Defending champions England overcame their early struggles in the Twenty20 World Cup by securing an eight-wicket victory against the previously unbeaten West Indies in their Super Eight opener in St Lucia on Wednesday.
England’s bowlers played a crucial role in restricting the West Indies to 180-4 on a pitch where the co-hosts had previously scored 218 against Afghanistan. Phil Salt then led the charge for England with a blistering 87 off 47 balls, helping the team achieve the target in just under 18 overs.
Despite advancing to the second stage on net run rate, England’s confidence surged after defeating one of the tournament’s in-form teams. This win propelled them to the top of Group 2, ahead of their match against South Africa on Friday.
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Captain Jos Buttler praised the team’s efforts, especially the bowlers who limited a powerful West Indies batting lineup. “I thought we did really well to restrict such a powerful batting lineup,” Buttler said. “It’s still a decent score, and you have to play well to chase them down. But I thought we were very smart with the bat.”
The match, expected to be a high-scoring affair, saw England’s bowlers excel by delivering 51 dot balls and taking key wickets, preventing any West Indies batter from reaching a half-century. Opting to field first after winning the toss, England’s strategy paid off.
West Indies captain Rovman Powell acknowledged that his team could have added 15-20 more runs and credited England’s bowling unit for their effective execution. “Credit has to be given to England’s bowling unit; you can see they have killer plans and the execution was good,” Powell said.
Brandon King’s groin injury ended his night early at 23, but the West Indies were in a strong position at 82 without loss at the halfway mark. However, Johnson Charles fell for 38 off Moeen Ali’s bowling, triggering a series of wickets that stalled their momentum. Nicholas Pooran and Powell both scored 36 before falling in successive overs, and Andre Russell’s dismissal for one left West Indies at 143-4 in the 17th over. Sherfane Rutherford (28 not out) and Romario Shepherd added another 37 runs, but England remained confident of chasing the target.
Salt and Buttler set the foundation with a 67-run opening partnership. Buttler was dismissed for 25 by Roston Chase’s off-spin, but Salt continued to keep the runs flowing before Jonny Bairstow joined him. Bairstow supported Salt, who exploded with 30 runs off Shepherd in the 16th over, including three sixes and three fours, effectively sealing the victory for England.
