England’s miserable white-ball winter ended on an appropriately low note after they lost their T20 series decider against the West Indies at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba.
Two days on from compiling their highest T20 total of 267 for three, England subsided to 132 all out in 19.3 overs on the same pitch, with only the in-form Phil Salt able to get to grips with a tricky pitch.
He followed up his back-to-back hundreds by top-scoring with 38 off 22 balls but was bowled by a peach from Gudakesh Motie, who took three for 24 and was the architect of the Windies four-wicket victory.
Motie shared five of England’s top-six wickets with fellow slow left-armer Akeal Hosein to leave the hosts with a paltry chase although Reece Topley took two for 17 and Adil Rashid two for 21 in reply.
It was far from a cakewalk but Johnson Charles (27) and Sherfane Rutherford (30) cameos were followed by Shai Hope taking on the baton with an efficient run-a-ball 43 not out, sealing a 3-2 series win in style with a six.
England battled back from 2-0 down to force a winner-takes-all showdown, so there are some positives they can take ahead of their return to the Caribbean and United States for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
But they have followed up a World Cup group-stage exit with ODI and T20 series defeats to the Windies, who put in a much more disciplined performance with the ball after being flayed to all parts last time.
Jos Buttler lapped a delivery that was too full to short fine-leg while Hosein had his revenge after being dispatched for six by Will Jacks, who was castled next ball with a quicker one that skidded on.
Motie did the same with Salt, who was still hungry for runs and looked a cut above with five off-side fours and a brutal six high over long-off off the slow left-armer. But the following ball drifted to leg then spun sharply and uprooted middle stump, beating Salt’s prod and leaving him incredulous.
Harry Brook’s attempted lap sweep off Motie took a top edge, leaving Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali to rebuild in a stodgy 40-run stand in 38 deliveries. The pair both cleared the rope but could not quite click.
Moeen holed out for 21 and Livingstone offering a tame return catch on 28 to give Motie his third was the start of an England collapse which saw them lose their last five wickets in 19 balls for 11 runs.
Adding just 62 in the last 11.3 overs left England struggling but Topley drew a false shot out of Brandon King, while Nicholas Pooran was unable to ride the bounce of Chris Woakes and chopped on.
Charles had marked his introduction into the series with a couple of meaty sixes but he miscued a Rashid full toss to leave the Windies on 62 for three at halfway and the game in the balance.
Rutherford clobbered Rashid over long-off and whipped Sam Curran for another six before slapping to extra cover but Hope was anchoring the pursuit, eschewing risk but whittling down the target.
Curran delivered a superb penultimate over, conceding just two and getting Andre Russell to hole out to leave 10 needed off the last six balls, with Woakes entrusted at the death.
Jason Holder saw a cruel inside edge squirt through the in-field as he collected three before Hope delivered the coup de grace by carving a fuller and wider ball over the deep point boundary to get the Windies over the line with four deliveries to spare.
Andre Russell ventures into Bollywood music scene with SRK's support
West Indies and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell is set to make waves in Bollywood, following in the footsteps of Trinidadian cricketer Dwayne Bravo, who achieved success with his hit song 'Champion' in India.
Known for adding energy and entertainment to the dressing room, West Indian cricketers have a history of making their mark beyond the cricket field, with stars like Chris Gayle, DJ Bravo, Kieron Pollard, and Darren Sammy shining in the IPL. The latest to join this list is Andre Russell, the dynamic KKR sensation.
Russell is stepping into the music world by lending his vocals to a song composed by Palaash Muchhal. He will also be featured alongside actress Avika Gor in the accompanying music video.
What makes Russell's foray into music even more exciting is the backing of Bollywood titan Shahrukh Khan, the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. Known for his larger-than-life persona, SRK is not just a team owner but also a key figure in the entertainment industry. Russell and SRK share a strong camaraderie, often seen enjoying each other's company and having fun moments together.
Recently, a video of Russell singing SRK's iconic song "Lut Put Gaya" from the movie 'Dunki' went viral, showcasing his passion for music. With SRK's support and Russell's infectious energy, fans can anticipate an exciting collaboration between the cricket star and the Bollywood icon.
Andre Russell's venture into Bollywood music adds a new dimension to his versatile talents and promises to be a delightful treat for his fans in India and across the globe.
IPL: Kumar the hero as Sunrisers stun Royals for final-ball win
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the hero as Sunrisers Hyderabad came back from the brink to secure a final-ball win over Indian Premier League leaders Rajasthan Royals on Thursday.
Kumar left the Royals reeling at 1-2 as they chased 202 for victory, dismissing both Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for first-over ducks, flattening middle wicket to send the latter walking five balls in.
A 127-run partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag then seemed to have the Royals closing in on a fifth straight win, only for their chase to unravel in spectacular fashion.
Two wickets apiece from Thangarasu Natarajan and Pat Cummins left the Royals needing 20 runs off 11 balls, and Rovman Powell came up with a thrilling cameo, the highlight being an unbelievable dive to avoid being run out on the penultimate delivery, which took Rajasthan within two runs of victory and one of a super over.
However, there was one more twist to come as Powell swung at Kumar's full toss, which clipped his back leg and was confirmed as out following a review, sealing a memorable win for Sunrisers.
The Sunrisers had also found themselves in a hole in their own innings, only for Nitish Kumar Reddy (76) and Heinrich Klaasen (42) to finish unbeaten and bring up a total they were just about able to defend.
Data Debrief: Kumar bookends back-and-forth innings
For much of the Rajasthan innings, it looked like Kumar's early dismissals of Buttler and Samson would count for nought, with some expensive overs from Cummins and Marco Jansen leaving the Royals on the brink.
However, Kumar stepped up when it was all on the line on the final delivery, leaving Powell in a tangle to end Hyderabad's two-match losing streak and lift them into the top four.
Pakistan bowlers shine to hand West Indies first loss of tour in fourth T20I
West Indies Women suffered their first loss on their tour of Pakistan as the hosts secured an eight-wicket win in the fourth T20 International at the Karachi National Stadium on Thursday.
Excellent Pakistan bowling meant the tourists were restricted to just 84-9 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.
Shemaine Campbelle (26), Zaida James (19) and Jannilea Glasgow (10) were the only West Indian batters to get double-figures as Sadia Iqbal and Nida Dar dominated with 3-18 from four overs and 3-19 from four overs, respectively.
Pakistan then needed only 16.3 overs to reach 87-2 and secure their first win of the series. Ayesha Zafar led the way with 42* off 48 balls while Gull Feroza finished 21* off 24 balls.
Afy Fletcher and Shamilia Connell took a wicket, each, for the Windies.
Full Scores: West Indies Women 84-9 (Shemaine Campbelle 26, Sadia Iqbal 3-18, Nida Dar 3-19)
Pakistan Women 87-2 (Ayesha Zafar 42*, Gull Feroza 21*, Afy Fletcher 1-6, Shamilia Connell 1-8)
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