West Indies defeated England at St Lucia for the first time in the T20 series after an exciting 219-run chase. The hosts overcame a difficult situation to win by five wickets, marking a remarkable change in momentum in the match. Evin Lewis and Shai Hope’s impressive opening combination, which set the foundation for a possible shock with 136 runs in just nine overs, made the match especially noteworthy.
England quickly rallied, though, as the West Indies dropped three wickets in rapid succession. Hope was run out for fifty-four, Nicholas Pooran was bowled out for a duck, and Lewis was dismissed for sixty-eight by Rehan Ahmed. By scoring 38 runs off 23 balls, captain Rovman Powell helped to stabilize the chase despite the losses and turned the tide back in the West Indies’ favor.
Although Sherfane Rutherford’s two consecutive sixes in the penultimate over gave West Indies the victory, Powell’s exit in the 17th over gave England some control. Thanks to an incredible knock from Phil Salt, who scored 55, England had posted 218-5. Salt’s reputation in the format was further cemented with this, his sixth T20 half-century against the West Indies.
In England’s innings, Salt’s explosive partnerships were also crucial. He formed strong stands with Will Jacks (54), Jos Buttler (38), and the younger Jacob Bethell, who was important with a scorching fifty off of 22 balls. Bethell demonstrated his skill and the benefit of a flat pitch in St Lucia by finishing undefeated at 62 with five sixes.
West Indies needed to be aggressive right away after giving up 218 runs, and they accomplished just that. Lewis’ aggressive batting, which included seven sixes in his 31-ball performance and an especially vicious attack on Liam Livingstone, who conceded 30 runs in a single over, led them to a scorching powerplay of 69-0 to start their chase. While England’s inexperienced bowling attack faltered without important players like Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid, Hope matched him with a steady yet explosive innings, keeping the strike rate around 225.
The chase by the West Indies took a sharp turn in the tenth over. Ahmed’s googly bowled Pooran, Hope was run out in a mix-up, and Lewis was caught on the leg-side boundary. Powell’s cool-headed and collected innings maintained the West Indies in the hunt despite Ahmed’s outstanding final 3-43 stats. Powell set up a tight finish by attacking Ahmed and hitting important boundaries in the 16th over, which moved the score from 136-3 to 172-4.
The equation was at 23 runs from 21 balls, so it appeared that Powell’s exit offered England some hope. But Roston Chase and Rutherford carried the West Indies over the line, finishing the chase somewhat easily. Rutherford’s rapid 29 off 17 balls sealed the victory for the West Indies.
Bethell’s effort was a bright spot for England despite the loss. He demonstrated his developing status as an England future star with his second T20 half-century. Building on the strong foundation that Salt and Buttler had laid in the first overs, Bethell batted with maturity beyond his years, ensuring that England’s strong start was not wasted.
Being able to maneuver around the crease with ease and smash pace and spin with equal force made Bethell stand out. England needed to take advantage of their advantageous position, and his innings came at a critical moment. Although England was 129-3 after Buttler was dismissed for 38, the West Indies still had a chance to limit the damage thanks to a large tail and Bethell at the crease.
Following the dismissal of Liam Livingstone for a mere four, Bethell assumed leadership. Bethell launched a barrage of vicious strokes, including slog-sweeps and strong drives down the ground, with a level of confidence that was astounding for someone so young in his international career. He showed his talent by having faith in the seam and spin departments.
England scored 63 runs in the last five overs, with Sam Curran contributing 24 runs from 14 balls. But except for Alzarri Joseph, the West Indies bowlers found it difficult to stop the attack. The rest of the attack was unable to respond to Bethell’s bold shots, but Joseph was the most economical with 1–33.
Despite their excellent innings, England was unable to stop the West Indies from pursuing the objective. Despite being in a losing cause, Bethell’s performance demonstrated his promise and increased England’s batting depth, particularly with the likely return of players like Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes, and Harry Brook to the middle order in subsequent games.
West Indies’ much-needed victory at the end of the match added interest to the series. England had already secured the series with a 3-0 lead going into Sunday’s decisive Twenty20. But the exciting match in St Lucia served as a reminder to both sides of the unpredictable nature of Twenty20 cricket and the power of individual skill to change the outcome of a match.
West Indies’ bold and explosive batting display was a delight to see, especially during the powerplay. They were able to maintain composure and hunt down the mark with some incredible hitting despite the mid-innings collapse. Their potential was timely reminded by this victory, even if the series was already won.
