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England survive late West Indies onslaught to level T20 series with one-run victory

West Indies vs England, second T20: live score and latest updates from Barbados - GETTY IMAGES
West Indies vs England, second T20: live score and latest updates from Barbados - GETTY IMAGES
  • England bat first and improve on first match to set hosts 172 for victory

  • Hosts lose early wickets as tourists dominate early on

  • Hosein and Shepherd take game to last over with big hitting as England win by just one run

After 84 days and eight matches - including seven defeats - on three continents, finally England have tasted victory once again. But only by a solitary run, as, in keeping with the travails of recent months, England almost defied the laws of mathematics to lose an unlosable game.

Defending 30 from the final over, Saqib Mahmood delivered two wides. Akeal Hosein, the West Indies’ number 10, launched the final three balls for sixes to take his side within one run of their target. Notionally, England’s victory was secure with three balls to go - but, you sensed that only as Mahmood was handed his cap and walked off were England truly sure of their victory.

For vast swathes of this game they had seemed to be cruising to a facile win, as the West Indies collapsed to 65 for seven in pursuit of 172 to win. But ferocious late hitting from Romario Shepherd and Hosein evoked England’s ghosts of Kolkata 2016. Together, the pair plundered 72 in just 4.5 overs, hitting nine sixes between them. Whatever the failings of their top order, the West Indies’s ability to produce wonderful ball-strikers is not in doubt.

While Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali were both excellent through the middle overs, the most heartening sight for England lay in the performance of a man who has not been selected for England in this format for six years. In the six years since his last T20 international, against South Africa in the 2016 World Cup, Reece Topley has had a major back operation that led him to fear for his career and pushed him towards short-format specialisation.

But, amid all the dark moments, England retained interest in Topley’s cocktail of gifts: few bowlers are more coveted than a 6ft 8in left-armer. With his third delivery - second legitimate, after beginning with a wide - Topley showed why. Curving the ball back into the right-hander from over the wicket in the quintessential left-arm quick’s style, Topley demanded an lbw verdict in his favour. While Brandon King’s review showed the ball would only have clipped the outside of his leg stump, Topley could consider his stroke of fortune well-earned indeed.

The wonder was that Topley’s next two overs did not bring his bowling another wicket. No matter. After striking Shai Hope on the toe with a swinging yorker, Topley then fell to his knees to flick the ball onto the stumps and run-out Hope. The original delivery, it transpired, was plumb lbw and would have been out if England had needed to review it - so Topley’s athleticism effectively cost himself a wicket. In his next over, Liam Dawson cost Topley another wicket, when he spilled a steepling chance at mid wicket.

And so, for all that new-ball figures of one for 10 from three overs are outstanding in T20, they were scant reflection on the quality of Topley’s performance after replacing the rested Tymal Mills. With Mills a death-over specialist and Topley’s forte eliciting prodigious new ball swing, one intriguing question that the final three matches may throw up is whether England can pair both left-arm quicks together in the same 11.

After Topley’s spell derailed the West Indies’s chase of 172, England’s spinners then combined to ensure they left a wildly oscillating weekend of T20 cricket level at 1-1. Rashid’s beguiling leg spin was not only too much for the West Indies; it was also too much for umpire Nigel Duguid, who tuned down his appeals against Kieron Pollard and Darren Bravo before England’s reviews showed that both deliveries were crashing into the stumps.

Alongside Rashid, Moeen Ali continued his own impressive recent form as a T20 bowler. His figures of three for 24 took his tally to 10 wickets at 10.8 apiece, with an economy rate of just 5.7, since the T20 World Cup began. Quietly, Moeen has enjoyed a stunning rebirth of his international T20 career after going 10 straight matches without playing until last summer, as his 31 at number four emphasised.

Yet, despite his perky 27 from number seven, there are concerns over the contributions of another mainstay of the England T20 side. After conceding 23 runs in the crucial 17th over of the World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand, at the Kensington Oval Chris Jordan leaked 23 runs from the 18th over, as Shepherd pulled him for two monstrous sixes. Jordan’s status in England’s T20 side has been well-earned, but how he performs in the last three games in the land of his birth might determine whether he remains a first-choice player in the lead-up to October’s World Cup in Australia.

“Every team in the world is trying to get better at death bowling,” Eoin Morgan said. “Conditions got better and the ball skidded on, but we need to find better execution, we'd like it to be up there with the best in the world. The majority of our plans was yorkers, to defend the wide side - and we missed.”

While Shepherd and Hosein had the power to clear any boundary, England’s innings was shaped by the unusual dimensions, with a sea breeze supporting hitting to the shorter boundary but making it harder to clear the ropes on the other side. It took only 15 balls for Tom Banton to become the first batsman to take advantage of the dimensions, when he slog-swept Hosein for six in the third over. But while England hit 13 boundaries - including four sixes - to the shorter side, they mustered only six - and just a solitary six, from Jordan - to the longer side.

England’s challenge timing the ball was best illustrated by how Jason Roy, normally England’s most belligerent opener, took 23 balls over his opening 17 runs. But Roy’s early struggles were the prelude to a blistering assault on Fabian Allen, the West Indies’ left-arm spinner. Roy thrashed 24 - including two sixes, over mid wicket and long on, from the 11th over of the innings. The upshot was that, after languishing at 64 for two halfway through their 20 overs, England added another 107 in the last 10 overs. They would need every one.


England sneak over the line to win second T20 - as it happened


11:43 PM

That was great hitting by Hosein and Shepherd

Their stand of 72 was the highest for the ninth wicket in T20 internationals by a Test-playing nation and was great to watch.


11:37 PM

ENGLAND WIN BY ONE RUN - WI 170/8 (Hosein 44 Shepherd 44)

Mahmood opens the last over with a wide. The next ball is another wide BUT it’s not given by the umpire - fortunate. Then Hosein swings and finds the gap between long-on and deep mid-wicket. 25 needed from the next four balls.

Hosein then again shows off his great ball striking, hitting Mahmood down the ground for a one-bounce four.

Twenty-one from three now - England have won but this last partnership will have done the hosts the world of good.

Then Mahmood bowls another wide - that’s the result of pressure…he can afford to be hit for three sixes so long as he doesn’t bowl wides and no balls. Keep it simple.

One six comes off the fourth legal ball - this one smashed by Hosein to cow corner. I said it a few overs ago - this boy can bat. The next ball is again hit for another six - between long-on and deep extra cover.

Eight off the last needed - and Hosein hits it for six to the long-off boundary - simply sensational!

What an innings from Hosein - he scored three sixes and two fours off that last over and England only won by the solitary run.


11:28 PM

OVER 19: WI 142/8 (Hosein 18 Shepherd 44)

Topley returns for his last over - a dot ball and a two come from the first couple of deliveries. He then takes the pace off it and Shepherd hits it short of the on-rushing long-on for one. Good bowling from the opener from the first three balls of the over.

The fourth ball he bowls a quicker one outside off-stump to the left-handed Hosein and beats the bat. A single from a full ball on leg stump comes from the fifth delivery before Shepherd gets a four off the last - off a wide ball to the cover boundary.

The hosts require 30 off the last over for the win.


11:23 PM

OVER 18: WI 134/8 (Hosein 17 Shepherd 37)

Hosein plays another cracking shot - a low six between mid-off and extra cover. That was a proper cricket shot - this boy can bat. The next ball the Windies batter tries to chip one over the infield - Morgan, at extra cover, runs back gets hands to it, but cannot hold on to the ball. That was a good chance…

Shepherd then pulls Jordan for six to square leg - another fine hit. There then follows another one! It’s deja vu as the Windies batter again pulls for six to the long boundary.

Can they pull off an unlikely win?

Shepherd then squirts a full one for two to the offside - Topley saving two on the boundary with some great fielding.

That was a great over for the hosts - they now need 38 runs off the last two overs.


11:16 PM

OVER 17: WI 111/8 (Hosein 10 Shepherd 22)

Mahmood returns and Shepherd tries to launch him into the stands but succeeds only in hitting the ball along the ground to long-on. He is not interested in a single and keeps the strike. He takes the single next ball before Hosein gives himself room and hits it on the top of the bounce for four between third man and square leg - great shot and one that makes you wonder why Shepherd was trying to hog the strike earlier. A two and a single follow - eight off the over.

Windies need 61 runs off 18 balls.


11:10 PM

OVER 16: WI 103/8 (Hosein 3 Shepherd 21)

Hosein is off the mark with a two to long-on - good running. Jordan is taking the pace off the ball and a single and leg bye follows.

Windies need 69 runs off 24 balls.


11:06 PM

Wicket! Allen c Banton b Jordan 12

Jordan returns - his first and only over so far went for 13 but his first ball is hit by Allen straight into the hands of Banton at deep square-leg.

FOW - 98/8


11:05 PM

OVER 15: WI 98/7 (Allen 12 Shepherd 21)

It’s Rashid's last over and Shepherd makes room to smash the leggie over his head for six. That was a clean strike, great to see. A single follows before Allen plays a leg-break well, running it down through the vacant slip area for one.

Rashid ends with figures of two for 24 and the spin twins have again done the damage for Morgan’s men.

The hosts need 74 runs off the last five overs.


11:01 PM

OVER 14: WI 89/7 (Allen 11 Shepherd 14)

Moeen’s last over sees him go for a single and a two in his first three deliveries. Allen then slog sweeps for a big six - that was a powerful hit to the longer boundary. The hosts, however, need a lot more of those to have a hope.

Moeen ends with figures of three for 24.

Windies need 83 runs off 36 balls.


10:56 PM

OVER 13: WI 78/7 (Allen 1 Shepherd 13)

Dawson comes into the attack and Shepherd takes him on thrashing a shortish one for six to deep mid-wicket - that was vicious. He then betters that maximum with a bigger, straighter one. HUGE and nearly out of the ground.

Windies need 94 runs from 42 balls.


10:53 PM

Hands like buckets


10:53 PM

OVER 12: WI 65/7 (Allen 0 Shepherd 1)

Another great over for England - two wickets from it and the hosts are now needing 107 runs for a highly improbable win now.


10:51 PM

Wicket! Smith c Vince b Moeen 7

Odean Smith comes in and first up smashes Moeen for six to cow corner - his intentions are clear. After a single Smith then tries to launch Moeen over his head but only sends it into the night’s sky and back down again - James Vince gets under it at long-off and takes a good catch.

FOW - 65/7


10:48 PM

Wicket! Holder c&b Moeen 1

Anything Fabian Allen can do so can Moeen as he takes a blinding catch off his own bowling to dismiss danger man Holder. What. A. Catch!

FOW - 57/6


10:47 PM

OVER 11: WI 57/5 (Holder 1 Shepherd 0)

Rashid is bowling brilliantly and gets one to turn square to the new batsman Romario Shepherd. The leggie shows off his wide variations and that’s a brilliant over - the Bravo wicket and just two runs from it.

Windies in even deeper trouble now.


10:44 PM

Wicket! Bravo lbw b Rashid 23

Rashid over the wicket to Bravo - the Windies batter tries to turn it round the corner, he misses, England appeal, it’s given not out, Morgan reviews and the replay shows it was going on to hit the wickets.

FOW - 55/5


10:39 PM

OVER 10: WI 55/4 (Holder 1 Bravo 23)

Holder is trying to get Moeen away but the spinner is bowling a good line and length and the all-rounder is struggling. He tries a reverse sweep but is wrapped on the pad and scampers for a leg bye.

Just three runs for the over and England are well on top with the hosts needing 117 off 60 for an unlikely win.


10:36 PM

OVER 9: WI 52/4 (Holder 1 Bravo 21)

Jason Holder is the new man at the crease and is off the mark first ball with a single.

The Windies need 120 more runs for the win and are in deep trouble at the moment.


10:33 PM

Wicket! Pollard lbw b Rashid 1

Rashid wraps Pollard on the pads with what looks like a topspinner - it’s straight and full but for some reason is given not out on the pitch. England review and the replay looks promising for the tourists - and indeed ball-tracking shows it was fairly plumb. That was a beauty from Rashid.

FOW - 50/4


10:30 PM

Bravo for Bravo


10:30 PM

OVER 8: WI 49/3 (Pollard 1 Bravo 19)

Pollard comes to the crease and defends his first ball. He’s off the mark next delivery and then Bravo scampers a quick single.

Just what Morgan wanted with that bowling change - Moeen to take out one of the left-handers.


10:28 PM

Wicket! Pooran c Vince b Moeen 24

With two left-handers at the crease Mooen Ali comes on and third ball Pooran tries to launch him into the stand. But he doesn't get all of it and James Vince rushes in from deep mid-wicket to take a fine diving catch.

FOW - 47/3


10:24 PM

OVER 7: WI 46/2 (Pooran 24 Bravo 17)

Morgan turns to his wicket-taker Adil Rashid. There’s just a single off his first two balls before the England leggie bowls a pie - short and wide - that sits up for Pooran to cut in front of square for four. A single follows then Bravo hits Rashid nonchalantly for six down the ground. Thirteen from the over.


10:20 PM

OVER 6: WI 33/2 (Pooran 19 Bravo 9)

Jordan replaces Mahmood and another chance goes down - this one tougher than Dawson’s the previous over. Pooran has a bit of width and his drive is in the air to extra cover - Morgan dives well and just cannot hold on to the ball. That was a good effort from the England captain.

There are three runs from the first four balls before Pooran plays a shot of authority - it’s in the slot and he pulls for six to cow corner, that was a great shot, he didn’t try to hit it too hard, that was timing and class. That’s then followed up with a cut four to deep square leg - 13 runs from the over and just what the Windies needed.


10:15 PM

OVER 5: WI 20/2 (Pooran 8 Bravo 7)

Topley is bowling to his strengths - pitching it up, giving the ball a chance to swing and the hosts are struggling to get any runs off him.

Pooran turns to the unorthodox as he plays a baseball-style shot down the ground for a much-needed four. Pooran then hits one straight in the air to the mid-wicket region - Dawson does well to get to it but the ball bobbles out and a chance goes begging. England would have been well on top had that stayed in the spinner’s mitts.

Seven from the over.


10:10 PM

OVER 4: WI 13/2 (Pooran 2 Bravo 6)

There are two singles from Mahmood’s first four balls before a touch of class from Bravo sees him play an exquisite back foot push for four square of the wicket. Another quick single follows and there are seven from the over.


10:06 PM

Sensational run out from Topley


10:05 PM

OVER 3: WI 6/2 (Pooran 0 Bravo 0)

It’s all happening for England and thanks to another great Topley over they are well on top.


10:04 PM

Wicket! Hope run out 2

Topley continues - there’s a Porran single before the England left-arm bowls another full, swinging delivery that wraps Hope on the pads. There’s a half-hearted appeal but it’s going down leg and was probably too high as well.

Then Hope digs out a yorker (that could have hit the pad first) , that Topley gets a hand to. But the opener goes for the quick single, the bowler gets up dives and throws at the stumps and Hope is out by a metre - that was athletic from Topley.

FOW - 6/2


09:58 PM

OVER 2: WI 5/1 (Hope 2 Pooran 0 )

Saqib Mahmood takes the new ball from the other end and a full ball is driven by Hope to a diving Morgan - thanks to that fielding there’s no run.

England are clearly going to bowl a hard length, top of off peg.

After two dot balls. Hope plays a delightful uppish drive over the bowler’s head for two - elegant from the Windies opener. Hope then has a big swing and a miss at a full ball outside off-stump. Excellent over, two from it.


09:54 PM

OVER 1: WI 3/1 (Hope 0 Pooran 0 )

Topley is bowling full and straight, giving the ball a chance to swing - he has three slips and for all the talk about digging the ball in this is proper new-ball bowling. Pooran ends the opening over with a swing and a miss and that's a great first over from the man who last played a T20 international way back in 2016.


09:52 PM

Wicket! King lbw b Topley 0

First up Topley bowls a full ball, giving it a chance to swing, but it’s wide down leg and Billings does well to get to it. Two balls later Topley bowls a better line - it’s full and coming into the right-hander and wraps him on the back pad. It’s given out but King reviews. The replay shows it would have clipped leg stump and the Windies opener has gone for a duck.

FOW - 3/1


09:48 PM

Reece Topley has the new ball for England

And the Windies reply is about to get under way.


09:42 PM

Here's the HUGE six from Jordan

Remember this went against the wind...


09:41 PM

That was a stop-start innings from England

Batters got in but no one was able to go past 50 and help the tourists set a more substantial total of 180+. BUT it was a much better display from England and on this pitch that is a decent total to defend.


09:39 PM

OVER 20: ENG 171/8 (Rashid 2 Mahmood 7)

Mahmood is in and he gets off the mark with a two off his first ball. Three more delivers to go - the first is a dot ball, the second is then smoked by Mahmood for a well-hit four to mid-wicket. The final ball sees Mahmood push for one to the off side and that’s the innings.

ENGLAND SET WEST INDIES 172 FOR VICTORY


09:35 PM

Wicket! Dawson c Allen b Holder 4

Holder bowls the last over. Rashid takes a single off the first, Dawson then smashes one to cow corner BUT it’s straight to the fielder Fabian Allen and it’s out.

FOW - 164/8


09:33 PM

OVER 19: ENG 163/7 (Rashid 1 Dawson 4)

That was a good over from Cottrell , 10 runs and the vital wicket of Jordan from it. Just the one over to go.


09:32 PM

Wicket! Jordan c Holder b Cottrell 27

Cottrell bowls the penultimate over - there’s a wide and two twos off the bat of Jordan before the England man gets a thick inside edge off a full toss and it races for four, fortune favouring Jordan UNTIL next ball Jordan toe ends the ball to Holder at deep mid-off.

FOW - 162/7


09:29 PM

OVER 18: ENG 153/6 (Jordan 19 Dawson 4)

Good over from Holder getting the wicket of Morgan, but Dawson hits a four to deep square-leg the last ball, Pooran misjudging the ball as it flew over his head.

England will be trying to get as close to 180 as possible.


09:26 PM

Wicket! Morgan c King b Holder 13

Holder bowls - there’s a single off the first ball before Morgan sweeps a full one to King at long on. He was trying to accelerate there but without any luck of the sort Moeen enjoyed earlier.

FOW - 147/6


09:23 PM

OVER 17: ENG 146/5 (Jordan 17 Morgan 13)

Jordan was by far England’s best batter yesterday and he’s in form again today. He plays another delightful shot, moving across his stumps before sweeping for four round the corner. He then toe-ends one down the ground for a couple.

Jordan then goes against the wind and hits a humongous six to deep extra cover - that was a big, impressive shot. A single follows and then Morgan gets in on the act, giving himself room to hit over extra cover for four. That's the over the tourists needed.


09:17 PM

OVER 16: ENG 128/5 (Jordan 4 Morgan 9)

England have been dragged back - the ball is holding into the pitch a bit, the hosts are bowling a better length and wickets are coming their way. This Pollard over sees Morgan flash at a wide one and the ball goes just wide of a diving Shai Hope for four - much-needed good fortune for the tourists.

Pollard then bowls his fourth wide of the evening. Four singles follow to finish the over from which 10 runs come.


09:11 PM

OVER 15: ENG 118/5 (Jordan 1 Morgan 3)

Hosein returns and gets another key wicket - the wickets are tumbling and runs harder to come by. Since the over of 24 the hosts have wrestled back the initiative.


09:10 PM

Wicket! Billings c Cottrell b Hosein 5

Billings tries to slog sweep BUT he only succeeds in helping the ball on it’s way to give Cottrell an easy catch at short third man.

FOW - 116/5


09:07 PM

OVER 14: ENG 115/4 (Billings 5 Morgan 1)

Morgan is in and scampers a quick single off his first and the over’s last ball. The hosts are getting key wickets at just the right time here.


09:06 PM

Wicket! Moeen c Cottrell b Pollard 31

Windies skipper Pollard is bowling, there is a single off the first two deliveries before another wide (his third of the day). Another single (from Billings) follows then Mooen hits with the wind - it goes high and handsome for six to the short square-leg boundary.

BUT then Moeen threads a full and wide one straight to the hands of Cottrell in the gully. He thinks it’s a bump ball but the replay proves it wasn’t and his cameo is over.

FOW - 114/4


09:00 PM

OVER 13: ENG 105/3 (Billings 4 Moeen 24)

It’s Billings and not Captain Morgan who comes in after that Roy wicket. Airmiles Billings defends the first two balls then he cuts for four, that was a poor wide one from Shepherd, the type of ball you cannot set fields for - but Billings isn't complaining.


08:57 PM

Wicket! Roy c Pollard b Shepherd 45

The Windies aren’t bowling into the pitch, rather bowling full into the slot - not sure why they have departed from what served them well yesterday.

Romario Shepherd comes on to bowl and is edged for four off Roy before the England opener hits one in the slot - a back-of-the-hand slower ball - straight to Pollard at long-on and Roy is disgusted with himself.

FOW - 101/3


08:54 PM

Here's the HUGE Roy six


08:54 PM

OVER 12: ENG 97/2 (Roy 41 Moeen 24)

Holder returns and starts with a wide. Two dot balls follow before Moeen hits him down the ground for four - that’s the 50 partnership and since the drinks break England have gone into overdrive.

Holder then bowls a wide one that Moeen swipes at, he gets a thick edge that flies for four to third man. Nine from the over.


08:50 PM

OVER 11: ENG 88/2 (Roy 41 Moeen 16)

Roy has been very quiet so far but he awakens with a cut four, having given himself room. That’s then followed up with two sixes, the second of which is HUGE. He slog sweeps the first and the second is in the slot and goes a long way between long on and deep midwicket. That’s more like the Jason Roy that’s feared and so good to watch when on song.

There’s a discussion among the Windies fielders BUT it has no effect as Roy then swipes another for four to cow corner. Allen bowls the last ball of the over wide of off-stump but it’s the same result and Roy cuts for yet another boundary - that’s the over he and England wanted - 24 from it.


08:46 PM

Yes, you're out

James Vince looks back at the stumps having been bowled

James Vince  - GETTY IMAGES
James Vince - GETTY IMAGES

08:42 PM

OVER 10: ENG 64/2 (Roy 17 Moeen 16)

This Pollard over starts with a wide that was so wide it barely flirted with the strip. Moeen then drives for two before yet another wide comes from the captain’s arm - no extras in the first nine overs, two in the next four balls.

Moeen again goes airborne, this time with the wind, but he doesn’t get hold of it and Hosein misjudges it and another great chance for the hosts goes begging. The Windies were great in the field yesterday - today, not so much. Eight for that over


08:37 PM

OVER 9: ENG 56/2 (Roy 16 Moeen 11)

Roy’s been somewhat circumspect so far - possibly waiting to get his arms swinging in the second half of the innings. Moeen then decides to go airborne - hitting Allen into the wind to cow corner. Bravo completely misjudges it and doesn’t even get a hand on what was a decent chance. Moeen gets two from that error and then capitalises with a hit down the ground for four.


08:34 PM

OVER 8: ENG 48/2 (Roy 15 Moeen 4)

The run rate has, understandably after those two quick wickets, slowed somewhat. There’s a scampered single from Moeen before another one from Roy off Pollard, who’s brought himself on to bowl. As if to continue the theme Moeen then gives Roy a tough task to make it home with another quick single. Another one follows and just the four runs from that set of six deliveries.


08:30 PM

OVER 7: ENG 44/2 (Roy 13 Moeen 2)

Hosein returns and there are just four singles off that over. Here's that Banton wicket


08:27 PM

OVER 6: ENG 40/2 (Roy 11 Moeen 0)

So two wickets and eight runs for the hosts in that productive Allen over.


08:26 PM

Wicket! Vince b Allen 4

James Vince comes in and gets off the mark by giving himself some room and cutting in front of square for four - great shot. Then Allen bowls a quicker, flatter one and clean bowls a dumbfounded Vince, who waits a while before it’s confirmed he is indeed out…

FOW - 40/2


08:23 PM

Wicket! Banton c&b Allen 25

Banton plays a delightful reverse sweep - his second of the night - first ball for four. But next up he comes down the pitch to Allen and hits it straight back at the spinner who takes a brilliant, sharp catch. That's the end of a promising knock.

FOW - 36/1


08:21 PM

First six of the night


08:20 PM

OVER 5: ENG 32/0 (Roy 11 Banton 21)

After one over from Hosein Cottrell returns. Banton hits him over his head for a chipped two. Two balls later the opener pulls for a single to deep mid-wicket. That gets Roy on strike who hits a solid blow for four to the mid-on boundary - that’s his strong area and it’s with the wind blowing across the ground.

Cottrell then bowls a brute of a bouncer that smacks Roy in the helmet - he looks OK but there’s a check to make sure. He is fine and to state the obvious this is a much better start from the tourists than 24 hours ago.


08:15 PM

OVER 4: ENG 25/0 (Roy 7 Banton 18)

It’s double spin as Fabian Allen comes on for Holder. Second ball Roy reverse sweeps over the infield for four - another good shot and good sign for England. A single quickly follows before Banton copies his opening partner with a well-executed reverse sweep that races along the ground for another boundary. Ten from that over.


08:12 PM

OVER 3: ENG 15/0 (Roy 2 Banton 13)

Akeal Hosein is on early, replacing Cottrell - that’s an interesting decision. He immediately appeals for lbw off Banton, who tries to sweep the left-arm spinner - it hit him outside the line and is not out.

Banton tries the same shot two balls later and it goes for six (it’s well caught in the crowd by a very happy fan)- that was a confident, controlled shot from the opener. They scamper a quick single next ball and Roy chips in with another single last ball.


08:08 PM

OVER 2: ENG 7/0 (Roy 1 Banton 6)

It’s no shock to see Jason Holder - he of the four for seven from the first match - with the ball in his hand for the second over. There are two dots to start with, Banton deciding to try and ramp him second ball - that’s either foolhardy or confident, I’m not sure which. Banton then chips over the infield for one. That’s the only run from that over as Holder mixes up his pace.


08:04 PM

OVER 1: ENG 6/0 (Roy 1 Banton 5)

It’s Sheldon Cottrell with the new ball once again. He bowls the first ball to Jason Roy who pushes for a single to mid-on. The Windies bowler then bowls it too straight and it’s an easy leg glance for four by Tom Banton - that's a confident start for the opener. Another single - off Banton’s legs to deep square leg - follows and that’s the over, six from it and, unlike yesterday, no wickets - HURRAH!


08:00 PM

The players are out in the middle

And we're good to go.


07:54 PM

Reece Topley

It’s his first T20 for England since March 2016. In that time he’s played three ODIs.


07:44 PM

The pitch

Was a talking point of Saturday's match - there was a bit of inconsistent bounce and turn for the spinners. The ball didn't really come onto the bat as batters like. Tonight's strip is different to last night's and according to Mark 'Butch' Butcher, out in the Caribbean for BT Sport, the groundsman has been on the heavy roller for a fair bit of time today so expect more runs and more consistent bounce. We'll see...


07:41 PM

Confirmation of the two XIs

West Indies: Shai Hope, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard (capt), Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Akeal Hosein, Sheldon Cottrell.

England: Jason Roy, Tom Banton, James Vince, Moeen Ali, Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Billings (wk), Chris Jordan, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Reece Topley .

Reece Topley starts in place of Tymal Mills tonight  - GETTY IMAGES
Reece Topley starts in place of Tymal Mills tonight - GETTY IMAGES

07:38 PM

Eoin Morgan speaks

“The challenge is similar to 24 hours ago - we have to adapt to conditions - stuff we didn’t do well yesterday.”

There is one change for the tourists - Tymal Mills is out and Reece Topley is in.

The Windies stick with the victorious XI of Saturday.


07:35 PM

West Indies win the toss (again)

And put England into bat (again)!


07:34 PM

Let's hope the weather in Barbados

Is better than in Adelaide. The women's Ashes T20 was washed out and with no reserve days in place England now face an uphill struggle to beat Australia in the much-anticipated series. This has led Heather Knight to call for rain days - not a bad idea, I reckon...

READ: Heather Knight wants rain days in Women's Ashes as second T20 washout hurts England's chances


07:24 PM

Here's how the wickets tumbled last night...

You might want to look away now if still not over the Ashes shambles...

Jason Roy misses a full toss

Moeen Ali is out first ball with a drive straight to the mitts of gully.

James Vince slaps a long hop straight to extra cover.

Liam Dawson's horrendous run out.


07:07 PM

Perspective needed...


06:48 PM

In need of quick redemption

Such was the state of the the Ashes humiliation that England fans were doubtless happy to see the world No.1 ranked T20 side take on West Indies in the first of the five-match series. For understandable reasons they were no doubt thinking the white-ball contest in Barbados could not be as shambolic as the thrashing in Australia.

All hopes of restoring some pride in the national side, however, were gone by midnight on Saturday as the hosts strolled to a nine-wicket win, one based on that familiar failing - an England collapse.

Having been sent into bat Eoin Morgan’s side slumped to 49 for seven and from there victory was never a likely possibility. Similarities with the Test team were plentiful with wickets tumbling at regular intervals thanks to some questionable shot selection and some gifting of wickets to the opposition such as with Liam Dawson’s kamikaze run out.

Today offers a chance of quick redemption for a side not used to being on the wrong end of a T20 humiliation. But if they are to get back in this series Morgan is only too aware that they will have to adapt to the conditions much better than they did in Saturday’s opener.

“We didn't seem to adapt well enough. We'll have to come back [on Sunday] with a fresh gameplan because conditions are likely to be similar. Trying to get the mindset around risk and reward we found a challenge [on Saturday],” the England captain said.

Romario Shepherd (R), of West Indies, celebrates the dismissal of Eoin Morgan  - AFP
Romario Shepherd (R), of West Indies, celebrates the dismissal of Eoin Morgan - AFP

For the hosts Saturday’s opener couldn’t have gone better to plan. They won the toss, inserted England into bat and from the first over - when danger man Jason Roy was clean bowled - were on top.

The star of the show with the ball was Jason Holder who took four for seven. With the bat Brandon King's unbeaten 52 from 49 balls underpinned a restrained chase from the Windies, who took few risks as they overhauled a paltry target with 17 balls to spare.

That made Kieron Pollard excited for the rest of the series.

“When it comes to Kensington Oval and Jason Holder, he steps it up. He was phenomenal for us. We backed it up in the field and the guys really put on a show today,” the West Indies captain said.

Stay here for all the pre-match team-news and action that will follow.