Rovman Powell hailed West Indies’ commitment after claiming the first win of their T20 series against England on Saturday.
The hosts successfully chased their target of 219 in St Lucia to stop the rot in the five-match series, reducing the deficit to 3-1.
West Indies won the toss and elected to field, though England did their best to make the most of the flat pitch.
Phil Salt’s contribution of 55 set the tourists on their way, while captain Jos Buttler chipped in with 38, and Jacob Bethell hit an unbeaten 62 – reaching his latest half-century off just 22 balls.
England finished at 218-5, but West Indies hit the ground running in their chase as Evin Lewis (68) and Shai Hope (54) notched up 136 from the first nine overs.
However, the hosts’ momentum stalled when Rehan Ahmed caught Lewis, Hope was run out and Nicholas Pooran bowled for a duck in as many balls.
Nevertheless, skipper Powell got them back on track with 38 from 23 deliveries and, though he was dismissed in the 17th over, back-to-back sixes from Sherfane Rutherford in the penultimate over sealed a five-wicket victory.
“The guys were a little bit more committed today, and the toss fell in our hands,” Powell said. “It’s been a series where, once you win the toss, you seem to win the game. But, the guys played well.”
“It was an excellent wicket, and we got off to a great start with our openers putting them under plenty of pressure,” Buttler added. “We thought we needed at least 220, and then their openers played exceptionally well, too.” (Sportsmax)
