Player Of The Match

"The most important thing was to figure out the best way to achieve a good score." Is there any difference from playing ODI cricket? "Not really, I’m just focused on what the team needs." Where do you like to bat? "Honestly, I prefer batting in the middle order, but I’m a batsman at heart—I enjoy being in the action regardless."

“What an exciting cricket match,” Cook remarks. “It was such fantastic entertainment with impressive batting. At one point, it seemed like they were going to win easily, but there was a little bit of a setback. Still, that target was quite challenging to reach.”

"I totally share Butch's perspective," Jason Roy concurs, "Shai Hope definitely deserves a place on the team. He’s a joy to watch and brings a level-headedness to the group of aggressive players."

They all concurred that England maintained their composure effectively and noted that the pitch was excellent for play.

West Indies Defeat England By Five Wickets!

19th over: West Indies 221-5 (Rutherford 29, Chase 9) Mousley steps up to bowl the second-to-last over. Chase nicks the first delivery, sending it towards deep backward square, but a fielder prevents it from crossing the boundary. They manage a single down the pitch, after which the umpires decide to replace the ball, citing it has become too wet from the dew. Rutherford remains calm and composed. He makes another powerful hit down the ground, but Overton dives to save it – "They should have taken more than one run!" Ian Bishop exclaims, clearly frustrated. After another single, Rutherford takes matters into his own hands and slams a massive six. He wraps up the match with another SIX on the next delivery, hitting it stylishly over midwicket. This marks the highest successful run chase ever at this ground, resulting in a fantastic victory for the West Indies.

18th over: West Indies 204-5 (Rutherford 16, Chase 2) Chase launches Curran high into the air – surely someone will catch it? But no, the ball lands right between four fielders rushing in. The West Indies seem to be feeling the pressure, while Buttler smartly positions his players. The West Indies now require 15 runs from the last 12 balls.

17th over: West Indies 198-5 (Rutherford 14, Chase 1) Turner faces a challenging moment but performs admirably, taking out Powell and only giving away three runs. The West Indies' required score creeps back up to just over a run per ball, with two fresh batsmen at the crease. They now need 21 runs off 18 deliveries.

WICKET! Powell LBW To Turner For 38

Powell's performance is looked at positively, but he is eventually dismissed as the ball strikes his back pad, allowing Turner to claim his first wicket in international T20 cricket.

16th over: West Indies 195-4 (Rutherford 11, Powell 38) Saqib Mahmood is delivering his last over. The West Indies players seem happy to take the occasional single. Mahmood has done a great job, wrapping up his spell with figures of 0-24, making this trip to the Caribbean a memorable one. The West Indies now need 24 runs to win off the remaining 24 balls.

15th over: West Indies 191-4 (Rutherford 10, Powell 36) Mousley is delivering his overs with his usual effectiveness. The West Indies players stay simple and manage to score a single run off each ball. They are now looking for 28 runs from the remaining 30 balls.

14th over: West Indies 185-4 (Rutherford 7, Powell 33) Rutherford starts the over with a big SIX, sending the ball soaring high into the air before it narrowly lands inside the boundary. Unfortunately, the effort took a toll on him as he ends up on the ground, with the physio stretching his legs. After a moment, he gets back up and manages to run for a single. Powell then finishes the over with an enormous SIX over deep midwicket. The West Indies now require 34 runs off 36 balls.

WICKET! Hetmyer Out For 7, West Indies 172-4

Livingstone made an impressive catch while sprinting toward mid-on, managing to grab the ball despite having to look back at it. Unfortunately, he landed awkwardly and shouted out in pain. The physios rushed onto the field to help him with some massage, but he had to leave the game. It's a tough break for him.

13th over: West Indies 172-3 (Hetmyer 7, Powell 27) Are the West Indies looking to just get through Saqib Mahmood's over? With 58 runs needed off 48 balls, they likely have a decent total already. They're playing carefully, managing three singles, a dot ball, a wide, another dot, and then a second wide. Powell finishes the over with a stunning SIX over the cover, adding some flair to their cautious approach.

12th over: West Indies 161-3 (Hetmyer 5, Powell 20) Powell, with his cap pulled down over his eyes, effortlessly sends an appealing delivery from Rehan soaring over long-on for a SIX. He then taps a single to fine leg. The over ends with a dot ball, but they still managed to score 14 runs from it.

11th over: West Indies 147-3 (Hetmyer 4, Powell 7) The dynamics of the match have shifted, prompting Buttler to introduce Turner again after a challenging start in his first couple of overs. Powell quickly smashes a four through the covers. Overton’s sloppy fielding allows for an extra two runs. Turner ends the over with just one boundary, conceding a total of nine runs.

10th over: West Indies 138-3 (Hetmyer 1, Powell 1) That over really took the excitement out of things.

WICKET! Pooran Out For 0, West Indies 136-3

Three strikes in quick succession! Within just two deliveries, Pooran finds himself part of a run-out and then edges the ball onto his own wickets. He throws up his hands in exasperation. It feels like the music has suddenly stopped at a lively celebration.

WICKET! Livingstone Run Out, West Indies 136-2

What a confusing situation! Pooran begins to run but then has a change of heart, leaving Hope stuck.

WICKET! Lewis Out For 68, West Indies 136-1

Right on cue for drinks! Lewis, who appeared invincible, has been outsmarted by a well-executed googly from Mousley. Can England put a halt to this relentless momentum? They only need 83 runs with more than half of the overs still remaining.

9th over: West Indies 136 without loss (Lewis 68, Hope 54) Curran bowls a delivery that drifts too far to the leg side, and Lewis sends it flying to secure his first half-century of the series off just 26 deliveries. The target now dips below a hundred as he cleverly sidesteps and swats the ball for four, just evading Mousley as he rushes across the boundary. A massive six follows, hammered straight like a bolt through drywall. Curran tries again, but Lewis somehow manages to mishit a one-handed edge that goes for another six. Curran, glistening with sweat, shakes his head in disbelief. He attempts a bouncer, which sails over Lewis and is called a wide by the umpire. The final delivery is struck straight down the ground, and it’s an impressive effort from Buttler, who sprints in and leaps into the air—though his hands nearly miss the catch, he manages to stop the ball with his neck, preventing a boundary.

8th over: West Indies 113-0 (Lewis 47, Hope 53) Livingstone steps in to bowl but doesn’t have a great start. He throws down five wides right off the bat, and then Lewis goes on the attack, smashing a six followed by a four and another six—this last one hit with just a slight flick of his wrist, sailing into the night sky. After another wide, Lewis caps it off with yet another six, a one-handed shot that just clears Bethell, who is lurking near the midwicket boundary. What a fantastic display!

Shai Hope Hits Fifty!

7th over: West Indies 83-0 (Lewis 23, Hope 53) Rehan Ahmed is now bowling, casually switching the ball between his hands while chewing gum. Hope takes a swing at a shorter delivery, sending the ball soaring over deep midwicket for a six. He wraps up the over with another boundary, driving through midwicket past a fielder who was in place but didn't have a moment to react.

That's Hope's fifth half-century in T20 internationals, achieved in only 23 deliveries.

6th over: West Indies 69-0 (Lewis 21, Hope 41) Off the field, there's some wild acrobatic action happening, while on the field, Hope launches Mousley’s first delivery for SIX! There’s a stumping appeal against Lewis, but the umpire rules it not out, much to Salt’s disappointment. They review it frame by frame, but Lewis's foot just manages to touch the ground in time. He responds by smashing Mousley’s next ball for another SIX.

5th over: West Indies 56-0 (Lewis 15, Hope 34) Buttler has faith in Curran to stem the tide. They manage a quick two runs, followed by an elegant shot through the off-side that just beats the outfielder. There's a wide ball. Mousley makes a spectacular effort at the boundary to save a few runs. In total, they score twelve runs from the over.

4th over: West Indies 44-0 (Lewis 11, Hope 27) Mahmood makes an immediate impact, delivering a ball that strikes Lewis high on the thigh. Meanwhile, Saqib, sporting a thick black wristband on his left arm, has a chat with Jofra Archer near the boundary as medical staff check on Lewis. But wait—Hope quickly adds four runs from leg byes, and then scores another four with a powerful shot that sends the ball soaring over backward point. He follows that with another four from a clever little shot that zips along the ground to the boundary. Is the momentum shifting?

3rd over: West Indies 30-0 (Lewis 11, Hope 18) Lewis connects with a delivery from Turner and launches it over the legside for a powerful six. Could this be the boost the innings was looking for? Maybe! Hope contributes by driving one through the covers for four, followed by a lucky inside edge that narrowly misses the stumps and races to the boundary. He then blasts a massive six over long on and adds another four with a deft shot to the off side. That’s the costliest over England has had during the power play this series—25 runs taken off it.

2nd over: West Indies 5-0 (Lewis 4, Hope 0) Saqib Mahmood is bowling from the opposite end, and he has been a delight to watch throughout this white-ball series. Meanwhile, both my dog and I are dozing off on the couch. Hope looks completely bewildered at the crease. It's mentioned that the top five West Indies batsmen have all averaged below 12 runs in this series, and to illustrate that point, Hope wildly swings and completely misses the ball. Mahmood delivers a flawless opening over.

1st over: West Indies 5-0 (Lewis 4, Hope 0) The newcomer Turner opens the bowling with a wide delivery but quickly settles into his rhythm, clocking speeds of over 85 mph. Hope goes for a big shot on the last ball and manages to send it over the slips for a boundary.

England put on an impressive show after losing the toss. The pitch was inviting, and their powerful batting made a big impact.

Alastair Cook comments, "What we've observed is that the West Indies bowlers didn't perform at their best, but they have very little room for mistakes. Their reliance on the spinners to maintain control was evident today, as it became clear how simple it was to take a direct approach against them."

"I was especially impressed by Bethell. He has an impressive knack for hitting sixes; it's not just sheer strength but also smart and strategic hitting."

Jason Roy acknowledges, "He played his innings really well. It's quite remarkable for someone only twenty years old to achieve that."

WICKET! Curran Runs Out For 24; England 218-5

20th over: England 218-5 (Bethell 62) McCoy starts off by keeping things under control for the first five deliveries. However, Curran takes a swing at a short ball, launching it over long on for a six. Unfortunately, he gets run out trying to take a second run off the last ball, but England will still be pleased with their performance!

England has matched the record for the highest T20 score at this venue in St Lucia.

19th over: England 206-4 (Bethell 59, Curran 16) Joseph starts with a low full toss that Curran smashes for six—what a shot! Both he and Bethell have a similar presence at the crease—lean yet vibrant. Joseph wraps up the over with a couple of well-placed yorkers.

18th over: England 194-4 (Bethell 59, Curran 6) The left-handed bowler McCoy comes back into the attack, sporting his tight-fitting trousers. He skillfully mixes up his delivery speeds, and aside from a wide on the third ball, it’s a pretty economical over. However, on the last ball, Bethell launches a powerful shot, sending the ball soaring for six over midwicket.

Jacob Bethell Scores Fifty!

17th over: England 183-4 (Bethell 51, Curran 4) Bethell launches a slow delivery from Chase for six. He does it again on the next ball. He reaches his half-century (off 22 balls) after hitting his third consecutive six, this one driven straight down the field. Chase finishes his four overs having conceded a painful 47 runs. Bethell is definitely making an impact.