Nervy West Indies win fourth T20I

GROS ISLET, St Lucia (AP):

SHAI HOPE and Evin Lewis made half-centuries in a rapid 136-run opening stand as the West Indies completed a record run chase to beat England by five wickets yesterday in the fourth Twenty20 international.

Hope made 54 from 24 balls and Lewis made 68 from 31, with seven sixes and four fours, in a partnership which lasted only 9.1 overs but enabled the West Indies to reach a winning target of 219.

The West Indies’ confident start was shaken when Lewis, Hope and Nicholas Pooran fell to consecutive balls in the 10th over. But captain Roston Chase put the innings back on track with 38 from 23 balls, and Sherfane Rutherford completed the chase with successive sixes and an over to spare.

There were 32 sixes in the match, 16 from each team.

“We had to assess the conditions. That’s one thing we struggled with in the first three games in the power play,” Hope said.

“We’ve been losing some early wickets, so the main thing was to try and understand what was the best remedy, to understand the conditions and come out of the power play on top.”

England had already won the five-match series after winning the first three matches by eight, seven, and three wickets, respectively.

Every match in the series, and in the previous three-match One-Day International series, has been won by the team winning the toss.

After being sent in, Phil Salt and Jacob Bethell, who both have deep roots in the Caribbean, made swift half-centuries as England made 218-5 to equal the highest first-innings total at the Daren Sammy Stadium.

Bethell, who was born and raised in Barbados, made an unbeaten 62 from 32 balls while Salt, who was born in Wales but raised in Barbados, made 55 from 35 at the top of the order.

Will Jacks (25), Jos Buttler (38), and Sam Curran (24) also contributed to England’s innings of 218-5.

Speedy start

The West Indies made a speedy start in pursuit of that total. Hope reached his half-century from 23 balls, the West Indies were 69-0 after the power play and their hundred came up in only 7.3 overs.

Lewis was more watchful than Hope at first but, when he began to hit out, it was with enormous power. He reached his half-century from 26 balls, and the longest of his sixes travelled 105 metres.

The century partnership between Hope and Lewis came from only 45 balls, and they had looked impregnable until Lewis played an awkward shot to a ball from Rehan Ahmed, which he skewed to Dan Mousley.

Hope was run out next ball for the second time in consecutive matches, and Pooran was bowled first ball as the West Indies slumped to 136-3.

Powell restored some of the early momentum with his 38 before falling lbw to debutant John Turner. The West Indies needed 21 from the last three overs, with five wickets in hand, then 15 from two.

After edging towards the target in singles, Rutherford finally found the middle and blasted consecutive sixes from Mousely to clinch the win.