Record-breaking England cruise to win over Windies

BBC News

2 days ago

Third T20, Utilita Bowl, SouthamptonEngland 248-3 (20 overs): Duckett 84 (46), Smith 60 (26); Rutherford 1-20West Indies 211-8 (20 overs): Powell 79 (45); Wood 3-30England won by 37 runs; win series 3-0Scorecard
Ben Duckett's inventive 84 helped big-hitting England blast their way to a record score on home soil as they wrapped up a series clean sweep with a 37-run victory over West Indies in the third T20.Duckett's knock came off 46 balls as he shared a 120-run stand with fellow opener Jamie Smith, who made a 26-ball 60, as the pair provided the backbone of England's total of 248-3.Skipper Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell continued the momentum as they peppered the boundary to finish unbeaten on 35 and 36 respectively, as a dispirited West Indies' bowling attack ran out of ideas.England's total was their highest in T20s on their own turf, eclipsing the 234-6 they made against South Africa at Bristol in July 2022, and was their second-highest anywhere.West Indies gamely approached the chase as Rovman Powell cracked an unbeaten 79 while captain Shai Hope smeared three sixes in his 45.It helped ensure the margin of defeat for the tourists was more modest than might have been anticipated as left-arm quick Luke Wood finished the pick of England's bowlers with 3-31.The win maintained Brook's impressive start as England white-ball captain as he chalked up his sixth victory from as many matches in charge.
England batters run riot - the stats
England's total of 248-3 at Southampton was the joint-highest T20 international score overall in the country. Australia made the same total against England on the same ground in 2013.With a combined total of 459 runs this was the highest scoring T20 international in England, beating the 457 aggregate between England and Australia in 2013.It was England's second-highest T20 score overall behind the 267-3 they made against West Indies at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad in 2023.England failed to score any runs off just 25 balls - the fewest number of dot balls they have faced in a T20.Ben Duckett's half-century of 20 balls was the joint-fourth fastest half-century by an Englishman in T20s.England's run-rate of 12.16 in the powerplay was their quickest in a T20 series of at least three matches. Their total of 83-0 was their second-highest in the six-over block too.
Deft Duckett stars amid batting bonanza
A quick pitch and an England team rediscovering their white-ball swagger, up against a demoralised West Indies bowling attack, proved to be an heady cocktail for the Southampton crowd as they lapped up an evening of audacious run-scoring.England's openers bristled with intent from the get-go, as the right-left hand combination of Smith and Duckett wreaked havoc.Duckett liberally sprinkled runs to all angles, with his innings full of nifty reverse sweeps, deft cuts and clever scoops. Alzarri Joseph stuck a paw out to a brutal Duckett drive on the up when he was on 37, but such was the ferocity of the strike it still flew to the boundary leaving the West Indies quick with a bruise but nothing more.Six overs in, England were 83-0 and it already felt the like the match was over as a contest as the shoulders of those wearing maroon started to droop.The diminutive Duckett dovetailed well with the taller Smith, as West Indies' attack struggled to find the right length against England's innovative strokeplay.Thrust up the order by Brendon McCullum to open in place of Phil Salt, who is absent on paternity leave, Smith has taken to the role like the manor born as he used his leavers to good effect.Three consecutive sixes spanked off the bowling of Gudakesh Motie will have had the England coach purring before Smith dropped one inside the ropes to the biggest boundary and into the hands of Shimron Hetmyer. A century beckoned for Duckett, and the opportunity to join Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan as one of own three players with hundreds in all three formats.However, the 30-year-old misjudged a sweep and was bowled behind his legs by left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein with the milestone tantalisingly within his grasp. Duckett thumped his pad with his bat in frustration.It briefly took the sting out of England's assault before Brook and Bethell played yet more eye-catching strokes en route to an imposing total.