England edge past West Indies to clinch T20 series

Third T20, St Lucia

West Indies 145-8 (20 overs): Powell 54 (41); Mahmood 3-17, Overton 3-20

England 149-7 (19.2 overs): Curran 41 (26), Livingstone 39 (28); Hosein 4-22

England won by 3 wickets; pb five-match bid 3-0

Scorecard

Liam Livingstone was dropped 3 times earlier taking England to a series-clinching three-wicket triumph implicit West Indies successful the 3rd T20.

Having been acceptable 146 to triumph successful St Lucia, Jos Buttler's broadside slipped to 37-3 successful the powerplay but Sam Curran batted fluently for his 41 from 26 balls to pb the recovery.

England were good placed erstwhile helium departed but it was near to Livingstone - having been dropped doubly by Nicholas Pooran connected six and eight, past again by Shimron Hetmyer connected 21 - to effort and decorativeness the job.

The big-hitting all-rounder took 16 from an Alzarri Joseph implicit to enactment the tourists connected the brink and though helium holed retired with 4 needed, England got implicit the enactment with 4 balls to spare.

Victory gives them an unassailable 3-0 pb successful the five-match series, with 2 matches near to beryllium played.

Saqib Mahmood and Jamie Overton had earlier taken 3 wickets apiece arsenic England restricted West Indies to 145-8.

Mahmood took 3 wickets successful the powerplay arsenic the hosts slumped to 37-5 and contempt a half-century from skipper Rovman Powell, they were yet incapable to station a winning total.

England had nervy moments successful the pursuit but did what was required of them and caput into Saturday's 4th T20 - besides successful St Lucia - with the bid triumph secured.

After a commencement delayed by 45 minutes due to the fact that of a bedewed outfield, England’s bowlers came retired firing.

They were fixed a helping manus by a operation of a mix-up betwixt the West Indies openers and brilliance successful the tract from Jacob Bethell to tally retired Shai Hope.

Mahmood removed Evin Lewis successful the adjacent implicit earlier mounting up Roston Chase superbly to person him caught astatine archetypal gaffe successful the fourth.

Jofra Archer bowled Pooran successful betwixt and erstwhile Mahmood had Hetmyer caught successful the deep, West Indies were reeling.

For Mahmood, who exploited affable bowling conditions brilliantly, it is present a record-breaking 8 wickets successful the powerplay successful this bid - the astir by immoderate bowler successful a bilateral T20 contest.

Powell led the betterment with a well-paced half-century arsenic helium and Romario Shepherd steered West Indies distant from contiguous information - some showing the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground was excessively tiny for them erstwhile they connected cleanly.

The Windies skipper reached his seventh T20 planetary 50 from 36 balls but conscionable erstwhile helium and Shepherd would person hoped to accelerated, the second fell lbw aft helium was deceived by a superbly disguised Overton slower ball.

Overton removed Gudakesh Motie successful the aforesaid implicit and past came backmost to person Powell caught successful the heavy to commencement his next.

There looked similar being an constituent of symmetry to the innings earlier a precocious flurry from Joseph and Akeal Hosein ensured the hosts batted their overs to station a respectable total.

While the transportation was nary minefield determination was surely capable to support the bowlers interested, truthful having got England 3 down early, West Indies would person been assured of pressing location their advantage.

The awesome Hosein removed Phil Salt and Buttler, England’s standout batters successful the archetypal 2 games, portion the returning Joseph had Bethell caught behind.

However, Will Jacks showed resoluteness and Curran looked successful bully interaction from the outset, elegantly stroking his archetypal shot for four.

That brace got England backmost connected way but the cardinal moments came soon aft Jacks fell to Motie for 32.

Livingstone came successful and promptly carted Joseph into the stands for six. But 2 balls later, helium skied a hook shot, lone for Pooran to ammunition the drawback arsenic helium ran backmost from down the stumps.

The adjacent implicit saw Pooran acquisition Livingstone different accidental erstwhile helium edged down disconnected Motie with the shot bouncing retired of the wicketkeeper's gloves.

Curran's innings came to an extremity erstwhile helium picked retired Hope astatine heavy backward constituent to manus Terrance Hinds a archetypal T20I wicket, and had Hetmyer held connected to a pugnacious debased drawback to disregard Livingstone successful the adjacent over, England whitethorn person been successful trouble.

Instead, Livingstone took the onslaught to Joseph, clubbing a six and 2 fours successful the over, and 21 from 18 balls required was abruptly 5 from 12.

He fell trying to decorativeness the crippled successful benignant but Rehan Ahmed came successful and slapped the shot implicit screen to decorativeness the occupation for England successful the past over.

England tin observe the bid triumph but West Indies volition cognize that but for immoderate sloppy fielding, they mightiness beryllium close backmost successful it.

Player of the match, England bowler Saqib Mahmood: "As a bowling portion we've ever had the mindset of wanting to instrumentality aboriginal wickets. We cognize their batting line-up is stacked each the mode down but we haven't backed down and we person taken powerplay wickets successful each crippled truthful far.

"I consciousness truly escaped successful this squad now. It feels similar my spot and it feels similar a truly large accidental to explicit myself retired there."

England skipper Jos Buttler: "A existent corporate effort to triumph the bid which is truly pleasing. I've been truthful impressed with however we've acceptable the code successful the powerplays successful each 3 games truthful far.

"We're successful a truly beardown spot arsenic a team. We've got truly bully contention for places too, erstwhile you see the players who aren't here."

West Indies skipper Rovman Powell: "It's a spot disappointing, we support losing wickets successful the powerplay and successful clusters. We request to beryllium our earthy selves.

"We cognize we are changeable players and travel retired aggressively but that small constituent of being astute was missing."