Overview: settled England smells the series
It felt like an anomaly at the time: a tremendously effective victory for England, led by Phil Salt’s emphatic 87 off 47 balls, and a throwback to the dominant style with which they had transformed their fortunes with the white ball in their previous cycles of the World Cup. . But that eight-wicket win has been matched in Barbados by two equally emphatic wins (of eight and seven wickets respectively) that have propelled England’s T20I team to the brink of just their second bilateral series win in two years.
Salt has once again been instrumental in England’s success against the West Indies. His outstanding century in the opening match was his third in five innings against them, and when his record was dented by a golden duck in the rematch, England captain Jos Buttler was ready to fill the gap with a no less riotous 83. off 45 balls, which in itself was a good response to his opener in the first game.
West Indies’ prospects have not been helped by two damaging dropped deliveries: even after conceding a seemingly disheartening 183 in the first match, England achieved that target with 19 balls to spare. But they also had to deal with some internal turmoil: the two-match suspension imposed on Alzarri Joseph for his bizarre fit of temper in the ODI series, and the loss of Andre Russell, who sprained his ankle during the first T20I.
But if England looked tactically lacking during the ODI leg of the tour, they found an encouraging combination of continuity and confidence in the shortest format. Their remarkable array of all-rounders has been better deployed in 20 overs than in 50, particularly in the opener when the loss of Reece Topley to a knee injury barely made an impact on Buttler’s chances.
And even if the full depth of their batting is yet to be tested, the fact that Sam Curran, Dan Mousley and Jamie Overton are awaiting their first hit of the series is clearly preferable to being required to make endless saves. England have three chances in Saint Lucia to secure their first series victory in the Caribbean since 2019, in any of the three formats. Judging by the direction of travel so far, it would take a major collapse in resolve to deny them in the long term.
forms guide
West Indies LLLLW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
England WWLL
In the spotlight: Rovman Powell and Will Jacks
Team news: Alzarri returns from suspension
Shamar, José in; Shamar Joseph out… it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for West Indies in recent days. All-rounder Shamar (Springer) has been called up as Andre Russell’s replacement, while (Alzarri) Joseph’s return from suspension means his near-namesake is surplus to requirements. Terrance Hinds had a difficult debut in Barbados and is likely to make way too.
West Indies: (possible) 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Rovman Powell (captain), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Shimron Hetmyer/Roston Chase, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Gudakesh Motie, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Alzarri José, 11 years old Mateo Forde
England are unlikely to significantly alter the series in hand, although their options have been limited with Jafer Chohan and Jordan Cox leaving the team ahead of their Lions and Test commitments respectively. Reece Topley is hoping to still be fit after injuring his knee in the first match (and receiving a fine for breaking a chair while leaving the field). With Jofra Archer’s workload still being closely managed, John Turner, unused since the ODIs, could be in line to debut in the format.
England: (possible) 1 Phil Salt (week), 2 Jos Buttler (captain), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jacob Bethell, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Dan Mousley, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Jofra Archer / John Turner, 10 Saqib Mahmood, 11 Adil Rashid
Course and conditions: wet, wet, wet?
Wet conditions could be expected following recent heavy rain. St. Lucia’s gardens are less known for their drainage, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for a dry spell.
Statistics and curiosities
Quotes
“England have played better than us in the first two games, but I rally Saint Lucia to come out and be another twelfth man. We haven’t played the type of cricket that has allowed us to win, but we have the manpower available.” . that locker room to win.”
Daren SammyWest Indies head coach, hopes for a comeback at the stadium that bears his name.
Andrew Miller is UK editor for ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
