A devastating 87 not out from Phil Salt, supported by an unbeaten 48 from Jonny Bairstow, helped England defeat the West Indies by eight wickets at St Lucia. It was the type of performance that set the tone for the remaining teams in the T20 World Cup Super Eight in 2024.
The defending champions breezed past their 181-run mark, thanks to a superb 97-run stand between Salt and Bairstow, who won with 15 deliveries remaining. Jos Buttler chose to chase after winning the toss at the Daren Sammy National Stadium, which offers a good batting surface.
After eight overs, the West Indies had scored 72 runs for the loss of only Brandon King, who collapsed with a side strain early in the fifth over after scoring 23 off his previous 12 deliveries.
England’s Bowlers Shine Early On
West Indies batsmen were constrained to a spin diet due to Adil Rashid, the best bowler with 1 for 21 from four overs. And Moeen Ali, who went on to remove Johnson Charles. After moving up to No. 4, Rovman Powell struck three sixes off the ground in four deliveries against Liam Livingstone to score 20 in the fifteenth over.
However, an effort at a fourth off Livingstone’s penultimate delivery proved costly. He was caught low at short third by Mark Wood, who returned to the XI in place of Chris Jordan. It was the first of three wickets to fall in a span of 12 deliveries, totaling six runs.
After six overs, England’s chase had progressed quite steadily, reaching 58 for no loss. After catching Buttler in front with a flat delivery from Roston Chase, the opening stand came to an end on 67. Moeen then came and went, batting at No. 3 for the first time since March 2023.
Salt was still there, and even if he did eventually slow down, Bairstow was there to fill the void, scoring 46 off 21 runs till the 16th over. The seamer was hit for thirty runs with three fours and three sixes by Salt, who then returned to the attack, making it the joint-most costly over by a West Indian in a T20 World Cup.
Salt and Bairstow’s Crucial Partnership
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The Player-of-the-Match honor went to Salt. But he might not have had much to celebrate, or perhaps even England, without Bairstow’s assistance.
After the powerplay, Salt had made a solid 35 off 20. He had paused, though, with the strike fewer, the field wider, and twirlers coordinating with one another. He had only managed to score 12 more runs from 15 deliveries entering the 14th over.
At that point, Bairstow started working on a jump-start. Powell, for whatever reason, went back to Alzarri Joseph rather than continuing with the thrifty Chase. Before ramping the following delivery for four, Bairstow utilized the pace of the ball to send the first over the deep midwicket fence – the longer side, no less.
Powell brought Akeal Hosein back on for his final over in an attempt to atone for his mistake. But Bairstow was not in a forgiving mood.
Before a traditional sweep, a 76-meter six that was flung into the stands at midwicket, and a fortunate inside edge that brought 14 from three deliveries, an attempted reverse sweep resulted in a muted lbw appeal. This World Cup was Hosein’s most costly due to the 16 from the over.
About the Author
Zartash Zulfiqar is a passionate cricket writer whose love for cricket shines through in every word. From match analyses to player profiles, she delivers insightful commentary that resonates with fans worldwide. Stay tuned for the latest from the world of cricket, brought to you by Zartash.
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