West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder joined Ireland’s Curtis Campher, Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan as the only bowlers to claim four wickets in four balls in international cricket as the West Indies won the fifth and final T20 against England by 17 runs at Kensington Oval to claim the series 3-2.
The Windies first posted 179 for four in their allotted 20 overs after which Holder conjured up a career-best five wickets for 27 runs to go along with Akeal Hosein, who also claimed career-best four wickets for 30, to restrict England to 162 all out in 19.5 overs.
The home side brought back all-rounder Odean Smith in place of Dominic Drakes and Fabian Allen for Darren Bravo, and when skipper Kieron Pollard won the toss for the fourth time, he decided to bat first, which in the end proved to be the right decision.
Another great start from the openers in the power play saw the hosts putting on 59 runs for the first wicket before Kyle Mayers fell in the deep for 31.
Romario Shepherd was promoted up the order, but that decision failed as he made only six. Brandon King got to 34 before he also succumbed to spinner Liam Livingstone to leave the home side on 89 for three.
Spin also proved the undoing of Nicholas Pooran, who fell to Adil Rashid for 21, but skipper Pollard and Rovman Powell gave the Windies innings some impetus towards the back end after another sluggish middle period to help the hosts finish strong on 179 for four.
Pollard ended on 41 from 25 balls with one four and two sixes, and Powell ended not out on 35 from 17 balls with one four and four sixes.
Facing a run rate of nine runs per over, England looked to get off to a flyer, however, they lost the prolific Jason Roy for eight in the opening over. Tom Banton and James Vince looked to keep pace with the rate, and they took the score to 40 in just the fourth over before Smith sent back Banton for 16.
After Holder had captain Moen Ali caught for 14, Pollard then went back to his spin ace Hosein, who immediately made his mark felt by sending back Livingstone (six), Vince (55), and Phil Salt (three) to leave the visitors in trouble at 119 for six in the 16th over.
Although Sam Billings (41) and Chris Jordon (7) took 20 runs off Smith in the 18th over, the England team would end up needing 20 runs off the final over bowled by the player of the match, Holder. The Barbadian would, however, use his knowledge of the home conditions to perfection to pick up four straight wickets in the over as the English batters tried to reach for the fences.
SCOREBOARD
WEST INDIES
B. King c Jordan b Livingstone 34
K. Mayers c Salt b Rashid 31
R. Shepherd c Mahmood b Livingstone 6
+N. Pooran b Rashid 21
*K. Pollard not out 41
R. Powell not out 35
Extras (lb3, w7, nb1) 11
TOTAL (4 wkts, 20 overs) 179
Did not bat: J Holder, F Allen, O Smith, A Hosein, S Cottrell.
Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Mayers), 2-67 (Shepherd), 3-89 (King), 4-105 (Pooran)
Bowling: Topley 4-0-43-0 (w1), Saqib 2-0-27-0 (w1, nb1), Moeen 3-0-20-0 (w1), Jordan 4-0-52-0 (w1), Rashid 4-0-17-2, Livingstone 3-0-17-2 (w2).
ENGLAND
J. Roy c wkp Pooran b Hosein 8
T. Banton c Holder b Smith 16
J. Vince c Allen b Hosein 55
*Moeen Ali c Mayers b Holder 14
L. Livingstone c Smith b Hosein 6
+S. Billings c sub (H Walsh) b Holder 41
P. Salt st Pooran b Hosein 3
C. Jordan c sub (H Walsh) b Holder 7
A. Rashid c Smith b Holder 0
Saqib Mahmood b Holder 0
R. Topley not out 0
Extras (lb4, w6, nb2) 12
TOTAL (all out, 19.5 overs) 162
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Roy), 2-40 (Banton), 3-86 (Moeen), 4-95 (Livingstone), 5-112 (Vince), 6-119 (Salt), 7-162 (Jordan), 8-162 (Billings), 9-162 (Rashid), 10-162 (Saqib)
Bowling: Hosein 4-0-30-4, Holder 2.5-0-27-5 (nb1), Cottrell 3-0-21-0 (nb1), Smith 4-0-41-1 (w3), Pollard 2-0-15-0 (w2), Shepherd 1-0-7-0 (w1), Allen 3-0-17-0.
Result: West Indies won by 17 runs.
Series: West Indies won five-match series 3-2.
Man-of-the-Match: Jason Holder.
Man-of-the-Series: Jason Holder.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: Gregory Brathwaite, Nigel Duguid; TV – Patrick Gustard.