West Indies v England: Phil Salt hits stunning century as tourists win third T20

Phil Salt’s stunning century helped England pull off their third-highest T20 international chase as they beat West Indies by seven wickets in the third T20 in Grenada.

Salt brought up his first T20 international hundred off 51 balls and finished unbeaten on 109, with Harry Brook smashing the 21 runs needed off the final over to ensure England chased 223 with a ball to spare in an incredible win.

Nicholas Pooran’s 45-ball 82 led West Indies to 222-6 as Adil Rashid finished the pick of the England attack by taking 2-32.

England are 2-1 down in the five-match series with two left to play.

Salt and Jos Buttler both passed fifty as they put on 115 for the first wicket to give England hope, with Salt, who hit nine sixes and four fours, continuing the brutal hitting after his captain was out for 51.

England needed 31 to win off the final two overs but Alzarri Joseph held his nerve in the penultimate over as he conceded only 10 to give the hosts the upper hand.

But Brook, who was on seven from two balls heading into the final over, calmly hit a four and two sixes off the experienced Andre Russell’s first three balls to put England on the brink of victory.

He and Salt then ran two before Brook flashed at a wide one from Russell and it flew over the boundary at deep third.

The fourth T20 is in Trinidad on Tuesday.

Being challenged with needing the highest successful T20 international chase at the Grenada National Cricket Stadium – and to keep the series alive – appeared to bring a clarity of thought and approach to England’s batters.

Buttler, steely determination in his eyes, signalled his intent with two sixes off the first over. When he reverse swept Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie for fours some of his sparkle started to return. He fell after a superb relay catch on the boundary, with Hosein having the presence of mind to toss the ball to Joseph knowing he would have crossed the rope.

Salt, whose previous best T20 international score was 88 not out, showed great composure as his shot selection remained largely conventional, with West Indies’ bowlers unable to prevent him from accessing his favoured areas down the ground.

The Lancashire batter even had the game awareness to realise perhaps Brook – fresher and a genuine 360 batter – might have been better placed to see England over the line.

Brook, who hit his first ball for six in the 18th over, performed his role perfectly, carting Russell over extra cover and fine leg to swing the tie England’s way before finishing it off in style.

Salt is the fifth England men’s batter to hit a T20 international century, after Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Liam Livingstone and Buttler.

If he continues to perform like this, Salt looks nailed on for a place at the top of the order at next year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States, having been unfortunate to miss out when England won the trophy last year.

For all the excitement of a thrilling chase, this was a chastening day to be an England bowler.

Rashid and Reece Topley managed to keep their economy to 8.00 per over and were tellingly the only ones to bowl their full allocation.

But even they suffered at the hands of a dangerous West Indies line-up – Topley was hit for 18 off the final over of the innings, with Jason Holder providing the late fireworks.

Apart from the first couple of overs when Topley found some swing – dismissing the left-handed Kyle Mayers with a beautiful delivery which that nipped to take the edge – there was precious little encouragement offered by the pitch.

Tymal Mills felt the heat the most as he was brutally dismantled by Pooran, who walloped six sixes and six fours to lead his side’s recovery from 8-2.

Mills’ two overs cost 36 runs, while Gus Atkinson returned 0-32 from the same number. The majority of England’s seam attack struggled with their lengths on the pitch, while spin bowling all-rounder Livingstone, 0-27 from two overs, lacked the necessary control. On a day when 34 sixes were struck – the second most in a T20 international – England’s bowlers will at least be heartened to be on the winning side.

And in a more positive sense this was also a useful learning curve for the more inexperienced members of the attack on what to expect, and what they must do to adapt, in the Caribbean next year.

Player of the match, England batter Phil Salt: “It feels like it’s been a long time coming. It’s special to do it now.

“We’ve been talking about someone standing up and being the match-winner. It’s about playing my game and doing it my way.”

England captain Jos Buttler: “Great to keep the series alive, a fantastic win. Credit to Phil Salt, it’s a fantastic innings.

“He has such great intent from ball one. It’s something we’ve asked him to do, but for him to go on and stay in the game a bit longer, it can surprise you how much he can do in the end.

“It’s great to get a win, it’s what we’re here for.”

West Indies captain Rovman Powell: “It’s obviously disappointing to score 222 and lose, but the guys gave it a fair shot.

“It was a good effort – we didn’t have the best start, but the way they finished was commendable and the bowler’s bowled well in patches.”