So much for England’s restorative pre-Christmas Caribbean retreat. As Shai Hope launched Chris Woakes over the extra cover boundary, it ended the notion that England could end 2023 with a comeback series victory.

Even in onerous batting conditions that were the antithesis of those 48 hours earlier, Hope’s final blow was apt: the moment of triumph was in keeping with the method underpinning West Indies’s win. In a series that witnessed an astounding 119 sixes, West Indies managed 63 to England’s 56. This advantage still held in the low-scoring, scrappy series-decider: West Indies hit seven sixes to England’s five – a decisive 12-run advantage in a chase of 133.

No matter the divergence in the surfaces over these five games, one rule has remained the same: the side to score the most sixes won every time. It is a reminder of how, whatever the pitches, small Caribbean grounds reward six-hitters above all else: a lesson that England must heed when they return to West Indies in June, for the T20 World Cup.

For all the exhilaration of England’s consecutive wins in recent days, a four-wicket defeat – sealing a 3-2 T20 defeat to go with their 2-1 one-day international loss in the Caribbean – was altogether more in keeping with the side’s year. A year that began with England reigning world champions in both limited-overs formats ends with England nursing their 20th defeat in all white-ball internationals, to go with their 15 victories.

But, while England will prefer to remember this tour for Phil Salt’s flourishing, and thrilling moments from other members of the new white-ball generation, their prospects of victory in Tarouba once again depended on Adil Rashid. Aged 35, and newly sitting atop the T20 world rankings for bowlers, Rashid ended a terrific series with four more masterful overs, combining control and subtle variations of pace to claim 2 for 21. While Sherfane Rutherford was deceived by a googly, Rashid’s worst ball of the day – a wide full toss – flummoxed Johnson Charles.

When Rashid followed up this spell with a diving catch at short third man, England threatened a remarkable heist. Sam Curran conceded just two from the penultimate over, and claimed Andre Russell caught at long on, leaving Chris Woakes to defend nine from the final over of the tour. Hope, whose orthodoxy and improved power had already sealed the one-day international series, now clinched the T20 victory with a serene undefeated 43.

Defending a meagre 133, England approached the task with tenacity and skill. Jos Buttler showed his teammates the way in the field, though in an unusual way: prowling the outfield, rather than behind the stumps, after allowing Salt to retain the gloves. The ploy relieves Buttler of one-third of his extraordinary load, though the captain faced a new challenge.

Amid a chaotic denouement at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, England were twice warned for taking too long to bowl the first ball of a new over. Had they erred again, England would have been the first international team to incur a five-run penalty for their laxity.

Trinidad & Tobago is among the hotbeds of spin in T20, home to two of the finest slow bowlers that the format has seen: Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree. After the rollicking hitting on Tuesday, when 459 runs were scored at 13 runs an over, the same pitch now offered a cocktail of slow bounce, preventing batsmen from hitting through the line, and ample turn.

Gudakesh Motie exploited such assistance with a sumptuous delivery to Salt. Drifting in to the batsman, it then gripped and turned enough to beat his groping bat. Motie’s exuberant celebration, wheeling away in delight, was a testament both to the delivery and the quality of the player it had dismissed. After consecutive centuries in the last two games, Salt adapted to the differing demands by cruising to 38, top-scoring for the third consecutive match.

Yet his teammates never hinted at such fluency. Motie and Akeal Hosein, both used exclusively from the Northern End - forcing England’s right-handers to hit into the wind when playing to the leg side – shared combined figures of 5 for 44 from their eight overs.

The most important of these was the last. At 120 for 5 with four overs remaining, England were on course for 160; Liam Livingstone, who had played with uncharacteristic restraint for his 28, was poised to pounce. Motie deceived him with a delivery that stuck in the pitch, conceding just a wicket from the over to go with his run. England’s innings then descended into a series of ill-timed swipes, their demise abetted by a venomous yorker from around the wicket by Andre Russell’s which thudded into the bottom of Chris Woakes’s off stump. England added a lamentable 12 in their last four overs; when Sam Curran’s top edge was snared in the deep, they were bowled out with three deliveries left unused.

It ensured that England finished perhaps 25 runs short of par. And ultimately it meant that West Indies followed their failure to qualify for the ODI World Cup by continuing their hold over England. Since the start of 2022, West Indies have now beaten England in four series in the Caribbean: once apiece in Tests and ODIs, and now twice in T20s.

West Indies beat England by four wickets: as it happened

11:48 PM GMT

And finally finally, Matthew Mott

11:37 PM GMT

And finally Rovman Powell

11:32 PM GMT

Jos Buttler speaks

11:31 PM GMT

Phil Salt is man of the series

11:28 PM GMT

Gudakesh Motie is man of the match

He took three for 24 and bowled beautifully on an admittedly helpful pitch.

11:16 PM GMT

West Indies win the series 3-2

England took it deep after their seemingly paltry score but did not have enough bowling assets left at the end. Curran’s 19th was magnificent as were Rashid and Topley almost all the time. But Hope is a special player and took them home.

11:15 PM GMT

OVER 19.2: WI 133/6 (Hope 43 Holder 4)

Hope drops to one knee and smears Woakes good length ball over extra cover for six!

West Indies win by four wickets with four balls to spare.

11:14 PM GMT

OVER 19.1: WI 127/6 (Hope 37 Holder 4)

Rehan races down from short fine leg to claw the ball back from the rope but they run three anyway.

11:13 PM GMT

OVER 19: WI 124/6 (Hope 37 Holder 1)

England receive their second warning as Buttler dallies setting his field. Curran starts with a yorker that Hope can only dig out to cover who stops the single. The next ball is pushed further up and Hope beats cover’s dive with his drive for a single.

Russell ducks the bouncer. Another dot ball. Russell winds up to pull the next that climbs higher but comes off the cue end and into the pitch just in front of his toes. Only one run off the first four balls. Curran calls for a towel to combat the dew.

Trying for the yorker, he doesn’t land it but it does the business anyway and Livingstone holds his nerve. One run conceded and one wicket from the first five balls.

Holder slaps the last ball to mid-off and Rashid’s throw should have been collected by Curran to run him out but he tried to deflect it with a slap and it squirted past the stumps.

WI need nine off six.

11:10 PM GMT

Wicket!

Russell c Livingstone b Curran 3  Cloths the low full toss to wide long on. Seven balls to come.  FOW 123/6

11:05 PM GMT

OVER 18: WI 122/5 (Hope 36 Russell 3)

Rehan drops short and Russell spins as if he’s going to belt it to Tobago but scuffs it for a single instead as the power he tried to impart knocks him off balance. Hope and Russell exchange singles and then Hope opens the face to smear a drive behind point for four. Rehan ends with a leg-break and Hope flicks it off middle and off for a single. Rehan Ahmed finishes his tour with 4-0-36-0.

WI need 11 off 12 and Curran will take the 19th.

11:02 PM GMT

OVER 17: WI 114/5 (Hope 30 Russell 1)

England are warned for breaching the minute between overs clock. Powell’s arms are glistening with sweat. He can go and towel down now after chipping a catch to Rashid who caught it low to his left.

Russell winds up and pulls Topley for a single as the ball sticks in the pitch and Hope swings and misses at the last that shapes away from the right hander.

WI need 19 off 18. The problem is England’s two best bowlers are done, Topley taking two for 17 off his four.

10:57 PM GMT

Wicket!

Powell c Rashid b Topley 8 Hung outside off, Powell was sitting back in his crease and sliced it off the top half of his bat to short third man.  FOW 113/5

10:55 PM GMT

OVER 16: WI 112/4 (Hope 29 Powell 8)

Hope brings up the hundred by driving at a big-turning leg break and thick-edging it between keeper and third man for four. Hope pokes a leg break to cover for a single and Powell, in his cap, launches an on drive into orbit over  long on. Six! Some very promising deliveries from Rehan all series but, like all leg-spinners, when he gets his length wrong he is easy meat.

WI need 21 off 24. Time for Topley to try to take a couple of wickets with his last over.

10:51 PM GMT

OVER 15: WI 99/4 (Hope 23 Powell 1)

Rashid contributes again, winkling out Rutherford. Powell works a single through midwicket, Hope hangs on the back foot to whisk two through midwicket and then chops a single into the covers.

Rashid ends with two for 21.

WI need 34 from 30.

10:46 PM GMT

Wicket!

Rutherford c Curran b Rashid 30  Curran takes a blinder with his left-hand moving to his left to grab it at extra-cover. Googly from Rashid. FOW 95/4

10:46 PM GMT

OVER 14: WI 94/3 (Hope 19 Rutherford 30)

Curran starts with two fullish balls and Hope drives for a single. Rutherford turns a single to wide mid-on into two with good placement and a galloping sprint, taking a breather next ball by hooking the bouncer for six.

Ahmed’s misfield at short third man off the left-hander’s dab makes a gift of a single and the ball follows Rehan when Hope leg-glances for a single to pinch the strike.

Buttler takes his last throw of the dice by bringing Rashid on for his last over.

10:41 PM GMT

OVER 13: WI 83/3 (Hope 17 Rutherford 21)

Buttler turns back to Rehan who has dismissed Hope twice on tour. Hope taps a single to cover, Rutherford pulls the drag down for a single. Ticking along nicely. No need to take risks and Hope doesn’t, probing the infield for what turn out to be three dot balls before spearing a drive down to point for a single.

Sam Curran is coming on with 50 required from 42 balls.

10:38 PM GMT

OVER 12: WI 80/3 (Hope 15 Rutherford 20)

Big shout from Salt and Rwshid when Rutherfird is beaten by the slider. There seemed to be a noise but the umpire shook his head and he was right. The bat hit the ground. Rutherford claws two off his pads then winds up and deposits a leg break over long on for six with savage power. Rashid comes back with two dot balls, beating him with a googly and enticing a slap that falls shirt of cover point. He is bowling very full and slow, looking for the wickets that England need.

WI need 53 from 48.

10:34 PM GMT

OVER 11: WI 71/3 (Hope 14 Rutherford 12)

Moeen stays on because there is a left-hander at the crease. Hope, the right hander, works two off-breaks off his pads, Rutherford scuffs a pull for a single then slaps a cut over cover for two.

Rutherford breaks the boundary drought with a swipe over extra-cover that lands 6ft inside the rope. Woakes runs round to try to stop it going for four and gets a hnd on it to tap it back but it still touches the cushion. All in vain.

10:30 PM GMT

OVER 10: WI 62/3 (Hope 12 Rutherford 5)

After the review Rutherford, the left-hander, flicks a leg-break off his ankle for a well-run two to fine leg and then drives to long-on for a single. After three leg-breaks, Rashid goes for the googly and Hope drags it down to long off for a single. Three dot balls in the over take us to drinks with WI needing 71 off 60.

10:25 PM GMT

NOT OUT

Astute decision. Pitched in line, hit him in line but was turning past leg stump.

10:25 PM GMT

ENG review

Rutherfird lbw b Rashid  Heading down? Umpire’s call?

10:24 PM GMT

OVER 9: WI 58/3 (Hope 11 Rutherford 2)

Moeen replaces Rehan and the off-spinner keeps it tight too, restricting them to four singles, using skid and a tight line.

10:23 PM GMT

OVER 8: WI 54/3 (Hope 9 Rutherford 0)

Rashid, more a spin-uncle to Rehan than his spin-twin takes the other end, the one from which Hosein and Motie bowled. And he bowls very full but efficiently, going for only three singles and bagging the explosive Charles.

10:19 PM GMT

Wicket!

Charles c Buttler b Rashid 27  Rashid does what he regularly does and takes a wicket in his first over ... and with the worst ball. It was supposed to be a googly but pushed it too far up and ended up an ankle high full toss. Charles thumped it on the drive and Buttler took a very good, stinging catch diving at short cover.  FOW 54/3 

10:18 PM GMT

OVER 7: WI 51/2 (Charles 26 Hope 7)

Rehan is the first of the leg-spinners to have a bowl and West Indies cope perfectly well with his variations. Having milked two singles each off the first four balls, Charles picks the googly and whisks it through midwicket for two and then tucks into a flighted leg-break, pumping it back over the bowler’s head for six!

10:15 PM GMT

OVER 6: WI 39/2 (Charles 16 Hope 5)

Woakes concludes the Powerplay by beating Charles with two bumpers, one slow, one quick, both outside off. Charles waits for the slower ball that is pitched up but cannot penetrate the offside ring. Moeen dives to his left to stop a cut at cover, parrying it on the half volley and they run a single, the second of the over after Hope’s punch to the cover boundary patrolman.

10:10 PM GMT

OVER 5: WI 37/2 (Charles 15 Hope 4)

Topley continues for a third straight over in the Powerplay as England strive for wickets before employing the spin twins. Like Russell earlier, Topley cramps the batsmen, yielding a two to Hope tucked off his hip and a single nurdled to square leg.

10:06 PM GMT

OVER 4: WI 34/2 (Charles 15 Hope 1)

Fine over from Woakes, tightening his line. Samuel Badree reckons Pooran suffered for an excess of caution – that normally he would have played an attacking stroke rather than a dutiful defensive to one that bounced surprisingly high.

10:02 PM GMT

Wicket!

Pooran b Woakes 10  Straight and back of a length and Pooran plays it with an angled bat and drags on. He was done by the extra bounce.  FOW 33/2

10:01 PM GMT

OVER 3: WI 30/1 (Charles 13 Pooran 9)

Pooran comes in after King holed out and heaves his second ball over square leg for six. The orthodox bouncer is not a dangerous weapon on this pitch. Topley swings one away from the left-hander and appeals for a catch to the keeper but the umpired aid no. It suggests he hit the ground with his bat but not the ball. England do not review ... but they should have because he hit the ground with the bat and then the ball. Opportunity knocked but nobody answered.

09:54 PM GMT

Wicket!

King c Buttler b Topley 3  As badly mistimed as some of England’s shots, proving that the pitch could be said to be something that rhymes with it. Topley’s fuller ball and King swiped at it, aiming for cow corner and toed it very high but not very far. Buttler steadied himself and took it at midwicket (Salt has the gloves).  FOW 21/1

09:54 PM GMT

OVER 2: WI 20/0 (King 3 Charles 13)

Woakes tests Charles with the short ball and I rather wish he hadn’t as the right-hander carts him high over square leg and down the stairwell 20 rows back. Some hit that.

Even Topley doesn’t have the span diving to his right at short third man to reach Charles’ uppish steer and the ball scuttles away for four.

09:49 PM GMT

OVER 1: WI 7/0 (King 1 Charles 2)

Topley starts with a fine delivery that swings into King’s pad but was heading down. Topley leads the appeal with impressive vigour but Buttler doesn’t review when the umpire shakes his head.

King gets away with a whisk through midwicket for a single and Topley’s inswing earns West Indies four leg-byes when he shapses one into Charles’ thighpad. Charles slices a drive over cover for two. Seven off the over, only three off the bat but they all count.

Woakes will take the new ball from the other end.

09:42 PM GMT

Chances?

England have only twice defended a total smaller than 132 – both in 2012, beating Pakistan by five runs having made 129 for six and South Africa in an 11-over match when they made 118 for five.

History and West Indies suggest England’s goose is cooked, five days prematurely.

09:37 PM GMT

Innings break

Excellent bowling performance from West Indies on just the kind of sticky pitch England hate, Kryptonite to their explosive top order. They couldn’t time pulls or drives. England’s spinners will have to match Hosein and Motie but they look well short even on a Janus-faced pitch.

09:34 PM GMT

Wicket!

Curran c Rutherford 12  Short again and he tries to flat bat it from outside off over cover but loses his grip. The bat bevels in his hand and balloons to mid-off running backwards and to his right.  FOW 132 all out. 

09:33 PM GMT

Wicket!

Rashid run out 1  A yard short at the non-striker’s as he tried to make it back for two after Curran heaved off the toe to long on.  FOW 132/9

09:31 PM GMT

OVER 19: ENG 129/8 (Curran 9 Rashid 1)

Russell takes two in two but Rashid survives the hat-trick ball by shovelling a drive two yards wide of the bowler for a single. Curran thick edges a drive and is dropped at deep backward point. Hard chance for Hosein but he got there, diving forward. They run two.

Tying Curran up for only a single off the final ball allows him to walk down to the rope for the last over with two for 25.

09:26 PM GMT

Wicket!

Rehan Ahmed c&b Russell 0  Golden duck. Pulls a ball from round the wicket hard but at thigh height and Russell takes it despite the pain it brings to his fingers. Wincing, he accepts the congratulations of his team-mates.  FOW 125/8

09:25 PM GMT

Wicket!

Woakes b Russell 2  Nails the yorker from round the wicket, knocking back off stump. England have sunk. FOW 125/7

09:24 PM GMT

OVER 18: ENG 125/6 (Curran 6 Woakes 2)

Thomas is back for his final over and Curran cannot beat cover with a back-foot slap but takes a single off the next ball, agains not timed. Woakes backs away to steer a single down to third man as Thomas followed him. He was trying to hit him over cover but had to adapt. Curran is again thwarted by cover then scuffs a single with a horizontal bat. Woakes can’t work a back of a length delivery fired into his body away to the boundary and ends up jabbing it for a single. Terrific over.

09:20 PM GMT

OVER 17: ENG 121/6 (Curran 4 Woakes 0)

Superb over from Motie. As Tim wrote, this is a very different pitch and England will still have a chance because of their leg-spinners and Reece Topley but they will need at least 30 more to give them the confidence they will need for a nipper of a game.

09:16 PM GMT

Wicket!

Livingstone c&b Motie 28  The ball sticks in the pitch as he played back and spooned it straight back up the pitch.  Properly plinked.  FOW 121/6

09:15 PM GMT

OVER 16: ENG 120/5 (Livingstone 28 Curran 3)

‘England need a big finish,’ says David Gower. And Livingstone tries to fulfil his remit by walking across and flipping him off his hip with a pick-up shot for six. The right-hander carves a cut to cover for a single and Curran, after swinging and missing at a slow bouncer, swats a similar delivery off his eyebrows for a single.

09:11 PM GMT

OVER 15: ENG 111/5 (Livingstone 21 Curran 1)

Hosein ends with two for 12. Moeen timed only one shot properly all innings.

09:07 PM GMT

Wicket!

Moeen c Powell b Hosein 23  Relay catch, Russell initially taking it at long six inches inside the rope and tossing it back to Powell before he crossed the boundary. The toss back to his captain lacked pace but Powell dived forward to grab it.  FOW 110/5

09:07 PM GMT

OVER 13: ENG 109/4 (Livingstone 20 Moeen 23)

Moeen winds up to Russell and thick edges it through vacant first slip for four when aiming for deep backward square. Russell watches Moeen’s feet and sees them retreat to leg so fires it on a fifth-stump line beyond the left-hander’s span. Moeen swings and misses at the slow bouncer then mistimes yet another pull at shoulder-height for a single from one more slow bouncer. Ryan Sidebottom has a lot to answer for.

Russell comes round the wicket to Livingstone and lands an off-stump yorker that the right-hander can only chisel out to mid-off for a single.

09:02 PM GMT

OVER 13: ENG 102/4 (Livingstone 18 Moeen 18)

And just like that! The best of Moeen. A lovely languid swing rather than a whirling dervish and he collars Motie from off-stump amd pumping it over long-on for six. The fourth single off the over bring up England’s hundred and Moeen’s second pull, heaved off the front foot, earns him two to end England’s best over of the match.

08:59 PM GMT

OVER 12: ENG 90/4 (Livingstone 16 Moeen 8)

Powell calls Thomas back into the attack. Livingstone slices a drive high over cover for a single and Moeen swats a pull short of the midwicket sweeper for another.

When Thomas overpitches Livingstone carts him over midwicket for six. A fell in a black T-shirt in the crowd goes to pouch it but his hands are to slow and it crashes into his chest. Pride stops him rubbing it. That could have fractured his sternum.

Livingstone rolls his wrists on a pull for a single and Moeen doesn’t but cloths it short of deep midwicket again. It’s as if Moeen is swinging too hard and it has ruined his timing. Settle down, lad.

08:53 PM GMT

OVER 11: ENG 80/4 (Livingstone 8 Moeen 6)

Hosein returns and starts with two dot balls to Livingstone, turning the ball away from the right-hander. Livingstone shuffles on to the back foot to pat a single down to long on. Moeen pulls another and when Livingstone tries to mow him over cow corner, he can’t get under it and drags it through midwicket for a single.

08:50 PM GMT

Halfway verdict

08:48 PM GMT

OVER 10: ENG 77/4 (Livingstone 6 Moeen 5)

As the commentators point out, the difference from the quicks today has been to stick to pace on and target the body. Holder returns and Moeen toes a drive over mid-off for two then slaps a pull for a single. Livingstone closes the face too early and takes a single down to long on off a leading edge.

Time for drinks after Moeen swings and misses and finds mid-off with a mis-hit drive. He hasn’t yet timed a single shot well.

08:45 PM GMT

OVER 9: ENG 73/4 (Livingstone 5 Moeen 2)

England, subdued by excellent spin bowling from these two left-armers, try to bed down, working three singles off the final four balls. Moeen comes in ahead of Curran. They bat down to 10 but a matchw-inning total depends on one of these two going Garrity I think.

08:40 PM GMT

Wicket!

Brook c Pooran b Motie 7  Looking to paddle it round the corner, it flies off his thumb and Pooran leaps to grab it.  FOW 70/4

08:39 PM GMT

OVER 8: ENG 70/3 (Livingstone 4 Brook 7)

West Indies are targeting Brook’s supposed vulnerability to the short ball with Russell but he tucks a single off his hip. Livingstone wears the next ball on his glove and jogs a single but Russell’s attempt to surprise Brook with a yorker goes awry when he slips out a full bunger that Brook cracks past him for four. Brook rolls the wrists on the fourth stump bouncer for a single and England hustle two from the last ball into the onside.

08:35 PM GMT

OVER 7: ENG 61/3 (Livingstone 1 Brook 1)

Powell turns to Gudakesh Motie who asks for a leg-before when his arm ball hist Livingstone on the toe as he stooped to sweep but it was going down and they sprint three leg-byes. Salt treats the spinner to soem step and fetch disdain by launching a steepling off drive for six but falls next ball.

Brook gets off the mark with a dabby cut.

West Indies have been far tighter with the ball today than at any other point in the series. They have really screwed the nut so far.

08:31 PM GMT

Wicket!

Salt b Motie 38  Six and out again. Another beautiful delivery from a left-armer that drifted ion, dipped, gripped and ripped past the edge, turning something like 4° to beat the edge. Big, big wicket. Ripper. FOW 60/3

08:30 PM GMT

OVER 6: ENG 50/2 (Salt 31 Livingstone 1)

Thomas is given the last over of the Powerplay and he errs on line with his first delivery and length with his second. Salt uses the width to smear four through point off the back foot and then creams the low full toss through Thomas’s followthrough for four.

Thomas fights back impressively to concede only three singles, nailing his length and line, giving neither Livingstone notr Salt any room to free their arms.

Eight an over is a decent platform but quite pedestrian given the fireworks on Sunday and Tuesday.

08:25 PM GMT

OVER 5: ENG 39/2 (Salt 20 Livingstone 0)

After a couple of singles and a couple of dot balls from Hosein, Jacks goes six and out. The boundary flew over Russell’s leap at long on but Hosein diddled him next ball with a quicker ball and celebrates suitably wildly, like Imran Tahir.

08:22 PM GMT

Wicket!

Jacks b Hosein 8  Having been clumped for six the ball before, Hosein drifts his arm ball in, Jacks gives himself room to cut but the ball skids through and clips the top of middle and leg.  Well bowled!  FOW 39/2

08:22 PM GMT

OVER 4: ENG 32/1 (Salt 20 Jacks 1)

West Indies opt for one-over spells to stop England settling and Jason Holder strikes, the ball a touch too full for the scoop, meaning Buttler couldn’t lever it over the fielder. Jacks gets off the mark with a defensive push, Salt mistimes a heave-ho to cow corner and spoons it wide of the fielder’s grasp for two then threads a square drive behind point for four. Valiant effort from Hosein to stop it with a headlong drive but he tipped it on to the rope rather than clawing it back.

08:15 PM GMT

Wicket!

Buttler c Thomas b Holder 11  A rare Powerplay wicket for West Indies, only the second of the series. Buttler jumped around into a chest-on stance and scooped the ball straight down short fine leg’s throat.  FOW 24/1

08:14 PM GMT

OVER 3: ENG 24/0 (Salt 13 Buttler 11)

Hosein replaces Russell. The left-arm spinner has opened the bowling in the past few games. The openers exchange singles then Salt crashes a drive through cover for four, hurting Rutherford as he dived to try to stop it. He seems to have burst the top of a finger on his left hand but, after treatment, stays on.

Salt takes a very tight single to mid-off, beating Holder’s throw ... which missed the stumps in any case. Buttler cloths a drive over mid-on for a single to pinch the strike.

08:10 PM GMT

OVER 2: ENG 16/0 (Salt 7 Buttler 9)

The plan is to bowl fast, into the pitch and straight, decent length but Thomas overpitches and Salt harpoons a cover drive for four, spanking the half-volley with glorious timing. Rubbish ball, mind. Salt rotates the strike by opening the face and cvlipping it with a straight bat off the back foot wide of short third man.

Buttler is also treated to a back of a length delivery and he pummels it on the pull in front of square for four then reaches across to cut a single down to the point sweeper. Powell stops a blistering cover drive from Salt and parries it to mid-off, saving three runs.

Powell spoke specifically at the toss about restricting Salt’s sixes. He has hit 21 in the series and they reckon the sixes, more than the fours and singles, have been the special sauce in England’s last two victories. Hence the length and line they’re bowling today, errors apart, trying to cramp him.

08:04 PM GMT

OVER 1: ENG 5/0 (Salt 1 Buttler 4)

Andre Russell has the new ball and starts with a length delivery that Salt whisks through midwicket for a single. Russell rarely opens the bowling even in franchise cricket but has taken some tap at the death. Buttler advances towards the right-arm quick so Russell bangs it in and Buttler pulls him on the walk for four, between long leg and the keeper.

Buttler plays out a couple of dot balls and is then pinned by one that was heading down leg. Buttler wiggles his shoulder but it isn’t the signal for a big stroke as it used to be, his ‘tell’ as it were. He drives crisply but can’t beat cover.

Oshane Thomas shares new ball duties.

08:00 PM GMT

Carlos Brathwaite

Thinks West Indies will use the pace of Oshane Thomas to try to unsettle Phil Salt. That’s the main change in their attack and will dictate their approach. He has been recorded at 97mph in the CPL but that was six years ago. Still ra-ra-rapido, though. Which reminds me I haven’t seen Antoine de Caunes for years.

07:51 PM GMT

One consequence from this tour so far

Utterly baffling that he hasn’t made IPL millions and a shame for his spin academy at home in Bradford which is doing such fine work under the leadership of Adil’s brother, Amar.

07:37 PM GMT

A plan is coming together

07:36 PM GMT

Team news – England unchanged, West Indies make two

West Indies Brandon King, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Nic Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell (capt), Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Oshane Thomas, Gudakesh Motie.

England  Jos Buttler (capt), Phil Salt (wk), Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Rehan Ahmed,  Adil Rashid, Reece Topley.

Umpires  Leslie Reifer and Nigel Duguid. TV  Gregory Brathwaite

07:34 PM GMT

West Indies have won the toss

And put England in to bat.

Rovman Powell: ‘We have sat down over the last 24 hours and come up with new plans. We will try our best to minimise Phil Salt’s boundary count.’

Jos Buttler: ‘We would have looked to chase as well.’

07:22 PM GMT

Salt to keep dual role?

06:27 PM GMT

Preview: Peppering Salt

Good evening and welcome to the series decider after back-to-back centuries from England’s newly ripped opener Phil Salt dragged them back from the precipice. Not only has Salt become England’s only twin centurion in the format, he carried his bat in Grenada to put Harry Brook in a position to pull off the heist in remarkable fashion and then in Trinidad powered his side to their highest score in a T20, the second highest ever by a Test-playing nation. Although he was scruffy behind the stumps, missing a couple of big-turning Adil Rashid deliveries and bungling a stumping chance, it has been ages since he took the gloves and I thought England looked sharper and the game was noticeably quicker with Buttler in the infield.

For the first time in the series England’s batsmen marmalised West Indies spinners and were Flashmanesque to the poor debutant Matthew Forde. There was much to admire and plenty of promise about the clarity of their approach and the execution of their skills. England took 10 wickets to win the match comfortably but the power and strike rate of the West Indies batsmen were unrelenting and they will come hard again. Reece Topley and Adil Rashid were, as usual, the pick of the bowlers yet the others, albeit expensively, winkled out six batsmen between them. It is hard to imagine many economy rates below 10 on this road of a square and we are likely to be treated to another high-scoring game.

England will understandably be desperate to close out their debilitating white-ball autumn and winter with a restorative series victory which they can plausibly promote as the green shoots of a successful World Cup defence. It would be bold of them to give opportunities to John Turner and Ben Duckett even if we really need to find out how they cope. Looking too far ahead has bitten them repeatedly this year hence we can probably expect them to pick the same team.