St. George’s (Grenada): The West Indies pinned down England to win by 10 runs and take a 2-0 lead in their Twenty20 series.
The home side can clinch the series Saturday in the third of five matches.
England was hauled in Tuesday in Barbados, and elected to chase Thursday in Grenada. The decision looked good early on when the West Indies was reduced to 54-4. But opener Brandon King anchored the home side with an unbeaten 82 from 52 balls and captain Rovman Powell’s explosive 50 off 28 gave them 176-7 and a fighting chance.
The chase was up and down for England. Gudakesh Motie tied down England with four straight overs of spin and returning 1-9. But his brilliance was almost undone by allrounder Andre Russell, who starred in Barbados in his first West Indies match in two years, but was a liability here. He conceded 66 runs, including 17 off the last over when England needed 28.
West Indies started the match by losing four wickets in four overs. Spinners Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed laid waste after Chris Woakes broke the opening stand between King and Kyle Mayers.
But King was immovable and Powell was punchy. His six over long-on off Tymal Mills brought up West Indies’ 100 in the 14th over.
As soon as Rashid completed his four overs and a superb 2-11, Sam Curran was spanked in one over by Powell for 4-6-6-1 wide-6-6-1 wide, then caught on the boundary, out for a half-century.
King carried his bat and ended up with five sixes and eight boundaries in his second-best T20 innings.
England didn’t have a King to hold down an end. Phil Salt, Will Jacks and Liam Livingstone made starts without going on, mainly exploiting Russell, who conceded 14 runs in his first over, and 22 runs in another.
Curran gave the chase a lift but as soon as he reached his maiden T20 fifty off 31 balls, he was out, slicing Alzarri Joseph.
Russell was given the last over but his off day was compensated by England having too many runs to score.
AP