Phil Salt blasts England to an 8-wicket win over the West Indies in the first T20

BRIDGETOWN (Agencies): Phil Salt raced to a century from 53 balls as England completed a record run chase Saturday to beat the West Indies by eight wickets in the first Twenty20 international. Salt finished 103 not out as England passed the West Indies’ total of 182-9 with 19 balls to spare. In a match of extraordinary ball-striking which saw 23 sixes, England eclipsed the previous highest successful T20 run chase at the Kensington Oval of 172. Salt hit six of those sixes along with nine fours. He now has three centuries in T20 internationals, all of them compiled against the West Indies in the Caribbean. The 28-year-old previously made 109 not out at St Georges and 119 at Tarouba in matches against the West Indies in 2023. He was supported Sunday by Jacob Bethell who made 58 not out from 36 balls with five fours and two sixes. “I think (the Caribbean) is the place where I’m happiest,” Salt said. “I enjoy batting here. I’ve grown up on these surfaces.” Salt had scores of 18, 59 and 74 in the three-match one-day series against the West Indies which just concluded and has carried that form into the five-match T20 series. “I really enjoy playing the 50 over cricket and getting into a rhythm with that but coming out here tonight you have to adjust quickly,” he said. “It’s only one training session to change to a completely different tempo of game.”

Though its target was formidable, England always seemed on course thanks to Salt. England reached 50 in just four overs and Salt went on to his own half century from 25 balls to have England at 73-1 at the end of its six-over power play where the West Indies was 68-3. The West Indies innings progressed in sometimes turbulent fashion after England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and sent the home side in. Buttler was playing his first match in more than four months after a calf injury and had a mixed night, taking two superb catches but also falling to a spectacular catch for a first-ball duck. He was caught by Gudakesh Motie who plucked the ball out of the air with one hand at third man.

After Shaqib Mahmood took three wickets in the power play to leave the West Indies 18-3 at one point, Nicholas Pooran led the recovery with 38 from 29 balls, including three sixes. Andre Russell made 30 from 17 balls and hit the biggest six of the night off Liam Livingstone, a towering shot down the ground which cleared the grandstand. When Russell was removed, outstanding batting at the death by Motie and Romario Shepherd lifted the West Indies to a competitive total. Motie hit the first two balls he faced for six and raced to 33 from 14 balls while Shepherd made 35 not out from 22 deliveries.

Brief scores:

England 183 for 2 (Salt 103 not out, Bethell 58 not out) beat West Indies 182 for 9 (Pooran 38, Shepherd 35 not out, Motie 33, Mahmood 4-34) by eight wickets.