Image source, Getty Images
Brandon King hit eight fours and five sixes in his 52-ball knock
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West Indies 176-7 (20 overs): King 82* (52), Powell 50 (28); Rashid 2-11 |
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England 166-7 (20 overs): Curran 50 (32); Joseph 3-39 |
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West Indies won by 10 runs |
Brandon King hit an unbeaten 82 as West Indies beat England by 10 runs in the second T20 in Grenada to go 2-0 up in the five-match series.
The Jamaican opener put on an 80-run partnership with captain Rovman Powell after the hosts slipped to 54-4 in the ninth over.
Sam Curran endured a torrid 16th over at the hands of Powell, conceding 30 runs including four sixes, before dismissing the 30-year-old with his final delivery.
But King carried on the charge, striking Rehan Ahmed’s next over for 18, as the West Indies finished on 176-7.
England captain Jos Buttler fell tamely in the third over of their chase, caught in the covers off the bowling of Akeal Hosein.
His side fell behind the rate and lost wickets at steady intervals, with the next six batters all caught in the deep as they sought to mimic the boundary-heavy West Indies innings.
Curran, promoted up the order to number four, offered some resistance as he hit his maiden T20 international fifty, but was out next ball to Alzarri Joseph, who took 3-39, leaving the rest with too much to do.
The teams remain in Grenada for the third T20 on Saturday.
England outclassed by powerful Windies
After a subpar performance in the opening match of the series in Barbados, England appeared to have justified their decision to bowl when the hosts lost four wickets for 11 runs in the space of three overs.
Chris Woakes dismissed the dangerous Kyle Mayers before Buttler introduced five successful overs of leg-spin after the powerplay, with Adil Rashid picking up two wickets and Ahmed one.
Rashid, who took an excellent 2-11, finished his spell in the 15th over, with King and Powell accelerating after his exit from the attack, smashing the next 12 balls for 48.
Powell started Curran’s second over on 22 but had raced to fifty by the fifth delivery, before holing out to Harry Brook at long-on.
Tymal Mills took two wickets with the last two balls of the innings but the damage was done.
West Indies struck 27 boundaries, including 14 sixes, from their 20 overs, but England were unable to copy their style, picking out fielders on the ropes instead.
Liam Livingstone scored 17, hammering 15 runs from the 12th over, but was caught by Powell at long-on the next time he faced, while Curran sliced to Hosein at point straight after reaching his half-century.
The tourists also got particularly bogged down against slow left-armer Gudakesh Motie, who conceded just nine runs for one wicket from his four overs.
England now need to win three consecutive matches if they are to win the series, a tall task given the current form of both sides.
‘Everyone’s playing with confidence’ – reaction
Player of the match, West Indies batter Brandon King: “It was important, having lost so many early wickets, that I stayed as deep as possible into the innings.
“We’re playing well and everyone’s playing with confidence.”
England captain Jos Buttler: “”It was a few many runs more than we could have restricted them to.
“They had a couple of big overs at the back end which pushed the score up, but only losing by 10 – there are plenty of ways we can find those 10 runs.”
West Indies captain Rovman Powell: “The way we managed to come back from 54-4 was really pleasing.
“I try to lead from the front, putting the additional responsibility on myself to do well.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
