ENG vs WI: T20 Series Sealed By England With A Victory In 2nd Match

In the second T20I match of the ENG vs WI series, England chased a difficult total of 197 with great motivation to seal the three-match series 2-0. Led by Jos Buttler and supported by middle-order from Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, and Tom Banton, the hosts won the match with four wickets in hand and nine balls to spare at Bristol stadium.

Solid Foundation Set by Duckett and Buttler

England’s pursuit started on a positive note with Ben Duckett and Jos Buttler attacking the West Indies bowling from the beginning.

Duckett tackled Akeal Hosein and Romario Shepherd, whereas Buttler tackled the pace of Alzarri Joseph and Jason Holder. Their aggressive beginning took England to 58/1 at the end of the PowerPlay, remaining on par with the target run rate.

Duckett was dismissed in the 8th over by Shepherd, temporarily slowing the momentum. Buttler and Brook, however, steadied the innings, taking the score to 87/2 halfway through.

Brook’s Explosive Innings

The 11th over by Gudakesh Motie put pressure with only five runs given away, but Harry Brook retaliated in the following over. He hit a high full toss over backward point for six, and then hit a four over cover, and edged another boundary, scoring 20 runs off one Shepherd over.

While England saw both Buttler and Brook get dismissed in rapid succession, the introduction of Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton revived the chase. Both of them hit a six after Brook’s fall, bringing the equation down to 62 off 36 balls.

Banton’s Brilliance at the Death

The duo’s continuation was with 14 from Motie’s over, in which Banton ended well with a four and six. When Alzarri Joseph came back, Banton thrashed him for three sixes off one over deep square, straight down the ground, and over extra cover for a furious 26 off 10 balls. –

Although Banton died attempting to go for another big score, his attack had pushed England to within touching distance. Joseph’s wayward bowling persisted as he gave away extras and boundaries, with only two runs remaining from the last two overs. Brydon Carse wrapped it up with a boundary in the 19th over.

ENG vs WI: West Indies Short of Victory Despite Late Charge

West Indies had earlier put up a strong 196/6, courtesy of batting across the board. After losing Evin Lewis on the very first ball, Shai Hope (49 from 38) and Johnson Charles (47 from 39) built a solid partnership.

England fought back with Adil Rashid stumping Hope and Jacob Bethell dismissing Rutherford. At 116/3 after 15 overs, the Windies were poised for a par score. But actual fireworks came late.

Holder and Shepherd’s Fireworks Light Up Lord’s

With Luke Wood sending back Charles, Rovman Powell unleashed a merciless attack, hammering Liam Dawson for 20 in an over and bludgeoning another six off Carse. The biggest moment came in Adil Rashid’s last over, which conceded five sixes, three by Holder and two by Shepherd.

Wood’s last over spilled 16 runs more before Shepherd got run out. Roston Chase brought the innings to a close with a huge six to push West Indies to 196, a total that appeared to be competitive but ended up being short.

England Secure ENG vs WI Series with a Match to Spare

With this win, England established an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the ENG vs WI T20I series, demonstrating top-order solidity and explosive middle-order depth. Jos Buttler’s measured beginning, supplemented by Brook’s brilliance and Banton’s fireworks, reinforced England’s supremacy in white-ball cricket.

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