Brandon King’s unbeaten 82 and skipper Rovman Powell’s explosive 50 powered West Indies to a thrilling 10-run victory over England, establishing a commanding 2-0 lead in their five-match T20 international series in Grenada on Thursday. In a remarkable turnaround, West Indies opener King displayed his prowess with eight fours and five sixes from 52 balls, rescuing the team from a precarious 54-4 to a strong finish of 176-7 at the National Stadium in St. George’s. Despite winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, England struggled against a disciplined home team, finishing at 166-7.

Tourist Sam Curran led England’s batting with a score of 50 off 32 balls, but they faced constant challenges in reaching the required run rate against the formidable West Indies bowling attack. Alzarri Joseph stood out with figures of 3-39 off four overs, while spinner Gudakesh Motie frustrated England with an economical 1-9 from four overs.

Post-match, man-of-the-match King highlighted the significance of his resilient innings, stating,

“It was very important for me to stay there and build partnerships. We’re playing well, and everyone’s playing with confidence.”

England captain Jos Buttler acknowledged the impact of the explosive latter part of the West Indies innings, conceding:

“They had a couple of big overs at the back end which pushed the score up, but we’re only losing by 10 — there’s plenty of ways we can find those 10 runs.”

King’s unbeaten knock received crucial support from Powell, who made a swashbuckling cameo, contributing to West Indies posting a competitive total. Powell’s half-century off just 28 balls, featuring five sixes and three fours, included a standout 16th over where he dominated Curran, scoring 30 runs with four sixes.

Adil Rashid emerged as the top performer among England bowlers with figures of 2-11 off four overs. With the win, West Indies lead the series 1-0, having previously beaten England by four wickets in the opening T20 in Barbados on Tuesday. The third match of the series is set to take place in Grenada on Saturday.

In the aftermath of England’s disappointing four-wicket defeat to the West Indies in their third series match at Kensington in Bridgetown on Sunday, Captain Jos Buttler found solace in the team’s batting performance. Addressing the audience during the post-match presentation, Buttler lauded the effective partnership between Duckett and Livingstone in the first innings, which contributed significantly to their competitive score. Despite acknowledging a few batting errors and lapses in concentration, Buttler expressed optimism about the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies.

“We fell just short with the bat. The partnership between Duckett and Livingstone was pivotal in achieving a respectable score. Unfortunately, lapses in concentration affected our performance, and we made some mistakes with the bat. The wet ball presented challenges, but the team put in a commendable effort. Jacks, with his impactful spell, played a crucial role in bringing us back into the game. This marks the beginning of a promising journey for this group of players, and we eagerly anticipate the change of format against a formidable side,”

remarked Buttler.

Reflecting on the match, West Indies, after winning the toss, opted to field first. Philip Salt (4 runs from 6 balls) and Will Jacks (17 runs from 20 balls) opened for England but struggled to make a significant impact.

In contrast, Ben Duckett’s impressive innings of 71 runs from 73 balls emerged as the standout performance for the away side. Duckett’s fiery knock stabilized the middle order, propelling England to a total of 206/9.

The Caribbean bowling attack, led by Matthew Forde and Alzarri Joseph, proved formidable, each securing three wickets in their respective spells.

Rain disrupted the start of the second innings, resulting in a revised target of 188 runs. Alick Athanaze (45 runs from 51 balls) set the tone with an explosive start, while Keacy Carty (50 runs from 58 balls) and Romario Shepherd (41 runs from 28 balls) played pivotal roles in securing a convincing victory for the West Indies.

With this four-wicket win, West Indies clinched a 2-1 series victory.

Sam Curran made a stunning comeback, delivering a match-winning bowling performance as England secured a six-wicket victory over the West Indies to level the One Day International series in Antigua on Wednesday. In the series opener, Curran faced a harsh reality, conceding 98 runs off 9.5 overs in a four-wicket defeat, marking the worst-ever performance by an England bowler in ODI cricket. However, the left-arm seam and swing bowler redeemed himself brilliantly, claiming three of the first four wickets as the West Indies were dismissed for 202 in 39.4 overs during the day/night fixture.

Will Jacks played a pivotal role in England’s response, scoring 73 at the top of the order, while Jos Buttler, the England captain, found his form again, guiding the team to victory with an unbeaten 58 in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 90 with Harry Brook (43 not out).

Reflecting on his performance at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Curran said:

“It was tough the other day but we just have to keep moving forward and try to bounce back.”

Curran’s opening spell, supported by Gus Atkinson, reduced West Indies to 23 for four. Despite a 129-run fifth-wicket partnership between captain Shai Hope (68) and Sherfane Rutherford (63), the West Indies faced a collapse. Spinner Liam Livingston contributed three wickets, including the crucial dismissals of Hope and Rutherford, while Atkinson and frontline spinner Rehan Ahmed took two wickets each.

West Indies displayed recklessness at the crease, their innings folded with ten unused overs showcasing extravagant strokeplay attempts.

In response, England’s openers, Jacks and Phil Salt, raced to 50 by the sixth over. However, facing considerable assistance from spinners on the pitch, Gudakesh Motie claimed two victims and at 116 for four, England had work to do. Buttler and Brook eased concerns, with Buttler’s first half-century in 15 innings taking him past the 5,000-run mark in ODIs, making him the fifth Englishman to achieve this milestone.

“I’ve been searching a bit for some form so it was great to spend some time in the middle,” said Buttler.

“I was really getting fed up with the way things were going so it’s pleasing to get back to something like the player I know I am.”

For Hope, the home side failed to respond to the early challenge and he emphasized the need to be ready for the final game at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, followed by a five-match T20 International series.