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England's 166 for 7 (Curran 50, Joseph 3-39) was defeated by 10 runs by West Indies' 176 for 7 (King 82*, Powell 50, Rashid 2-11).
With a victory in Grenada that was far more decisive than the final 10-run margin would have you believe, West Indies romped to a 2-0 series lead behind a power surge produced by Brandon King and Rovman Powell that England's famed white-ball hitters could not even begin to match.
A collapse of 4 for 11 in 16 balls that left West Indies reeling at 54 for 4 in the ninth over of the match gave England's twin-spin attack of Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed total control of the game, so such a result didn't seem likely.
However, West With a pair of half-centuries from Powell (who blasted 30 runs off Sam Curran's second and final over) and King (whose outstanding unbeaten 82 from 52 included three sixes and four fours off the final 12 balls of Rehan's day), the Indies unexpectedly turned the tables.
The West Indies then applied their own spin stranglehold, with left-armers Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie locking down the match for eight straight overs from the Pavilion End, leaving them with a challenging but manageable 177 to defend. After Curran's chastening bowling display, he showed courage by topping the score with 50 from 32 balls, but a requirement of 28 off the final over proved to be too much. Their combined figures were 3 for 33.far beyond Moeen Ali and Rehan.
In powerplay, dot and bash
The victory over England in the first Twenty20 International was due to a well-known characteristic of the West Indies batsmen, who outspattered England with 14 sixes to just six. Similar circumstances prevailed today as 13 players ultimately played eight, including Rehan's penultimate-ball slap over point after the game was already lost.
In the initial portion of their bowling attempt, though, England seemed to have countered that threat. As expected, three of West Indies' sixes came during the powerplay. However, they also scored eighteen dot-balls, or half of their allotted points, during the opening over, which was commandeered by the recalled Moeen. Chris Woakes' deft use of the cutter gave him the upper hand in a close battle with Kyle Mayers.
With recollections of Knowing that a substantial chase was likely, Jos Buttler had no qualms about bowling first after winning the toss in the record-breaking 46-six ODI on this same field in 2019. As it happened, their eventual target wasn't nearly as tough as he could have hoped for, but England was still far behind.
Rehan and Rash tear apart the top-order
An apparent heir, a master and an apprentice, and all that Rehan's ascent to the position of England's premier legspinner across all formats was always inevitable, even after he bowled the country to victory in the Under-19 World Cup two years prior.
Less evident was the fact that there would come a time when Rashid's incredible career was coming to an end and Rehan was just starting out internationally, making the two of them an envied twin-spin combination. And based on their exhilarating post-powerplay surge, it looks like that time could be now, even with the gap that eventually developed between their final figures.
Rashid was the first to strike after coming onto the field for the seventh over, striking three balls into his spell, as Nicholas Pooran gave up with a loose hack to long-on after becoming confused by a diet of loopy googlies. After that, Rehan went one better. Shai Hope was dismissed for 1 from 3 after his second delivery tore through his defenses and sank and tore into off stump.
Not to be outdone, Rashid regained the upper hand and baffled Shimron Hetmyer with a delightful double-whammy in his very next over. First, he launched a massive air ball that landed on a middle-and-leg line, and then, off his next over, he flipped the ball flatter outside, which Hetmyer could only hesitantly prod to Moeen at slip.
West Indies were struggling at 68 for 4 after 11 overs when their five-over alliance came to an end, despite King's powerful blow through the line. their lone boundary in 31 balls came off Rehan. That was bound to change eventually.
Powell and King deliver the smackdown
Whether intentional or not, Rehan's switch of ends signaled the beginning of the West Indies' onslaught. King climbed through the line with style, his first ball being too full and receiving the treatment. Following a blunder from Woakes at long-on, King struck for his fourth six and a half-century off 33 balls. Powell then hit Tymal Mills with a powerful blow to reach the hundred within the 14th over.
Returning, Rashid tried to impose some temporary order. Powell was only getting started, but his fantastic figures of 2 for 11 after three singles in his final over were impressive. For several months now, Curran's delicate shape has been a source of concern; now, he was completely exposed. by far the most costly of his professional life.
It began, as these things sometimes do, somewhat unluckily, with Powell's under-edge evading Buttler's dive as well as his stumps. But after that, there was chaos. Curran lost pace twice and was killed high above the ropes both times. Twice he took a fuller aim and was violently hurled to the ground. He attempted to hide the ball in between whiles, but was unsuccessful for two wides.
Powell reached his 27-ball fifty with his fourth six, and if Brook hadn't made an outstanding full-stretch dive to intercept him at long-on, he could have made it five in the over. However, the West Indies' assault continued unabated after his departure. As King waited for Rehan to come back, he made With three fours and a powerful slog over deep midwicket, it reached 48 in two overs, and the rookie was dismissed with 1 for 47, his most battered figures of the tour thus far.
Mills, at least, had the expertise to bring some order back. Using his astonishing range of pace in both on and off deliveries, he had been quietly effective in his first two overs and restricted King and Andre Russell to a four-ball exchange in his third over. Before the innings ended, Russell unavoidably hit two sixes, including an amazing leaping uppercut off long-off. However, Mills responded with a pinpoint slower ball and made two in two to end the 20 overs, with Jason Holder holed out to cow corner.
Speed and spin separate England
A series of eager right-handers had their aspirations curtailed by a left-arm round that was wide on the crease and angled into the body. Hosein and Motie, who were only playing because Romario Shepherd was experiencing knee pain, executed a basic yet deadly combination.
The powerplay consisted of three overs for Hosein, four overs for nine runs by Motie, and one last over for Hosein, during which the dangerous Harry Brook became the third and last victim of their combined efforts. There was a noticeable lack of courage in England's strategy, especially from the listless Buttler, whose attempt to give Hosein the ball ended with a feeble push to short cover or an admission that he was going to be stumped by a mile.
And Alzarri Joseph was free to turn it up from the far end while that lockdown was in place. In the previous matches of this tour, his extra pace had been a bit of a liability, but now, all West Indies needed to do to put the pressure on their opponents was to pound the pitch from just back of a length, with an awkward lift into the body and a series of catchers lined up on the leg-side.
Within the first ten overs, his methods worked for both Will Jacks and Phil Salt, who fell in their mid-20s after failing to convert their proactive intent into anything significant. And even though Curran, who was moved to No. 5, damaged Joseph's figures in his third over a mile.
And Alzarri Joseph was free to turn it up from the far end while that lockdown was in place. In the previous matches of this tour, his extra pace had been a bit of a liability, but now, all West Indies needed to do to put the pressure on their opponents was to pound the pitch from just back of a length, with an awkward lift into the body and a series of catchers lined up on the leg-side.
Within the first ten overs, his methods worked for both Will Jacks and Phil Salt, who fell in their mid-20s after failing to convert their proactive intent into anything significant. And even though Curran, who was moved to No. 5, damaged Joseph's figures in his third over and answering with an astonishing first-ball fifty from his T20I career in 31 balls; the first ball of his fourth ball effectively completed the deal as Hosein held onto a skewed drive to point.
Until then, Andre Russell's bad day with the ball had posed the only serious threat to the West Indies' hegemony. He was 3 for 19 on Tuesday, but went wicketless for 66 this time, including an all-too-rare sighting of Liam Livingstone in power hitting mode during a 22-run second over. Motie was there to see him off before he could do anything meaningful with his 17 out of 7.
