With two games left, England‘s tight three-wicket victory in the third match at St. Lucia gave them an insurmountable 3-0 lead and guaranteed them a T20 series victory against the West Indies. England battled at times when chasing a target of 146, falling to 37-3 during the powerplay and then to 75-4 in the eleventh over.
Liam Livingstone’s 39 and Sam Curran’s 41 were crucial to England’s pursuit. Although Livingstone was lucky to be dropped three times—once by Shimron Hetmyer at age 21 and twice by Nicholas Pooran on six and eight—the two players’ consistent cooperation was essential to helping England win.
Jos Buttler, the captain of England, earlier gave his team the opportunity to bowl first after winning the toss for the third straight game. With scores of 3–17, Saqib Mahmood was outstanding, taking three early wickets during the powerplay. The West Indies were now 37-5 and his series total was nine wickets, eight of which came from strong opening periods.
The West Indies top order collapsed due to both aggressive bowling from England and some reckless shots. Rovman Powell’s half-century was vital, giving the hosts a chance after losing early wickets. His 54 off 41 balls featured four sixes and three boundaries.
Shai Hope was dismissed early due to a sharp piece of fielding by Jacob Bethell. Jofra Archer bowled Pooran for seven, while Roston Chase’s nick to slip gave Mahmood a key wicket. Evin Lewis and Hetmyer both fell to soft dismissals, adding to the West Indies’ struggles.
Powell fought back, putting on a 73-run partnership with Romario Shepherd, who contributed 30 off 28 balls. This stand helped lift the West Indies to a competitive total after their early collapse. Jamie Overton broke the partnership, removing Shepherd lbw and Motie for a duck in the same over.
Overton continued his fine spell by dismissing Powell, while Alzarri Joseph’s late innings cameo of 21 off 19 sparked a few boundaries. Still, the West Indies ended on a below-par 145-8, though England’s shaky start made the game more competitive.
England’s reply began poorly, losing Phil Salt, Buttler, and Bethell early. Akeal Hosein took 4-22, removing the two match-winners from England’s previous games, before Bethell edged a ball to Joseph.
Sam Curran contributed another valuable innings, having shown consistency in the preceding ODI series. Will Jacks also made a solid 32, helping stabilize the innings. However, he missed out on capitalizing further, an issue he’s faced throughout the series.
Terrance Hinds claimed his first international wicket by removing Curran, despite his steadying impact. Dan Mousley’s careless fall rocked England, but Livingstone’s previous efforts were crucial as they approached the target and won with few wickets left.
Buttler then commended the team’s overall performance, pointing out Curran’s mature batting and the development of other individuals. He acknowledged Mahmood and Archer’s early innovations and said, “We set the tone with the ball.” Powell, representing the West Indies, acknowledged his bowlers’ impressive performance against England’s lineup but bemoaned his team’s persistent problem of losing powerplay wickets and stressed the need to play “smarter.”
