Jos Buttler smashed a blistering 83 from 45 balls as England cruised to a seven-wicket win over West Indies in the second T20.
The England captain came in after Phil Salt was dismissed from the first ball of the tourists’ chase and proceeded to hit eight fours and six sixes in a stunning knock.
Buttler dominated a 129-run stand with opener Will Jacks before the pair fell in the same Romario Shepherd over.
However, the damage had been done and the visitors went on to overhaul West Indies’ 158-8 with 31 balls to spare.
England are 2-0 up in the five-match series after victory in both matches in Barbados and now head to St. Lucia for the last three games of the tour.
Earlier, West Indies again had to rely on lower-order runs to take them up to a somewhat competitive total.
After slipping to 35-3 in the Powerplay, Rovman Powell led the rebuild for the home side, but when Dan Mousley bowled him for 43, they were 102-6.
A few lusty blows from Shepherd, Matthew Forde and debutant Terrance Hinds got West Indies beyond 150 but, with Buttler in such fine form, England made light work of knocking off the runs.
Powell stabilises Windies before lower-order runs
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl for the second night running, England again started well with the ball on a surface providing plenty of assistance for the seamers.
Saqib Mahmood had Brandon King caught with his second ball before a brutish, rising delivery from Jofra Archer- in for the injured Reece Topley- was gloved behind by Evin Lewis.
Mahmood was struggling for control given the prodigious swing on offer, sending down a flurry of wides, but when he did get it right, Roston Chase had no answer and was trapped lbw.
Windies captain Powell batted steadily alongside Nicholas Pooran but the latter fell to Liam Livingstone just as they looked set to kick on after a watchful rebuild.
Sherfane Rutherford was dismissed in Livingstone’s next over, but Powell did manage to accelerate before he was undone by the unexpected pace of England ‘spinner’ Mousley.
The Warwickshire all-rounder got his yorker right to castle Powell for his maiden international wicket in an impressive spell of 2-29.
Just as in the series opener, West Indies had their lower-order, assisted by all-rounder Shepherd, to thank for preventing them slumping to a significantly below-par total as they took 32 runs from the last two overs to give themselves hope. (BBC)
The post T20I: Buttler smashes 83 off 45 to give England 2-0 series lead against West Indies appeared first on News Room Guyana.
