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After successfully clinching the ODI series by the margin of 2-1, West Indies crushed England by six wickets in the first T20I of the ongoing England tour of West Indies 2023. Caribbean T20 specialist Andre Russell, who returned to the national colours after 2021, was adjourned Man of the Match for his remarkable spell of 3/19 and an explosive short cameo of unbeaten 29 runs in 14 balls.
Caribbean domination on their home soil
Mentioning about the game, West Indies chose to field after winning the toss, putting the guests into bat. Openers, Jos Buttler and Phil Salt set an aggressive tone, scoring 77 in the power-play. While Salt contributed 40 off 20 balls, Buttler added 39 off 31 balls. However, England faltered in the middle overs, managing to post 171 in 19.3 overs.
In response, the Rovman Powell-led side, chasing 172, mirrored their rivals’ powerful start in the powerplay with Brandon King (22) and Kyle Mayers (35). Shai Hope‘s 37 stabilized the innings, and despite a rain interruption, Powell’s unbeaten 31 and Russell’s knock secured victory with 11 balls to spare.
In the aftermath of the defeat, skipper Buttler highlighted the deficiencies in England’s performance, offering a candid reflection on the team’s shortcomings and areas that warrant improvement.
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‘They hit a lot of sixes as a team’: Jos Buttler on West Indies
Buttler expressed disappointment with his side’s batting performance, mentioning the missed opportunity to post a higher total. He highlighted the Caribbeans’ ability to hit sixes as a trademark and emphasized the need for England to limit that aspect. The right-handed batter acknowledged the challenge of defending against aggressive batting and stressed the importance of finding ways to take wickets. Overall, he sees the upcoming games as a significant test for the team.
“From the position we were in at halfway, to only end up with 170 is an area we could have improved in. The wicket definitely got harder and the West Indies adapted. They hit a lot of sixes as a team, that’s something that is a trademark of their side and we’ve got to find ways to limit that. Obviously the swing in the game with sixes is so big. You’ve got to find ways to get it out the arc, try and find ways to take wickets as well, be aggressive and be committed. It’s a great test for us and we’ll find out lots over the next few games,” Buttler said in the post-match press conference.
