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Not for the first time, West Indies finished England off with four devastating blows. For Carlos Brathwaite 2016, read Jason Holder 2022.
This was much more low key than a World Cup final of course and England were missing a raft of their multi-format stars including Brathwaite’s vanquished opponent Ben Stokes, but try telling that to the jubilant Windies players that engulfed their giant fast bowler after the 17-run win settled the Twenty20 series 3-2 in their favour.
Although Akeal Hosein’s slow left-arm had delivered the telling blows in a foiled pursuit of 180.
West Indies celebrate the T20 series win over England in Barbados on Sunday night
Jason Holder bagged four wickets in four balls in the final over to seal West Indies victory
It was fitting that Holder provided the finishing touches with his four wickets in four balls. And it provided symmetry to what has been a hugely enjoyable tour that has seen sizeable crowds return to cricket in the Caribbean.
The former captain began it with career-best figures in a landslide opening win eight days earlier and upgraded them to five for 27 when he emulated the feats of Lasith Malinga, Curtis Campher and Rashid Khan with four in four in a T20 international.
Sheldon Cottrell’s tight penultimate over gave Holder 20 runs to work with as the 2-2 deadlock went to its final throes but despite a no ball reducing the equation to 18 from six deliveries, Chris Jordan, Sam Billings and Adil Rashid were all held on the rope and Saqid Mahmood was bowled in a carnival finish.
In truth a second-string side led by Moeen Ali – that had set up the winner-takes-all contest with victory on the same Kensington Oval turf 24 hours earlier – were picked apart by Akeal Hosein’s slow left-armers.
Spinner Akeal Hosein bagged four wickets to help West Indies seize control of the decider
But whoever landed the final blows, Eoin Morgan’s stand-in was unequivocal in his assessment of the five matches.
‘I thought West Indies were the better team and overall we didn’t adapt that well,’ said Moeen.
‘I thought they played some amazing shots towards the end. We’re trying to find solutions and we will get better; other guys will come back for us but they were very smart, the smarter of the two teams.’
West Indies’ innings ebbed and flowed dependent on who was bowling at the time, with the home batsmen looking to access the short boundaries in Bridgetown whenever pace was put on the ball.
James Vince looked to be carrying England in the chase until he was dismissed by Hosein
The difference in scoring rates was stark: while the spin triumvirate of Rashid, Moeen and Livingstone combined for exemplary figures of 10-0-54-4, the seamers Reece Topley, Mahmood and Jordan leaked 122 runs from the other 10 wicketless overs.
With the Indian Premier League mega auction just a fortnight away, Rovman Powell has timed his emergence in this series expertly.
Four days after crashing a 51-ball hundred on his first appearance, he was held back until the 15th over here but still helped crunch 66 runs from the final four overs alongside Windies captain Kieron Pollard.
England spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone both claimed two wickets
Despite England’s number one ranking in this format, their death bowling is not on such a lofty perch. In fact, over the past year their economy rate between overs 16-20 has been an eye-watering 10.43, the worst of the game’s 12 full member countries.
Jordan missed only his third T20 international in 68 in mid-series and evoked memories of his best form in helping close out the 34-run win on Saturday evening.
On that occasion, he hit his yorkers perfectly but 24 hours later accuracy deserted him and Powell made him pay, crunching consecutive sixes off length balls, over midwicket and extra cover respectively.
Kieron Pollard smashed 41 off 25 balls as the West Indies scored 179-4 in 20 overs
At the other end, Pollard flexed his muscles for the first time. Having contributed just 28 runs across the first four matches, he was something like his old self
West Indies hurtled out of the blocks courtesy of their new opening partnership of Brandon King and Kyle Mayers.
But the introduction of Rashid once the powerplay was over altered the tempo considerably: Roy and Phil Salt combined for a stunning boundary relay catch to account for Mayers from his fourth delivery and he overtook Jordan to become England’s leading T20 wicket-taker when he fizzed one into Nicholas Pooran’s bails.
In between, Liam Livingstone’s leg spinners induced false shots from King and pinch hitter Romario Shepherd as England applied the manacles.
Rovman Powell hit four sixes in a quickfire 35 for the home side on Sunday night
Taking their lead from England, West Indies turned to spin immediately and despite Jason Roy striking Hosein’s first two deliveries to the boundary, his dismissal later in the opening set the tone.
England were 86 for two at the halfway stage, just as their opponents had been at the same juncture earlier in the day, but when James Vince hauled Hosein from outside off to hole out to deep midwicket, they had lost three for 26 and the asking rate had climbed into double figures.
Vince had been the anomaly amongst England batters, finding timing others could not to hit a 30-ball half century but was forced into upping the ante with disastrous consequences as Hosein finished with four wickets.
Just not the four wickets that everyone was talking about.
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