West Indies vs England: Hosts pull off stunning chase of 219 to win fourth T20
Windies Aim For First T20 Win Against England
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The West Indies hit 16 sixes while successfully chasing down a target of 219 runs.
Fourth T20 Match in St. Lucia
England scored 218 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their 20 overs. Bethell remained unbeaten with a score of 62 off 32 balls, while Salt contributed 55 runs from 35 deliveries. Motie took 2 wickets for 40 runs.
West Indies scored 221 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 19 overs. Lewis contributed 68 runs off 31 balls, while Ahmed took 3 wickets for 43 runs.
The West Indies secured a victory by five wickets, but England still holds a 3-1 advantage in the series.
The West Indies achieved an impressive victory by successfully chasing down a target of 219 runs, marking their first win of the series during an exciting fourth T20 match held in St Lucia.
Openers Evin Lewis and Shai Hope scored an impressive 136 runs in just the first nine overs. However, they then faced a sudden setback, losing three wickets in consecutive deliveries, which gave England a chance to come back into the game.
Rehan Ahmed dismissed Lewis, who scored 68 runs, while Hope was run out after making 54. Nicholas Pooran, unfortunately, went out without scoring. However, captain Rovman Powell turned things around for the home team with a quick 38 runs off just 23 balls.
Powell's exit in the 17th over allowed England to regain some footing, but Sherfane Rutherford answered back with two consecutive sixes in the second-to-last over, securing a victory by five wickets.
England's total of 218-5 was greatly influenced by Phil Salt, who scored 55 runs—his sixth T20 fifty against the West Indies. He formed explosive partnerships, contributing 54 runs with his opening partner Will Jacks and adding another 48 runs with Jos Buttler, who also pitched in with 38 runs.
Jacob Bethell, 21, followed up his impressive debut in international cricket with a rapid fifty off just 22 balls, finishing with an unbeaten score of 62 that featured five sixes. England took full advantage of the favorable batting conditions after being put in to bat due to losing the toss.
Lewis and Hope handled the rough treatment their bowlers faced with poise, each making their half-centuries in just 26 and 23 balls, respectively.
Powell's exit, along with some tough overs bowled by Saqib Mahmood and T20 newcomer John Turner, gave the West Indies' team a bit of a scare. However, the impressive partnership between Hope and Lewis kept them well ahead of the required run rate, with Rutherford ultimately scoring 29 runs off 17 balls.
The T20 segment of the tour wraps up with the fifth match on Sunday at the same location. England has already clinched the series victory after winning the first three games.
Windies React Stylishly To Series Loss
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The West Indies achieved a score of 138-3, marking their best performance in the first 10 overs of a T20 international match.
With the series standing at 3-0 and their bowlers recently giving up 218 runs, it wouldn't be surprising if the West Indies felt somewhat exhausted as they embarked on their daunting pursuit.
Instead, they answered with bold and impressive batting, kicking off with a remarkable powerplay of 69 runs without losing any wickets in the first six overs, brightening up the beautiful skies of St. Lucia.
The left-handed Lewis struck seven sixes during his innings of 31 balls, especially targeting all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who ended up giving away 30 runs in just one over.
In the meantime, Hope showcased elegance and impeccable timing, achieving a strike rate of 225. England's less seasoned bowling lineup faltered in finding solutions without the presence of Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid.
Hope even took on a first over bowled by Saqib Mahmood during the powerplay. Mahmood was the only bowler from England who allowed fewer than 10 runs per over, finishing with figures of 1 for 24.
The 10th over altered the dynamics of the match dramatically. Lewis was caught near the leg-side boundary, and Hope made a careless mistake by getting run out while attempting a risky single. To make matters worse, Pooran was bowled by a clever googly from Ahmed, who ended up with figures of 3 wickets for 43 runs.
However, Powell's experienced performance prevented England from finding their rhythm, as he fearlessly aimed for Ahmed and was instrumental in the team's recovery from a precarious 136-3 to a more stable 172-4, alongside Shimron Hetmyer, who contributed just seven runs.
When Powell got out lbw to Turner, the team needed 23 runs from 21 balls. Rutherford and Roston Chase then smoothly finished the job, successfully completing the chase.
Bethell Shines Brightly Once More!
Even though the team lost in the end, Bethell's second half-century in T20 cricket further solidified his standing as one of England's most promising players.
He built on the solid foundation established by the seasoned Salt and Buttler, showing remarkable composure. This ensured that the visiting team made the most of their strong beginning, which saw them score 100 runs within the first nine overs.
He began carefully, enjoying the best perspective of Buttler's performance. He settled in to observe the captain showcase all his clever shots, including ramps over the wicketkeeper and powerful back-foot strokes through the covers.
In the 13th over, when Buttler played a reverse-sweep and sent the ball directly to short third man after scoring 38 runs, England found themselves in a strong spot at 129-3. However, with Sam Curran batting at number six and a somewhat lengthy tail following him, the West Indies still had an opportunity to limit the damage even further.
However, Bethell took charge of the moment, particularly when Livingstone was dismissed for just four runs. Despite being only in his sixth international T20 match, he showed remarkable self-assurance while batting.
No part of the pitch was secure as Bethell boldly moved around the crease, enabling him to powerfully sweep the spin bowlers and hit the fast bowlers hard down the ground with the same intensity.
Curran scored 24 runs off just 14 deliveries, contributing to the duo's impressive total of 63 runs in the last five overs. Meanwhile, Alzarri Joseph's figures of 1 wicket for 33 runs stood out amidst a West Indies bowling lineup that was having a tough time.
Bethell made another impressive statement, providing a significant lift to England's batting lineup. With players like Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, and Ben Stokes possibly rejoining the middle order, things are looking promising.
Jacob Bethell reached his second international T20 half-century in only his sixth appearance.
"Exceptional Run-Chase Reaction"
West Indies captain Rovman Powell stated, "The team showed more dedication today, and we were fortunate to win the toss. Throughout this series, winning the toss has often led to victory, but the players really performed well."
England's captain, Jos Buttler, stated, "The pitch was superb, and our opening batsmen made a strong beginning, applying significant pressure on the opposition."
"We believed we required a minimum of 220 runs, but their opening players performed incredibly well as well."
Former England opener Jason Roy, speaking on TNT Sports, stated, "Overall, that was an outstanding performance in a run-chase—one of the best you'll see from any team."
