England produced a clinical performance to defeat West Indies by 7 wickets in the 2nd T20I at Bridgetown, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 55 anchored the chase after England’s bowlers restricted the hosts to 158/8, with Sherfane Rutherford’s 36 being the lone bright spot in West Indies’ innings.
West Indies Innings: 158/8 (20 Overs) – A Struggle for Momentum
West Indies Innings: 158/8 (20 Overs)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
| B King | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 | c Buttler b Woakes |
| K Mayers | 17 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 141.67 | c Curran b Topley |
| R Chase | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 62.50 | lbw b Rashid |
| N Pooran | 24 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 109.09 | c Salt b Livingstone |
| R Powell | 11 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 84.62 | lbw b Curran |
| S Rutherford | 36 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 171.43 | lbw b Curran |
| J Holder | 15 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 150.00 | c Woakes b Archer |
| A Joseph | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 80.00 | run out (Buttler) |
| M Forde | 13* | 10 | 1 | 1 | 130.00 | not out |
| T Hinds | 5* | 4 | 0 | 0 | 125.00 | not out |
| Extras | 20 (b 4, lb 2, w 12, nb 2) | |||||
| Total | 158/8 (20 overs) |
Fall of Wickets:
1-12 (King, 1.5 ov), 2-29 (Mayers, 3.4 ov), 3-44 (Chase, 5.5 ov), 4-63 (Pooran, 9.2 ov), 5-89 (Powell, 11.5 ov), 6-118 (Rutherford, 14.4 ov), 7-134 (Holder, 16.5 ov), 8-148 (Joseph, 18.5 ov)
Powerplay: Early Wickets Set Back WI (44/3 after 6 overs)
West Indies got off to a disastrous start after being put in to bat. England’s new-ball duo of Reece Topley and Chris Woakes exploited the early conditions perfectly:
- Brandon King (4 off 6) fell in the 2nd over, edging Woakes to Buttler
- Kyle Mayers (17 off 12) showed intent with 3 boundaries before holing out to mid-off
- Pivotal Moment: Rovman Powell’s (11) review for LBW in the 4th over was struck down on Umpire’s Call
Middle Overs: Rutherford Provides Spark (63/3 after 10 overs)
Nicholas Pooran (24 off 22) and Sherfane Rutherford staged a recovery:
- Rutherford launched Adil Rashid for back-to-back sixes in the 11th over
- The pair added 45 runs before Pooran skied one to long-on
- Game-Changing Review: England successfully overturned an LBW shout against Rutherford (36 off 21) in the 13th over
Death Overs: England Tighten the Screws
- Jason Holder (15 off 10) hit two sixes before falling to a slower ball
- Matthew Forde’s unbeaten 13* helped WI limp to 158
- Bowling Highlight: Sam Curran’s variations yielded 2/25 in his 4 overs
England’s Chase: 159/3 (17.3 Overs) – A Masterclass in Controlled Aggression
England Innings: 159/3 (17.3 Overs)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
| P Salt | 20 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 166.67 | c Rutherford b Hosein |
| W Jacks | 47 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 138.24 | c King b Joseph |
| J Buttler | 55* | 35 | 6 | 3 | 157.14 | not out |
| H Brook | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 62.50 | c Pooran b Hinds |
| J Bairstow | 20* | 12 | 2 | 1 | 166.67 | not out |
| Extras | 12 (lb 2, w 10) | |||||
| Total | 159/3 (17.3 overs) |
Fall of Wickets:
1-31 (Salt, 3.2 ov), 2-101 (Jacks, 11.1 ov), 3-118 (Brook, 13.5 ov)
Powerplay: Laying the Foundation (56/1 after 6 overs)
Phil Salt (20 off 12) came out blazing before falling to Akeal Hosein’s left-arm spin. Will Jacks and Jos Buttler then took control:
- Jacks dismantled Romario Shepherd for 14 runs in one over
- England reached 50 in just 5.4 overs
Middle Phase: The Buttler Show (94/1 after 10 overs)
The England captain shifted gears spectacularly:
- Reached his 50 off 32 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes)
- Took particular liking to Alzarri Joseph, hammering him for 18 in one over
- 100-run partnership with Jacks came in just 63 balls
Finishing Touches
- Jonny Bairstow (20* off 12) provided the finishing flourish
- The winning runs came with 15 balls to spare
- Key Stat: England scored at 9.07 RPO throughout the innings
Key Performances of Both The Phenomenal Teams
By West Indies
- Sherfane Rutherford – 36 (21 balls, 2×4, 3×6) – The only WI batter to dominate
- Akeal Hosein – 1/24 (4 overs) – Most economical bowler
- Matthew Forde – 13* (10) & 0/28 – Showed promise with bat
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Joseph | 3 | 38 | 1 | 12.67 | 2 | 0 |
| T Hinds | 3.3 | 28 | 1 | 8.00 | 1 | 0 |
| R Shepherd | 2 | 24 | 0 | 12.00 | 2 | 0 |
| A Hosein | 4 | 24 | 1 | 6.00 | 0 | 0 |
| J Holder | 3 | 27 | 0 | 9.00 | 1 | 0 |
| R Chase | 2 | 16 | 0 | 8.00 | 0 | 0 |
By England
- Jos Buttler – 55* (35) – Captain’s knock with perfect tempo
- Will Jacks – 47 (34) – Aggressive start set platform
- Sam Curran – 2/25 (4 overs) – Excellent death bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C Woakes | 3 | 22 | 1 | 7.33 | 1 | 0 |
| R Topley | 3 | 30 | 1 | 10.00 | 2 | 0 |
| J Archer | 4 | 38 | 1 | 9.50 | 3 | 1 |
| S Curran | 4 | 25 | 2 | 6.25 | 0 | 0 |
| A Rashid | 4 | 28 | 1 | 7.00 | 1 | 0 |
| L Livingstone | 2 | 9 | 1 | 4.50 | 0 | 0 |
Turning Points
- Umpire’s Call Against Powell (4th over) – Ended promising start
- Rutherford’s DRS Overturn (13th over) – Halted WI’s momentum
- Buttler-Jacks 100-Run Stand – Killed the contest
Expert Analysis on The Match
“England’s bowling plans were spot-on – they attacked the stumps early and used the slower balls effectively at death. Buttler’s innings was a clinic in chasing – he never let the rate climb above 8.5.” – Ian Bishop, Commentator.
Some Historical Matches Played Between the West Indies and England
| # | Match | Venue | Date | Result | Match Summary |
| 1 | 2016 T20 World Cup Final | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | April 3, 2016 | West Indies won by 4 wickets | England posted 155/9. Carlos Brathwaite smashed four consecutive sixes in the final over to seal the win in a dramatic finish. |
| 2 | 2012 T20 World Cup Super Over Thriller | Pallekele, Sri Lanka | September 27, 2012 | West Indies won via Super Over | Both teams tied at 179. West Indies scored 15 in the Super Over and defended it with tight bowling from Sunil Narine. |
| 3 | 2019 5th T20I | Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba | March 10, 2019 | England won by 4 wickets | West Indies posted 191/6. England pulled off a record chase with a strong partnership between Denly and Willey. |
| 4 | 2022 1st T20I | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | January 22, 2022 | West Indies won by 9 runs | West Indies scored 169/6. Romario Shepherd defended 14 in the final over, taking two key wickets. |
| 5 | 2023 3rd T20I | National Stadium, Grenada | December 16, 2023 | England won by 7 wickets | West Indies posted 222/6. England chased it down with 10 balls to spare, led by a stunning century from Harry Brook. |
