WI vs ENG Ball by Ball Commentary

44/0(5.0 ov)

Yet to bat

Match Abandoned

Commentary

West Indies

10:52 PM IST Right then, a damp end to an otherwise fascinating series. Jos Buttler collects the trophy and joins his teammates, marking a happy return after his injury layoff. Interestingly, in both the ODI and T20I series, the captain who won the toss and opted to chase saw his team emerge victorious in all completed games. With this, England’s white-ball tour of the West Indies comes to a close. While the West Indies clinched the ODI series 2-1, England ensured they didn’t leave empty-handed, claiming the T20I series 3-1. Both teams now shift their focus to Test cricket, with the West Indies hosting Bangladesh for a two-match series, followed by ODIs and T20Is, and England heading to New Zealand for a three-match Test series. We will bring you all the action from those fixtures. Until then, take care and goodbye!

10:46 PM IST Jos Buttler, the captain of England says that he is absolutely delighted and says they played some brilliant cricket earlier on. Mentions that Saqib Mahmood really set the tone for them in the Powerplays and the other guys too chipped in with crucial contributions. Adds that it is a really exciting time for English cricket to have a luxury of options. Ends by saying that different guys stepping up at different times and making winning a habit is his favourite highlight from this series.

10:46 PM IST The captain of West Indies, Rovman Powell says that it was a tough series for them. He commends Jos Buttler and his team for dominating in challenging conditions away from home. Powell admits that while they played well in patches, they struggled to sustain their performance for extended periods. Reckons that they need to assess faster and there are areas in the bowling department where they need to sharpen up. Feels that as some of them will wander off to different leagues, it is important to keep the communication among the players.

10:43 PM IST Saqib Mahmood is the PLAYER OF THE SERIES for his exceptional bowling display. He snagged 9 wickets in this T20I series of which 8 came inside the Powerplay overs. He says that as a group they had their mindset clear of what to do in these conditions. Says that he had worked really hard to come back into the England team. Further tells that coming to the Caribbean, you know that the crosswind would play a major factor. Adds they have got a lot of fast bowlers and it presents a lot of options for the side. States that winning the series on foreign soil has been the key highlight.

10:39 PM IST Time for the presentation ceremony! With the rain still coming down, the ceremony is being conducted indoors.

10:18 PM IST Summarizing whatever play we had – Jos Buttler won his fourth toss of the series, and as has been the trend, he opted to chase. Shai Hope and Evin Lewis showed intent from the very first over, with Lewis, in particular, taking on Archer and Turner. However, the surface didn’t quite allow the free-flowing shot-making we saw in the fourth T20I. Just as the two openers were starting to get into a groove, the rain arrived, and unfortunately, we never got back onto the park. Stay tuned for the presentation ceremony.

10:16 PM IST UPDATE - 10.16 pm GMT - IT'S OFFICIAL! THE MATCH HAS BEEN ABANDONED DUE TO RAIN! Persistent rain has had the final say in this fifth and final game of the T20I series, with England winning the series 3-1. Despite it being a dead rubber, there was a lot of interest and buzz around the game, especially considering the amount of entertainment the fourth T20I offered. We thought we were in for more fireworks, but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.

10:11 PM IST UPDATE - 10.11 pm GMT - With the rain showing no signs of easing and considering the puddles forming in the outfield and standing water on top of the covers, even the most optimistic outlook suggests that a resumption seems unlikely. Although we still have time left before the cut-off for a potential 5-over blitz, it seems more likely that common sense will prevail, and the match officials may call it off early. No official word has been given yet, but we will keep you posted. Stay tuned.

9:47 PM IST UPDATE - 9.48 pm GMT - The rain continues to hammer down at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium. Nikhil Uttamchandani informs that steady rain has been falling for the last 90 minutes, and he adds that this has been a recurring pattern across the Caribbean islands over the past month. Nikhil also mentions that 11.48 pm GMT is the latest time England's 5-over chase could resume. He further notes that this is the heaviest rain he has seen this season. While there is still time, it would require a drastic improvement in the weather conditions to get back on the field. Stick around for more news.

9:33 PM IST UPDATE - 9.33 pm GMT - Well, just to break it down for you all, we have already started to lose overs as the 60 minutes of buffer time has passed. Also, if the match is reduced to a 5-over blitz, as per our estimation, the DLS target for England will be 69. Let's hope that the rain subsides soon. However, the threateningly dark clouds over Gros Islet and the rain now coming down even harder tell an otherwise story. Fingers crossed. Stay tuned for further updates.

9:09 PM IST UPDATE - 9.09 pm GMT - The rain continues to fall heavily, and the situation remains grim. The ominous signs above and on the ground persist, with areas near the fence soaking wet and significant water pooling on the covers. The skies in the distance remain a threatening shade of grey. Fingers crossed that the situation improves soon.

8:56 PM IST UPDATE - 8.56 pm GMT - Not much has changed since the last update as it continues to rain. We have a buffer of 60 minutes before overs start being deducted, and approximately 30 minutes of that buffer has already elapsed. With the current outlook, it seems increasingly probable that if and when play resumes, it will be a shortened game.

8:33 PM IST UPDATE - 8.33 pm GMT - It is still raining steadily as the ground staff work diligently to ensure the areas near the boundary cushions are well-covered. Ian Bishop points out that if the rain doesn’t ease soon, it could jeopardize the game, as the outfield is already struggling with saturation. He highlights that the areas near the fence are particularly concerning, which is why the ground staff are focusing their efforts there.

8:22 PM IST UPDATE - 8.22 pm GMT - Evin Lewis has copped a nasty blow and the physio has made his way out for the concussion check. Oh no, the rain has picked up and the umpires are taking the players off the field. On a positive note, the wind is blowing across, which might help clear the rain soon. It is absolutely pelting down now as more covers are being brought on. Stay tuned for further updates.

End of over 516 runs

WI: 44/0CRR: 8.80

Ball

Evin Lewis:29 (20)

Shai Hope:14 (10)

John Turner:2-0-22-0

4.6

John Turner to Evin Lewis, no run

136.7kph

Nasty, that's pretty nasty! John Turner follows it up with a lethal bumper, targeting the bodyline of the left-hander. Evin Lewis gets hurried and tries to just back away from the line but fails to do so and takes a blow right on his helmet grill. That was some serious pace by Turner.

4.5

John Turner to Evin Lewis, 4 runs

136.4kph

FOUR! John Turner has been taken to the cleaners here. Change of length from Turner as he bowls it fuller on the stumps, Evin Lewis clears his front leg and lofts it over the bowler for a boundary straight down the ground.

4.4

John Turner to Evin Lewis, 6 runs

136.0kph

SIX! Gee, that sounded so well off the willow! Turner bowls a short-pitched delivery on the leg stump line, Evin Lewis opens his body and swivels, executes the pull shot and deposits the ball behind deep mid-wicket for a six.

4.3

John Turner to Shai Hope, 1 run

131.9kph

Good length, just around off, Shai Hope stands tall and slashes it a bit in the air as the ball lands behind the chasing Will Jacks at cover. They cross.

4.2

John Turner to Shai Hope, 4 runs

133.9kph

FOUR! A shot of confidence! Back of a length, over the top of the stumps, Shai Hope flicks it aerially and gets it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

8:19 PM IST Uh oh, not a good sight as the ground staff are putting their raincoats on and there is a bit of rain in the air.

4.1

John Turner to Evin Lewis, 1 run

133.0kph

In the air...lands just safe. Length, on the top of the stumps, Evin Lewis mistimes his pull shot and the ball dips just towards the left of the mid-wicket fielder for a single.

8:18 PM IST Change of ends for John Turner. Went for 6 in his first over.

End of over 45 runs

WI: 28/0CRR: 7.00

Ball

Shai Hope:9 (8)

Evin Lewis:18 (16)

Jamie Overton:1-0-5-0

3.6

Jamie Overton to Shai Hope, no run

137.9kph

Length ball and Shai Hope punches it to short extra cover.

3.5

Jamie Overton to Evin Lewis, 1 run

Excellent piece of fielding there by Sam Curran in the deep. Jamie Overton bowls a shorter one, on off, Evin Lewis pulls it over square leg. The ball dribbles to the fence as Sam Curran and Jacob Bethell converge. Sam Curran motors from the deep square leg region and lobs the ball towards his teammate before running into the fence with the momentum. Jacob Bethell collects the ball and throws it back to the keeper. Curran saves a certain boundary for his side.

3.4

Jamie Overton to Evin Lewis, no run

Much fuller this time around, on off, Evin Lewis smashes it straight to the cover fielder.

3.3

Jamie Overton to Evin Lewis, 4 runs

FOUR! Up and over! Back of a length, outside off, Evin Lewis commits on the back foot and drags the pull shot over mid on for a boundary.

3.2

Jamie Overton to Evin Lewis, no run

Bashes on a good length, outside off, Evin Lewis gets on the toes and cuts it square but finds the fielder at cover-point in the way.

3.1

Jamie Overton to Evin Lewis, no run

Overton starts with a good-length delivery, just around off, Evin Lewis takes a half stride out and pushes it into the off side.

8:14 PM IST Jamie Overton comes into the attack as the first change, replacing John Turner.

End of over 311 runs

WI: 23/0CRR: 7.67

Ball

Shai Hope:9 (7)

Evin Lewis:13 (11)

Jofra Archer:2-0-16-0

2.6

Jofra Archer to Shai Hope, no run

Keeps the line of attack on off, and hits the nagging length, Shai Hope climbs on the bounce and taps it with soft hands to the off side.

2.5

Jofra Archer to Shai Hope, no run

Hard length, just around off, Shai Hope smashes it down the ground but finds the fielder at mid on.

2.4

Jofra Archer to Shai Hope, 4 runs

138.5kph

EDGED, IN THE AIR...FOUR! Not exactly where Shai Hope intended to hit but he will take it. Archer bowls at a searing pace and hits the hard length, on the top of the middle, Shai Hope goes through the pull shot but he is not at all in control because of that excessive bounce and pace. He ends up top-edging it behind short fine for a boundary on a couple of bounces.

2.3

Jofra Archer to Evin Lewis, 1 run

135.7kph

Short again, angling on the bodyline, Evin Lewis takes off his eyes from the ball but manages to pull it behind square for a single at deep fine.

2.2

Jofra Archer to Evin Lewis, no run

138.2kph

Archer peppers the short length, on off, Evin Lewis hops on the back foot and taps it near the strip.

2.1

Jofra Archer to Evin Lewis, 6 runs

143.8kph

SIX! Shot of authority from Lewis! Archer bowls on a good length, attacks the off-pole, Evin Lewis gets the bounce at a comfortable height and pulls it across, flat and behind deep mid-wicket for a six.

8:09 PM IST It has been overcast since the start of the game, with a big grey cloud looming in the distance, but we are good for now.

End of over 26 runs

WI: 12/0CRR: 6.00

Ball

Shai Hope:5 (4)

Evin Lewis:6 (8)

John Turner:1-0-6-0

1.6

John Turner to Shai Hope, no run

139.0kph

Nagging length, on off, Shai Hope goes for a back foot punch but ends up chopping it near the strip.

1.5

John Turner to Shai Hope, 4 runs

FOUR! Fluent and confident! Hard length, just around off, Shai Hope waits for it and smacks it on the up through the gap between mid off and covers for a cracking boundary. That came right from the sweet spot of the bat.

1.4

John Turner to Evin Lewis, 1 run

137.9kph

Keeps the length the same, but changes his line on the middle and leg, Evin Lewis tucks it with soft hands to widish mid-wicket for a quick single.

1.3

John Turner to Evin Lewis, no run

135.6kph

Hard length, on the bodyline, Evin Lewis tries to climb on the bounce to pull but inside edges on the body. That must have stung him.

1.2

John Turner to Evin Lewis, no run

133.1kph

Nicely bowled! Slanting across the left-hander, outside off, on a good length, Evin Lewis with barely any foot movement tries to push it down the ground but plays inside the line and the ball zips past his outside edge.

1.1

John Turner to Shai Hope, 1 run

128.9kph

John Turner steams in from over the stumps and lands it on a good length, on the stumps, Shai Hope flicks it along the ground wide of mid on. Jos Buttler scoots to his right and prevents the second run from being taken. Good proactive piece of fielding by the English skipper.

8:04 PM IST Who will bowl from the other end? It will be John Turner.

End of over 16 runs

WI: 6/0CRR: 6.00

Ball

Evin Lewis:5 (5)

Shai Hope:0 (1)

Jofra Archer:1-0-5-0

0.6

Jofra Archer to Evin Lewis, no run

140.1kph

Menacing pace from Jofra Archer to wrap up the first over. Hits the deck hard, skids through from outside off, Evin Lewis stands tall to pull it away but gets a thick inside edge that dribbles to the keeper. End of the first over, West Indies are 6/0.

0.5

Jofra Archer to Shai Hope, 1 run

Archer switches to over the wickets for the right-hander. Lands it on a hard length, angling into the batter, Shai Hope misses to connect and the ball brushes off his thigh pads to the square leg region. They cross.

0.4

Jofra Archer to Evin Lewis, 1 run

143.8kph

Short of a good length, nipping away, outside off, Evin Lewis is a bit early in the pull shot and it goes off the edge to the point region for a single.

0.3

Jofra Archer to Evin Lewis, no run

141.0kph

Short of a length, deviating a tad bit away, outside off. Lewis lets it be.

0.2

Jofra Archer to Evin Lewis, 4 runs

141.5kph

EDGED AND FOUR! West Indies and Evin Lewis are underway in a streaky fashion. Jofra Archer bends his back and bangs it into the surface, on the bodyline, Evin Lewis swivels to pull but the ball gets a smidge heavy on the batter. It goes off the top edge and flies over the leaping first slip fielder for a boundary at deep third.

0.1

Jofra Archer to Evin Lewis, no run

Jofra Archer starts right on the money! He steams in from around the stumps and a couple of slips in place. Bashes the hard length, around off, Evin Lewis takes a half stride ahead and pushes it firmly to mid off. Looks for a single but sends his partner back on a very sharp call.

7:59 PM IST We are all set to get going for one final time in this T20I series. The two umpires make their way out to the middle and they are joined by Jos Buttler and his men. It will be the left-hand right-hand combination of Evin Lewis and Shai Hope to open the innings for West Indies. Jofra Archer will kickstart proceedings with the new ball for England. Two slips in place. Here we go!

7:55 PM IST Sherfane Rutherford is in for a chat. He says that as a team, the talk has been about giving themselves time out in the middle and respecting the start provided by the top order. Shares that they have a lot of niggles in the camp but as professionals, it is about managing them and turning up for the games. Tells that after losing the first three games, they have looked at it as a two-game series and their aim is to finish well. Mentions that Roston Chase talks a lot about cricket and they spend a lot of time together. When asked about his favourite moment across both series against England, he says that winning the ODI series was his favourite moment.

7:49 PM IST PITCH REPORT - Nikhil Uttamchandani and Carlos Brathwaite are inspecting the deck. Nikhil starts by saying that pitch number 4 will be used for this match. Informs about the boundary dimensions and says that the squares are equivalent - 63 meters on each side with the straight hit being 71 meters. Adds that the batters have targeted down the ground a lot though and have cleared it with ease. Brathwaite joins him and says that holding the shape and hitting the ball through the line is going to be key here. Adds that the batters will again try to go hard on the bowlers and reckons that this is going to be yet another six-hitting fest. Ends by mentioning the dew factor as he says it might come into play in the latter half of the match.

7:42 PM IST JUST IN - Earlier, Romario Shepherd was presented his 50th T20I cap from Shimron Hetmyer in the team huddle. Shepherd has been a crucial all-round asset for West Indies for quite a few years now and this is surely a matter of pride for him to represent the maroons for the 50th time in this format.

7:37 PM IST The captain of West Indies, Rovman Powell says that it is a case of following the same template. Says yesterday was a good game and they will try to replicate the same this time around. Adds that this is a good opportunity for them to correct their mistakes. Informs Romario Shepherd comes in for Obed McCoy. Further says that it's been a long series and they need to keep monitoring the wear and tear of the bodies as well. States that it is important to finish at 3-2 and hopes that fans would come in large numbers to support them. Ends by saying that they just want to bring smiles to their faces.

7:36 PM IST The captain of England, Jos Buttler says that it was a really good wicket the other night and expects it to play the same. Informs that they have made two changes with Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid coming in for Dan Mousley and Saqib Mahmood. Shares that they learned a lot from the last game and will look to take those learnings into this game. Feels that they did a pretty good job with the ball and it is always about limiting the number of big overs with the ball.

7:36 PM IST England (Playing XI) - Phil Salt (WK), Will Jacks, Jos Buttler (C), Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer (In for Saqib Mahmood), Adil Rashid (In for Dan Mousley), John Turner.

7:35 PM IST West Indies (Playing XI) - Evin Lewis, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Rovman Powell (C), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd (In for Obed McCoy), Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph.

7:33 PM IST TOSS UPDATE - The flip of the coin lands in the favour of England and Jos Buttler elects to BOWL first.

7:08 PM IST This series, and especially this venue has been a bit tough on the bowlers overall, and the crowd at Gros Islet witnessed a spectacular six-hitting feast - 32 towering hits sailing over the rope across both innings. The spinners from both teams took a beating, getting no mercy from the batters whatsoever. With the series finale upon us, the fans would expect nothing but a blockbuster culmination on this super Sunday. Who will prevail? Let’s find out together. Stick around as the toss and team updates will be up next very shortly.

7:04 PM IST West Indies top order finally unleashed their Caribbean flair, rediscovering their explosive touch with a display of power-hitting that had been missing earlier in the series. Put to the test in their comfort zone - the chase - West Indies batters passed with flying colors. Amid the carnage, the likes of Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer, who have been kept quiet so far, will aim to get back in their groove. However, their headache of not breaking through inside the Powerplay overs with the ball remains and needs to be addressed thoroughly. Also, the spinners need to get their act together and prevent the leakage of runs in the mid-overs. While Alzarri Joseph kept things tight with a disciplined bowling display, he'll need better support from his fellow bowlers who have so far struggled to contain England's batters.

7:02 PM IST England's bowlers, who dominated the early games, got a taste of their own medicine as the Windies launched a savage counterattack to chase down 218 with an over to spare - remarkably, even with a maiden over in the mix. While Saqib Mahmood has impressed with his aggressive bowling, England must channel their powerplay mastery from the first three T20Is to avoid another Caribbean batting carnage. The batters have exceedingly done well through and through, sustaining that momentum remains the key to success. Runs have come thick and fast from the experienced top three and even the middle order has found a sincere contributor in the form of young Jacob Bethell who seems to have learned the art of accelerating his inning and will again play a pivotal role.

7:00 PM IST Welcome to the Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground for the fifth and final T20I between West Indies and England! Though the tourists have already pocketed the series 3-1, there's plenty at stake as we return for another high-voltage clash within 24 hours. The hosts found their rhythm in the previous game and will be determined to sign off with another win, while England aims to stamp their authority with a 4-1 margin. So, get ready for some more T20 fireworks.

6:59 PM IST ... MATCH DAY ...

7:23 PM IST It is time for the final chapter of this immersive England tour of the Caribbean. The tour began with the hosts dominating the ODI series and is on its culmination with the tourists already having clinched this T20I series. This limited-overs series has been nothing short of a blockbuster. In a quick turnaround, the teams will clash within 24 hours or so, and the Darren Sammy International Cricket Stadium remains to be the host for this fifth and final T20I. One thing is certain, that in the T20I format, no record is safe from being broken and that’s exactly what happened here. The penultimate match was nothing less than a batting blitzkrieg. As many as 430 plus runs were scored across both innings coupled with 29 towering sixes with West Indies executing the highest run chase ever at St. Lucia as if it was just walk in the park. What made the victory even more significant for West Indies was how they addressed their previous concerns. The opening partnership, which had been a major worry, delivered brilliantly with a commanding stand of 136 runs in a snap. While Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran's current form remains a concern, their proven ability to be devastating when in form just adds lethality to this brutal batting order. Also, West Indies has just found an able shoulder to rest on in the middle order as skipper Rovman Powell has done almost enough to omit any lapses. Despite their batting prowess, West Indies' bowling unit continues to face significant challenges, particularly in the crucial Powerplay overs. The inability to secure early wickets during these first six overs has emerged as a persistent weakness in their strategy. This early-phase bowling ineffectiveness often puts additional pressure on the middle and death overs bowlers, forcing them to play catch-up throughout the innings. For the first time, England’s bowling was also exposed in this series but Saqib Mahmood who is having a dream run in this tour continued to shine. However, the absence of a seasoned spinner in the mix proved costly, as young talents Rehan Ahmed and Dan Mousley, despite their promise, were unable to contain the flow of runs. England might as well sorely missed Jofra Archer's expertise during the powerplay overs as for the first time, England failed to breakthrough in the restrictions on this tour. On the batting front, the team maintained their momentum with valuable contributions across the lineup. A particular standout was young Jacob Bethell, whose fearless batting approach and ability to pace his innings has potentially solved England's middle-order puzzle. Despite the series already being decided, this final T20I carries significant weight, particularly for the home team who'll be eager to limit the margin to 3-2 rather than suffering a more decisive 4-1 defeat. England, meanwhile, will be motivated to end their Caribbean campaign on a positive note before leaving the shores. The stage is set for an intriguing contest - who will prevail in this final showdown?

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