England chase down big total to seal T20 series against Windies
BRISTOL, England - Jos Buttler top-scored again as England chased down an imposing target and beat West Indies by four wickets in the second T20 on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead and seal the three-match series, continuing their excellent form under new captain Harry Brook.
Former captain Buttler's 47 from 36 balls at Bristol's County Ground came on the back of his 96 in the first T20 in Durham and set the platform for England to hunt down West Indies' total of 196-6 with nine balls to spare.
It was a second straight series victory for England under the captaincy of Brook after they secured a 3-0 series sweep in the one-dayers.
Jacob Bethell hit a thrilling 26 from 10 balls, which included three sixes, as England spread the runs throughout the team with Ben Duckett (30), Brook (34) and Tom Banton (30) providing solid backup.
England, who won the toss and chose to bowl, got off to the perfect start with Luke Wood, who was the hosts' standout bowler with 2-25, striking Evin Lewis on the pads with the day's first delivery, but the tourists quickly steadied the ship.
Shai Hope took the fight to England with 49 off 38 balls, while Johnson Charles started patiently before he also fell just short of his half century, with 47 from 39 deliveries.
The West Indies innings threatened to stall at that point but a rollicking finish peppered with sixes from Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder saw them power to a healthy total, even considering the County Ground's short boundaries. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Australia favourites to retain WTC crown against South Africa
FILE PHOTO: Cricket - Ashes - Fifth Test - England v Australia - The Oval, London, Britain - July 31, 2023 Australia's Pat Cummins walks after losing his wicket, caught by England's Ben Stokes off the bowling of Moeen Ali Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo REUTERS LONDON - Australia will have to dust off the cobwebs but are still fancied to successfully defend their World Test Championship crown against equally ring-rusty South Africa in the final at Lord's, starting on Wednesday. The five-day clash comes on the heels of a plethora of limited overs cricket over the last five months and both teams have been scrambling to prepare for a high-profile return to the red-ball game. Australia have not played a test since beating Sri Lanka in Galle in February when they made sure of a top-two finish in the standings from results for the 2023-25 WTC cycle. South Africa were assured of top place when they won their last test against Pakistan at home in January to book a first-ever finals appearance. It came on the back of a run of seven successive wins, but the fact they did not play against the Aussies or England has seen their achievement dismissed as too easy. Former England captain Michael Vaughan said they reached the final "on the back of beating pretty much nobody," which was a result of the lopsided test schedule where Australia, England, and India dominate and South Africa elect to play more financially lucrative limited-overs internationals. But an upset win for South Africa could change that. "It's the biggest thing in this team's existence. It's the biggest thing for South African cricket at the moment,' said their coach Shukri Conrad. SELECTION CHOICES Australia have been warming up with training sessions at Beckenham in Kent as they grapple with selection choices. They must pick between Scott Boland or Josh Hazlewood to join skipper Pat Cummins, left-armer Mitchell Starc and spinner Nathan Lyon in the attack' The top batting order is likely to be changed with Cameron Green set to return for his first test in more than a year. He will likely bat third with Marnus Labuschagne opening alongside Usman Khawaja, while Steve Smith will come in at No. 4. South Africa's planned four-day warm-up scrimmage with Zimbabwe at Arundel last week was largely washed out but did hint at Wiaan Mulder moving up the order to No.3 in a batting lineup that has been inconsistent over the last two years. Their hopes rest instead on a fiery bowling attack where Kagiso Rabada features after serving a one-month ban for recreational drug use. Australia won the last WTC final by beating India at The Oval two years ago. New Zealand were the inaugural winners in 2021. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Lewandowski will not play for Poland under current coach after losing captaincy
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - European Qualifiers - Group G - Poland v Malta - Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland - March 24, 2025 Poland's Robert Lewandowski during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File photo Lewandowski will not play for Poland under current coach after losing captaincy Robert Lewandowski said he will not play for Poland again under the current manager, shortly after the striker was stripped of the captaincy role on Sunday. Poland coach Michal Probierz made the decision to replace Lewandowski as national team captain with midfielder Piotr Zielinski. "By decision of coach Michal Probierz, Piotr Zielinski became the new captain of the Polish national team," a Polish football federation (PZPN) statement said. "The coach personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the training staff of his decision." Lewandowski's response via social media was swift. "Considering the circumstances and the loss of trust in the Polish national team coach, I have decided to step back from playing for the Polish national team as long as he remains the coach," Lewandowski said. "I hope I will have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world." Lewandowski is not with the current Poland squad, with the Barcelona player citing physical and mental exhaustion after a long season as the reason for his absence. The 36-year-old is Poland's highest goal scorer with 85 goals for his country in a record 158 appearances, and had held the captaincy since 2014. Probierz replaced the sacked Fernando Santos as Poland manager in 2023, taking them to Euro 2024 where his side were the first team to be eliminated. The PZPN said Probierz will respond to questions on the situation in a press conference on Monday. Poland defeated Moldova 2-0 in a friendly on Friday and are away to Finland in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Portugal's emotional Ronaldo rejoices in winning Nations League
Soccer Football - Nations League - Final - Portugal v Spain - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - June 8, 2025 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with teammates and the trophy after winning the Nations League REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Soccer Football - Nations League - Final - Portugal v Spain - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - June 8, 2025 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Francisco Conceicao and Joao Felix celebrate in front of the fans after winning the UEFA Nations League REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth MUNICH, Germany - Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo shed tears of joy as they won their second Nations League title on Sunday, insisting that winning trophies with his country beats all club honours. Ronaldo's 138th international goal in the second half took the final to penalties after a 2-2 draw with Spain, with the substituted 40-year-old forward looking on from the sidelines as Portugal netted all five spot kicks to claim the title. The triumph, which left the five-times Champions League winner in tears, was Ronaldo's third on the international stage, accompanying his 2016 European Championship and 2019 Nations League winners' medals. "What a joy," Ronaldo told Sport TV. "First of all for this generation, which deserved a title of this magnitude, for our families. My children came here, my wife, my brother, my friends. "Winning for Portugal is always special. I have many titles with clubs, but nothing is better than winning for Portugal. It's tears. It's duty done and a lot of joy. "When you talk about Portugal it is always a special feeling. Being captain of this generation is a source of pride. Winning a title is always the pinnacle in a national team." Ronaldo's future remains uncertain. He said last week he did not plan to play at the Club World Cup in the United States, which starts later this month, despite being courted by clubs taking part in the 32-team tournament. The Al-Nassr forward said he had several offers from other teams to play in the U.S., while his side's sporting director, Fernando Hierro said last month they were negotiating with Ronaldo over a contract extension but faced competition from clubs eager to sign the five-times Ballon d'Or winner. For now, however, he is only focused on celebrating his latest triumph, having played in the final with an injury. "It's beautiful," he added. "It's for our nation. We are a small people, but with a very big ambition. "The future is short term. Now is the time to rest well. I had the injury and that was the maximum, the maximum ... I pushed, because for the national team you have to push." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
