In the first T20I of the series, West Indies defeated England by four wickets at Bridgetown thanks in large part to Andre Russell, who took three wickets and went undefeated with captain Rovman Powell.
England got off to a great start even though they were asked to bat first after losing the toss, thanks to a solid partnership of 77 runs in the first six overs between Phil Salt (40) and Jos Buttler (39). West Indies, however, recovered and dismissed England for 171 in 19.3 overs.
After taking two wickets in a row, Rehan Ahmed (3-39) reduced the West Indies score to 123-6 in response. In his 100th T20I match, Adil Rashid (2-14) made history by becoming the first England men’s player to 100 T20I wickets. But Powell and Russell (29) pulled off an incredible comeback, combining for an unbeaten 49 runs in just 21 balls to help the West Indies reach the target with 11 balls remaining and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
After an aggressive opening session in which he hit six fours and a six, Salt was brilliantly caught by Shimron Hetmyer, who also removed captain Butler. England reached 112-2 halfway through the innings, but they were unable to capitalize on their early momentum.
Although Ben Duckett (14) and Liam Livingstone (27) made contributions, wickets continued to fall frequently. Although Russell (3-19) made an impression by claiming crucial wickets, Alzarri Joseph (3-54) had a costly opening over before returning with more respectable numbers. Joseph’s long-range leaping catch elicited cheers from the audience.
In response, Kyle Mayers (35) and Brandon King (22) got off to a strong start, combining for 78 runs in the first six overs. England regained momentum after Rashid’s historic wicket and a double from Ahmed (3-39). The lower order fell apart, including Shai Hope (36), but Russell’s huge innings sealed the victory for the West Indies.
The final two games of the series will now be played in Trinidad and Tobago on December 19 and December 21, after which the series will move to Grenada for consecutive Thursday and Saturday matches. Jos Buttler, the captain of England, emphasized the need for adaptation while acknowledging the difficult circumstances. In the next games, look for opportunities to score, communicate your desire to push boundaries, and keep a positive outlook.
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