(CMC) – Opener Brandon King lashed a Man-of-the-Match unbeaten half-century, while captain Rovman Powell added another, as the West Indies brushed aside England by ten runs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series yesterday.
Spiralling at 54 for four in the ninth over after being sent in at the National Cricket Stadium, the West Indies rallied to 176 for seven off their 20 overs, with the right-handed King top-scoring with 82 not out off 52 deliveries and Powell clobbering exactly 50 off 28 balls.
In reply, England never really found their stride despite Sam Curran’s 50 off 32 balls and ended on 166 for seven; the run chase was stymied by fast bowler Alzarri Joseph’s spell of three for 39 and left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein’s two for 24.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, in only his second T20 International and first in two years, also frustrated England in a brilliant four-over spell that yielded only nine runs.
The victory marked the West Indies’ third T20I victory on the trot and seventh in ten matches this year.
Still fresh from Tuesday’s four-wicket win in the opener in Barbados last Tuesday, the West Indies started well before suffering a rapid collapse, losing four wickets for 11 runs in the space of 16 deliveries.
King, who punched eight fours and five sixes, put on 43 off 34 balls for the first wicket with left-hander Kyle Mayers (17), as the West Indies flourished in the power play.
But the slide began when Mayers mistimed seamer Chris Woakes to cover in the sixth over and continued when left-hander Nicholas Pooran skied leg-spinner Adil Rashid (2-11) to long-on in the next over for five.
Shai Hope was deceived by a Rehan Ahmed googly and bowled for one in the eighth over, and Shimron Hetmyer lasted five balls for his two before edging Rashid to slip in the next over.
King remained unflappable, however, putting on a record 80 for the fifth wicket with Powell and a further 42 for the sixth wicket with Andre Russell (14), as the hosts gathered 108 runs from the last nine overs.
King reached his eighth T20 International off 33 balls in the 13th over by clearing the ropes at wide long-on with Rehan, while Powell blasted three fours and five sixes in racing to a 27-ball fifty—the fifth of his career.
Powell had single-handedly taken 28 from the 17th over bowled by left-arm pacer Curran when he perished to the final delivery, holing out to long-on, leaving King to take the innings to its end.
“I was the one who got the start in the power play, and it was difficult for new batters to come, especially when the spinners were bowling,” King said afterwards.
“Given that I got the start, I just tried to take it as deep as possible.”
West Indies struck early, with Hosein claiming the prized wicket of Jos Buttler for two with the score on nine and the England captain picking out Mayers at cover in the third over.
Opener Phil Salt (25) and Will Jacks (24) stabilised the innings in a 46-run, second wicket partnership before Joseph accounted for both catches in the deep, leaving the innings meandering at 65 for three in the 10th over.
Promoted to four in the order, Curran counter-attacked with four fours and three sixes, posting 32 for the fourth wicket with Liam Livingstone (17) and 26 for the sixth with Moeen (22 not out).
When Curran provided Joseph with his third wicket at the start of the 18th over, England required 43 runs from 17 balls, but seamer Jason Holder sent down a brilliant penultimate over that cost only three runs to all but ruined the visitors’ chances.
