England

Williamson made a masterful 132 as the Black Caps were all out for 483 on day four, having been made to follow-on by Ben Stokes.

Former captain Williamson moved beyond Ross Taylor's tally of 7,683 runs to break the record at Basin Reserve on Monday, where England closed on 48-1 in need of another 210 runs for a 2-0 whitewash on the final day.

Williamson's 26th Test century came on his 161st innings, with Taylor's huge haul achieved from 186 knocks in the longest format.

Asked about his achievement at the close of play, the 32-year-old said: "It's not something I've thought a whole lot about.

"But it is an honour. You look at that list, and I've admired all of those players over those years, whether that's watching from afar growing up or playing alongside a number of them as well.

"It's not a focus point but it's special to be amongst that company."

Williamson, who was eventually dismissed caught down the leg side off part-time bowler Harry Brook, hopes to celebrate his exploits with a victory in Wellington.

"It would be pretty special for sure," he said. "It's exciting going in to day five. As a bowling attack and a team, we want to make sure we're on it come tomorrow.

"There's still some assistance there and some assistance for the slower bowlers as well. All to play for, which is exciting."

Jack Leach took 5-157 from 61.3 overs as England had to be patient, with Tom Blundell (90) and Daryl Mitchell (54) also holding them up.

Zak Crawley was unable to make it through to stumps, Tim Southee cleaning him up for 24. Ben Duckett was still there on 23, with Ollie Robinson taking the nightwatchman role after Crawley departed late in the day.

Williamson has passed 50 just once in his past eight Test innings, with his most recent century in the five-day game coming in January 2021, when he scored 238 against Pakistan in Christchurch.

Former Black caps bowler Simon Doull, who played 32 Tests for his country before moving into commentary, suggested Williamson should relinquish his role to focus on delivering with the bat.

That move would not be an unfamiliar one, given Joe Root has posted centuries in each of his previous two international red-ball outings after resigning as England captain.

"I just don't know about the longevity of Kane Williamson the captain," Doull told The Guardian. "He is, without doubt, the best player we've ever produced outside of Richard Hadlee.

"He is world-class and I'd love him to be just the best player we've ever seen, and if that means giving up the Test captaincy to prolong his career, I think he should.

"He's never been a lover of doing the media – he's just not that guy – he's a real cricket guy, he loves the game, studies the game.

"I just don't know that he can sustain all three formats. I would rather he was just New Zealand's one-day and T20 captain."

Doull suggested Tom Latham, who stepped in when Williamson missed the second Test against England due to COVID-19, is ready to take the reins.

Williamson offered assurances he is still passionate about the role as he insisted his focus was on developing New Zealand as a team.

"The picture of leadership in this side is something I'm very passionate about," Williamson said ahead of the third Test at Headingley against England, who have already won the series.

"Certainly I love playing for my country and there are a number of leaders in this team that share that passion to take steps forward and become a better side.

"Our focus is to keep getting better. We are up against a strong English side who are always tough to play against. It's trying to learn from some of those lessons.

"We've had two really good games, they have had some special performances that have driven them forward."

The Black Caps and England start a two-match Test series at the famous venue on Wednesday.

It is almost two years since England beat New Zealand to win the World Cup for the first time following a tense Super Over in London.

New Zealand captain Williamson is looking forward rather than dwelling on that incredible day, with his side attempting to stretch their longest winning run in the Test format to seven matches at the expense of Joe Root's depleted team.

Asked if the tourists owe England a defeat, Williamson replied: "It was a fantastic game of cricket [the World Cup final] but it's a different side and it's been some time since that day, so our focus is different.

"It's the cricket we want to play as a Test side, there's certainly no thought about owing anybody anything. We were both part of a fantastic game that was decided by largely things outside of both of our teams' control. It was a special game to be a part of but looking forward to the Test here tomorrow."

Williamson added: "The experience was thought of fondly, although it was emotional to a certain extent and at the time to think back and being involved in that match.

"Some of the controversies that surrounded it and drama, all these things that come with tournament cricket and some of the fine margins that we saw in that game. You look back on it fondly and having that match played at a ground like Lord's I suppose just adds to it.

"The guys are really excited to be back here, it's always a pleasure to have the opportunity to play at Lord's and we're looking forward to the next challenge - which is starting tomorrow."

Bracey to make debut, Anderson set to equal Cook record

Wicketkeeper-batsman James Bracey will make his England debut with both Jos Buttler, who is among several players to be rested after a period of isolation following the early end of the Indian Premier League, and the injured Ben Foakes not available.

Root has named Stuart Broad as his vice-captain for a series that will see the hosts without all-rounder Ben Stokes, absent due to a fractured finger.

Seamer Ollie Robinson will be hoping to get the chance to impress in Test cricket, while Craig Overton is in contention for a recall following an excellent start to the county season for Somerset.

Meanwhile, James Anderson will match Alastair Cook's record of 161 England Test caps if he is named in the side.

Black Caps eye long-awaited Lord’s win

New Zealand have won only one Test at Lord's and that was back in July 1999.

England have beaten them eight times at the famous venue, while eight of the previous 17 contests have ended in a draw.

The tourists face India in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final at the Ageas Bowl after taking on England twice. They have not won a Test series in England since a 2-1 victory 22 years ago.

Key Opta facts

- Williamson needs just 58 runs to become the second-highest run-scorer for the Black Caps in men's Test cricket. Ross Taylor (7,379) and Stephen Fleming (7,172) are the only New Zealanders to manage more than Williamson (7,115) in the format.

- Since the start of 2020, Root has scored 1,258 runs at an average of 54.7 in Tests. His tally of runs is 414 more than any other player during this period.

- Black Caps paceman Kyle Jamieson has a strike rate of 33.3 with the ball in Tests since the start of last year. Only two players (minimum 50 overs bowled) have a better rate in that time (Hasan Ali – 25.8 and Axar Patel – 28.3)

- England have lost only one of their last 10 Tests against New Zealand on home soil (W8, D1); however, that defeat was their most recent meeting (lost by 199 runs at Headingley in May 2015)

The former captain headed into day four of the second Test in Wellington needing just four runs to overtake his former team-mate's haul of 7,683.

Williamson achieved the feat with his first runs of the day, clipping James Anderson through mid-wicket boundary in the opening over to reach 7,684.

The top-order batter, widely considered one of the finest players of his generation, has long been expected to surpass the figure, and does so in his 92nd Test match.

He guided the Black Caps to success in the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021, beating India in the final after back-to-back silver-medal finishes in the World Cup.

Between 2016 and 2022, he captained New Zealand in 40 Tests, before relinquishing his red-ball command last December to Tim Southee, though he remains white-ball skipper.

New Zealand are looking to bounce back from a first Test loss to England, after a 267-run defeat at Mount Maunganui.

They struggled in their first innings, mustering just 209 in response to the tourists' total of 435, with Ben Stokes forcing them to follow on.

Former Black Caps bowler Simon Doull, who played 32 Tests for his country before moving into commentary, suggested he would like to see Williamson relinquish the captaincy to focus on his batting.

That was prior to the third Test at Headingley, where England eased to their 296 target and became the first team to chase down 250 or more three times in a single series.

Williamson scored 31 in the first innings in Leeds and 48 in the second, but has passed 50 just once in his last 10 Test innings since crafting 238 against Pakistan in January 2021 at Christchurch.

Tom Latham, who stepped up when Williamson was absent at Trent Bridge, has been mooted as the next New Zealand skipper, but the Black Caps captain insists he is committed to the task at hand.

"We opted for the balance of the side to go with three seamers," Williamson said.

"We were curious to whether it would turn, but it's just one of those things. We made the decision not to play the spinner, but it wasn't the easiest to bat on at any time.

"It would have been nice for the top four to contribute a bit more, and that's an area we want to be contributing more from.

"I certainly love playing for this group and being their leader. It has been an interesting time and challenging, but the appetite is still there from me."

Michael Bracewell was selected ahead of Ajaz Patel and went for 163 in just 22.3 overs across the two innings, picking up two wickets.

While Williamson defended the decision on his spinners, he pointed to the aggressive approach of a new-look England side under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum as the difference in the series.

"It's been an incredible series. In all three matches we had our opportunities and we were ahead of the game at times in each one but credit to England, they chose to counter-attack when they were under pressure and they did it well, especially in this match," he added.

"It is frustrating to lose the series but there were a lot of positives. There is clearly a new theme to England's approach and they did it extremely well.

"It was a highly competitive series, but they won those fine margins and those moments that changed the outcome of the matches."

The hard-fought victory spearheaded by the efforts of Jermaine Blackwood, who scored a match-winning 95, Jason Holder’s seven wickets and Shannon Gabriel’s nine-wicket haul, earned the West Indies their first points on the ICC World Test Championship table for 2019/2021.

Under the rules of the championship, each team plays six series, with each series counting for 120 points, distributed over the number of matches in a series. A two-match series will mean 60 points for each Test while a three-match series will give 40 points to each Test match.

A tie will be 50 per cent of the points available, whilst a draw will be a 3:1 points ratio.

When the West Indies beat England in their three-match #Raisethebat series, the Caribbean side picked up its first 40 points, which sees the side sitting seventh on the table, 16 points ahead of South Africa that has 24 points from seven matches played.

Bangladesh has not yet scored after three matches.

However, the West Indies, who have only played three matches in the championship so far, have a long way to go if they are to get into the top levels of the standings that are being led by India with 360 points from nine matches played. They have seven wins and two losses.

Australia, who have played 10 matches have seven wins, two losses and a draw for 296 points.

New Zealand are third with 180 points from their seven matches – the points coming from the three matches won. They have lost four.

England are not having a good time of it in fourth with 146 points. Their recent loss to the West Indies means they lost four Tests of the 10 played so far. They also have five wins and a draw.

Pakistan 140 and Sri Lanka 80 are fifth and sixth respectively.

If the West Indies wins their next match against England they will move into a tie on points with Sri Lanka and draw that much closer to Pakistan.

The ICC World Test Championship is a league competition for Test cricket run by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which started on August 1, 2019. It is intended to be the premier championship for Test cricket in line with the ICC's goal of having one pinnacle tournament for each of the three formats of international cricket.

In October 2017, the ICC announced that a Test league had been agreed by its members, which would involve the top nine teams playing series over two years with the top two teams qualifying for a World Test League Championship Final.

The first ICC World Test Championship started after the 2019 Cricket World Cup from August 1, 2019, with the Ashes series. The second ICC World Test Championship will run from July 2021 to June 2023.

This, as West Indies batsman Brandon King climbed into the top 10, and England spinner Adil Rasheed assumed the new World number one ranking.

King, who stroked an unbeaten 82 in Barbados that gave West Indies a 2-0 series lead, is up six places to sixth, while Nicholas Pooran is up two spots to 12th.

Rashid has been rewarded for his good consistent form in the Caribbean, as he moved up two places to take the top spot from Afghanistan's Rashid Khan. West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein is the sixth-ranked T20 bowler.

Meanwhile, there remains only one West Indies player holding a top 20 position in the latest One-day Internation (ODI) rankings, with West Indies skipper Shai Hope being the highest rated at 11th on the batting list.

A lot of the talk so far heading into the England versus West Indies match-up has centered on worries about how the regional team’s often inconsistent batting line-up will fend off an explosively quick Jofra Archer and an experienced England bowling line-up.

The first team’s batting performances in the recent intra-squad preparational matches would not have done much to inspire confidence.  In the final warm-up, a top-five of Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks, Shai Hope, and Roston Chase subsided to nine for three and 49 for five.

“Some of us got the opportunity to bat at the crease but having said that, it’s still a batsman and bowlers game.  Our bowlers bowled well, especially in the second practice game.  I think they came with a different level of intensity in the last game and it showed in terms of us losing wickets.  That’s the game sometimes but we are still backing our preparation to bring success in the series,” Brooks told members of the media.

“Spending time at the crease will be key, as long as we apply ourselves and spend some time out there it will get easier,” he added.

“Not to put down the England bowling attack but we need as a batting unit to stand up in this series and I know it will make a difference,” he added.

 In the opening innings, West Indies posted a total of 282, with Brathwaite contributing 61 and Jason Holder 59. However, England responded strongly with a total of 376, bolstered by significant contributions from Ollie Smith (95), Joe Root (87), Chris Woakes (62), and Ben Stokes (54). Alzarri Joseph (4-122) and Jayden Seales (3-79) were the pick of the West Indies bowlers.

 Reflecting on the performance, Brathwaite remarked, "For sure, looking back, it wasn't enough runs. It was a better pitch than 280, but we showed good discipline. It's tough to take. We weren't as disciplined with the ball as we should have been to put a batting team under pressure for long periods. We have to improve on that."

 Brathwaite further emphasized the need for his team to focus on consistency and execution. "We weren't as consistent as we needed to be, didn't hit the top-of-off area long enough. You give the batsmen momentum. We need to get back to where we were in Australia, hitting the top of off," he said.

 Despite their struggles, Brathwaite highlighted the positive aspects of the team's performance. "We never gave up, always came back and fought. Kavem Hodge got his hundred, and we got first-innings totals. Jayden took wickets, and Motie as well. We need more cricket; playing against good players, you will improve. So I'm excited for the series against South Africa. We've got to have the right attitude and consistency."

 West Indies' second innings saw a collapse, managing only 175 runs. Mikyle Louis and Kavem Hodge both scored half-centuries, but their efforts were overshadowed by Mark Wood's exceptional post-lunch spell. Wood took five wickets for 40 runs, finishing with figures of 5 for 40 from 14 overs, adding to his 2 for 52 from the first innings. His spell dismantled the West Indies batting lineup, leaving them with a paltry lead of 81 runs.

 England's chase was swift and decisive. With Zak Crawley injured, Ben Stokes opened the innings and delivered a blistering 57 off 28 balls, while Ben Duckett contributed 25 off 16. They chased down the target in just 7.2 overs, securing a 3-0 series sweep for England.

 Brathwaite expressed optimism for the upcoming series against South Africa, emphasizing the need for growth and improvement. "Looking forward to [SA Tests], because we have to see growth and improvement. Hit the top of off, stayed committed with the bat. Then we'll see improvements."

Powell's side which was on a high after they opened up an early two-nil series lead with four-wicket and 10-run victories, was brought down to earth in the third and fourth encounters that England won by seven wickets and 75 runs respectively.

On both losing occasions, England's opening batsman Phil Salt hammered centuries, while West Indies batting was sub-par, as they lost wickets at regular intervals when gathering some semblance of momentum.

Still, Powell saw some positives, particularly in the most recent contest on Tuesday when Andre Russell made a brisk 51, as they were bowled out for 192 chasing 267.

“I think the way Andre Russell played, I think he give us some impetus at the back end of the innings, and it showed us that if we had batted properly, or if they had scored just a little bit less runs, we would have been able to get it," Powell said.

“I think the intensity at which we start was very low, and you know in a T20 game when you start with such low intensity it's very difficult to find a rhythm, and I think that's cost us. They posted 260 which was a very, very big total. If you're going to chase 260, everything has to go right and it's not it's not very often you see those things happen, so it was it was always going to be uphill task," he added.

With things now squared at 2-2, Powell is well aware that his regional side will not only have to learn from the defeats, but more importantly, reproduce performances from the top of the series.

In fact, he believes the situation requires some serious introspection, as it is imperative that they improve, both individually and collectively.

“We have to do some introspection. You know, as individuals, we have to look into ourselves and see if we have done ourselves justice, and if we haven't done ourselves justice, then it's obvious that we haven't done the team justice. So, some introspection and see if we can come up with some better plans to fix what's happening," Powell reasoned.

“I think in all the games the batting has stand up, hopefully the batting can stand up for the final game, but the bowlers have to come to the party. It has been disappointing for the last few games how we have executed as bowling group, so this final game provides an opportunity for us to get that right," he noted.

That said, the Jamaican expressed confidence that whichever 11 players take the field at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium for the day/night clash scheduled for 3:00pm, will represent with much gusto.

“, we always feel as if when we put guys on the park, it's the best combination for that game. We'll sit down, revise the plan, see if we can come up with different plans and if we come up with different plans, we'll find the players who can execute that plan," Powell declared.

"It's a final, and when it comes to final situation West Indies normally triumph so hopefully, we can pull it off," he ended.

Powell acknowledged the challenges the team faced in adapting to conditions early in the series but remained optimistic about their upcoming clashes with Bangladesh. This, as he believes, the Caribbean side once again showed glimpses of its potential throughout the series but were unable to consistently produce a complete performance.

In fact, England’s decision to bowl first in the opening three matches—two at Kensington Oval in Barbados and one at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia—exposed the West Indies' struggles to navigate challenging conditions.

They lost key wickets in quick succession during the powerplay in all three games, where they posted scores of 182-9, 158-8, and 145-8 and lost by eight wickets, seven wickets, and three wickets in that order.

As such, Powell admitted the team’s inability to adapt cost them dearly. 

“I think we always, as a batting group, have a template that we try to work with; unfortunately, the template didn’t work in our first few games. It took us about two or three games to really wonder what’s really happening to us as a batting group, and we also need to sharpen up on a few areas as a bowling group,” Powell said after the rain-affected final game at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.

While he views their victory in the fourth T20I when they pulled off a historic chase of England’s 218-5, scoring 221-5 to secure a five-wicket win as light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, that win was merely to salvage some pride.

It is with that in mind that Powell highlighted the importance of quicker assessment and adaptability as key takeaways from the series. 

“As a team, we need to assess a little bit faster. We didn’t play good cricket for long enough periods, and that made it a tough series. I think a lot of credit has to be given to Jos [Buttler] and his team; they really came in our conditions and dominated,” the Jamaican stated.

Despite the loss, Powell, who was among the standout performers, finishing as the series’ second-highest run scorer with 153 runs, is determined to build on the positives from the England series as they shift focus to the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh next month.

“The way we played the last (fourth game) showed that we can play really good cricket. If we had just assessed the conditions a little bit earlier in the series, it possibly would have been a different outcome. These are lessons to be learned,” Powell noted.

Scheduled for a 1:00 pm start, the day-night match has stirred excitement among fans, with Hope rallying his side to draw from their recent performances and focus on building momentum for a strong finish in the three-match series.

The series is currently locked at 1-1 after the West Indies won the opening contest by eight wickets, before England topped the second by five wickets.

“It’s the biggest game of the series because we unfortunately conceded the last game, but this is a great occasion for us; we understand that we have a lot in front of us and we understand that we have to play good cricket to get over the England team,” Hope said in a pre-game interview.

Reflecting on the second ODI, where he led by example with a brilliant 117, Hope underscored the significance of consistency in both batting and bowling.

His century, along with half-centuries from Sherfane Rutherford (54) and Keacy Carty (71), were standout moments in a match that tested the resilience and skill of the West Indies lineup. However, the bowling department failed to deliver as England’s captain, Liam Livingstone, struck an unbeaten 124 to get his team across the line.

“I’ll continue to preach that we need consistency in order for us to consider ourselves an elite team. We have to string performances together; it can’t always be one game or two games in a series; we have to seal it,” Hope said.

“We have to play good cricket all the way through, and it is important that we understand the condition, the times of the game that we are supposed to be pressing and supposed to be relaxed. So, we have to be more consistent disciplined with our skills and make sure when we get to those crucial points of the game we press on,” he stressed.

That said, Hope believes that his team is mentally primed for the challenge.

“We are always mentally ready; I think that these most recent months we have been playing some really good cricket. We’ve had our ups and downs yes, but we can definitely see some improvements in the different stages in the game. For us, we have to ensure that we always have that positive mindset regardless of what we do in the field,” the Barbadian said.

“We have to believe in our skills both inside and outside to ensure we have all the capable assets to go out there and perform for the West Indies. But the feeling is always good; the guys are raring and ready to go; we understand what is at stake, and this is basically a final for us,” Hope added, emphasizing that while the rivalry adds an edge to the contest, they are not letting it overshadow their approach.

West Indies are currently 3-2 ahead in the head-to-head of the last five ODI meetings between the two teams dating back to December 2023.

“You have an understanding of the history, but the past is the past because you have to go out there and play what is in front of you. You have to stay in the present, but we know what we are playing for. We know the amount of history that there is in our rivalry, so it is something that we have in the back of our minds, but not something we let get the better of us,” Hope ended.

Despite the team widely being acknowledged as having a potent bowling line-up heading into the series, many have raised concerns about how the Windies will fare at the crease against experienced English bowlers and potentially damp, cold conditions.

The absence of the talented duo of Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo, who opted out of the tour for health reasons, have done little to assuage those fears but Reifer, who was recently returned to the coaching unit, insists the team’s hard work so far gives them a good chance of success for the upcoming series.

“I keep hearing everyone saying they are concerned about our batting.  We have some experienced guys here and the boys have been working really hard,” Brathwaite told the Mason and Guest Radio program.

“We understand the English conditions now. Young Hope and Brathwaite who were here before are now experienced players…” he added.

“What we have been working on is playing the ball late, in the Caribbean, our batters tend to go fairly hard at the ball but we are working on playing the ball as late as possible, and trying to leave alone as many deliveries as possible on top of the off-stump.  It’s important when the ball is moving around you try to play as little as possible and rotate the strike.  We have been having a lot of discussion on battling their spells and building innings.”

The Caribbean team will not need to look far for an example of its batting line-up struggling in English conditions than the first Test of the tour three years ago.  After England made 514, the West Indies were dismissed for 168 and 137.

Salt’s blistering 103 off 54 balls, which featured nine boundaries and two sixes, set the stage for England’s successful pursuit of the 182-9 set by West Indies—the highest run chase ever achieved at the venue—as they comfortably got to 183-2 with 19 balls to spare.

He was well supported by Jacob Bethell, who carved out his maiden T20 half-century, finishing with a splendid 58 off 36 deliveries in what was a deeply meaningful knock.

Bethell, 21, became the youngest player to reach this milestone in this format for England, at a venue close to his heart as he spent his early years in Barbados.

Scores: West Indies 182-9 (20 overs); England 183-2 (16.5 overs)

Sent in to bat first, West Indies struggled early, with wickets tumbling at regular intervals. Seamer Saqib Mahmood dismantled the top order as he accounted for Brandon King (3), Evin Lewis (13), and Shimron Hetmyer (zero), while spinner Adil Rashid snared the scalps of captain Rovman Powell (18) and Sherfane Rutherford (two) to leave the Caribbean side 69-5 in the ninth over.

However, Andre Russell smashed four sixes in a 17-ball 30, and Nicholas Pooran (38) initiated a gritty recovery, putting together a 39-run partnership that began to stabilize the innings. Pooran had two sixes and three fours in his 29-ball knock.

When both fell in quick succession, Romario Shepherd, who was left unbeaten on 35, and Gudakesh Motie (33) came to the rescue with an invaluable 49-run stand for the ninth wicket, which boosted West Indies to a respectable 182-9.

Motie used 14 balls for his knock, which had four boundaries and two sixes, while Shepherd had three fours and two sixes in his 22-ball innings.

Mahmood ended with 4-34, and Rashid (3-32).

Despite the late fightback, West Indies’ total was put into perspective by Salt’s heroics. His century marked his third against the Caribbean side and proved to be a masterclass in chasing under pressure.

Salt, along with opening partner Will Jacks (17), added a solid 73 runs before the latter was cleaned up by Motie. The defining moment, however, was the seamless 107-run partnership with Bethell, as the two took West Indies bowlers to task to seal a comprehensive win.

The second encounter is scheduled for Sunday, as West Indies will be looking to regroup and rebound to level the series.

Despite missing a few big faces, West Indies managed to sweep the series, and that along with the rise in rankings should provide a significant boost to the confidence of the Darren Sammy-coached side heading into the June 1-29 showpiece to be hosted in the Caribbean and United States.

With the series win, West Indies (254 rating points), the champions of the 2012 and 2016 editions of the T20 World Cup, are at the fourth place in the list led by 2007 champions India (264 rating points), with 2021 champions Australia (257 rating points) and defending champions England (254 rating points) at the second and third place respectively.

There were individual bright spots for West Indies in the series, who gained substantially in the T20I Player Rankings. This included stand-in skipper Brandon King, whose 159 runs helped him jump up five places to the eighth position in the Men’s T20I Batting Rankings.

His opening partner, Johnson Charles, who hit a blistering 69 from 26 balls in a Player of the Match performance in the third game of the series, gained 17 spots to reach the 20th place.

Meanwhile, Kyle Mayers (31st place in Batting Rankings) and Gudakesh Motie (27th place in Bowling Rankings) were the other beneficiaries from the recently concluded series.

These results bode well for the Men in Maroon, who will be looking for a record third title during their home T20 World Cup. They are placed in Group C along Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda.

They start their campaign against Papua New Guinea in Guyana on Sunday.

ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings

India -264 points

Australia - 257 points

England - 254 points

West Indies  - 252 points

New Zealand  - 250 points

Rovman Powell may have stolen the headlines with his sensational knock of 107, but Pooran played just as critical a role in providing the backbone that the 20-run win for the West Indies was built on. As a pair, they combined to frustrate the England bowlers after adding 122 runs for the third wicket.

Pooran, who admits he is still working on adapting to batting at the unfamiliar position of three, scored a crucial 70 off 43 balls.

“For me it was simple. The last couple of games, even from Pakistan I got the opportunity to bat at number 3 and I’m trying to figure out how I should bat at number three. Today I just felt like I had to be clear. Today was about being clear and just executing. If I said I wanted to look for a single for example, I looked for a single and picked the gap. I just tried to put the ego away for me it was all about staying in the moment, playing the situations well. Trying to play things as well as I can."

The team was also forced to put in a strong effort in the field as led by 75 from Tom Banton, England made a good effort of chasing the target before falling short at 204 for 9.

"For me the extra 22 runs at the end was key. In saying that England batted well but we knew if we could string a couple good overs together we would have a good chance. It seems like they played more bowlers today, so that was also a big help for us."

The Caribbean side will open the tournament on Saturday against England but despite being defending champions will have several questions to answer.  One of those recurring issues has been the ratio of the team’s use of traditional hitting versus rotating the strike with singles.

In the past, the Windies have had success with their power-hitting game, winning the tournament twice in just such a fashion.  In recent years, however, the team has shown a propensity to get bogged down looking for boundaries.  Pollard, however, insists that the team has been looking to address the issue, but were at the same time not looking to get away from their style of play.

“A lot of work has been done behind the scenes.  The guys have worked tirelessly to get to where we are right now in terms of trying to cover our bases,” Pollard told members of the media on Friday.

“I’ve said before that we try to keep our strengths and work on our weaknesses.  We’ve accepted certain things and gone back behind the scenes and hopefully, we will see a difference,” he added.

“In terms of the two games that we played, guys didn’t show that intent and different things might have come out but we are confident that the guys have done what is needed and will look to hit the ground running come the first game.”

In 2019, when the teams last met in the Caribbean, the hosts secured a 2-1 series win and West Indies head coach Phil Simmons wants his team to keep the trend alive.

“We’re looking to play the cricket that we know will put us in a position to win the series. We’re trying to make sure we’re ready for everything England can throw at us,” the Trinidadian head coach said during a pre-match press conference on Monday while indicating that it will critical for the hosts to build strong opening partnerships when they bat.

In that series, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell shared opening stands of 53, 52, 70, 17 not out, 57 and five and they will once again be entrusted with the responsibility.

“The last time we beat England here, the opening pair was Kraigg and John Campbell. Let’s hope that’s a good omen for us because they gave the team some good starts. We’ve been talking about getting a good start and making sure that the top four put things together and not leave it for the middle and lower order,” Simmons said.

“That’s been the focus of our camp leading up to this series. We need batsmen to bat long so the bowlers can have something to work with and I think the camp went well so I expect good things from them.”

The absence of James Anderson and Stuart Broad from the England team has been a big talking point ever since their squad was announced, but Simmons says he is more interested in who they do have.

“We keep harping on no Broad and Anderson but when you don’t have the experience, you have young players who are hungry to make their name and that is something that you have to guard against too. They have quality bowlers who we still have to bat well against,” he said.

Simmons also spoke about the importance of having one specialist spinner in their squad, Veerasammy Permaul.

“Your spinner, at least in the first couple of days, will always play that holding role. Permaul has been bowling really well so, hopefully, by the time we get to the fourth day he will come into play and possibly be a match-winner for us,” Simmons said.

Simmons also mentioned the conditions he expects at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

“It looks like it’s going to be a good wicket. We’re going to have to work hard for our runs but also work hard for our wickets,” he said.

At the conclusion of the Test match, the teams move on to the Kensington Oval in Barbados for the second Test set to start on March 16. The final Test is scheduled to be played at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada beginning on March 24.

Recent reports had suggested that the Caribbean was ready to accept a switch in series hosting duties, as most sporting events have faced major scheduling disruptions. 

With the virus also now beginning to more heavily impact the Caribbean, Grave admitted that he did not see how the West Indies would be in a better position to host the series if England could not.

"I have not had any discussions with England over whether we can host,” Grave told BBC Sport.

“It would be strange that England can't have cricket but the Caribbean can,” he added.

"Realistically, without knowing anything about pandemics, if England can't hold cricket then it almost certainly means the rest of the world can't hold cricket either. I think it is an unrealistic option."

The official added that the regional cricket governing body has tried to remain as ‘flexible as possible’ but options were yet to be discussed.

"I have been in contact with [England and Wales Cricket board chief executive] Tom Harrison a few times over the last week," Grave said.

"The only discussions we have had are, in principle, having flexibility over warm-up games, when the series would start and how many rest days.

 "We have given the ECB assurances that we will be as flexible as we can. We have not had any discussion about not playing them in June.”

The first Test was scheduled to begin in London on June 4, followed by matches at Edgbaston and Lord's starting on 12 and 25 June respectively.

The wicket-keeper-batter hit an impressive 95 off 109 balls, falling just shy of his maiden century in only his third Test.

Chasing the Windies' first-innings total of 282, England made a nervy start with the early wickets of Ollie Pope (10) and Harry Brook (two) leaving them at 54-5.

Joe Root (87) and Ben Stokes (54) settled the hosts down with a 115-run stand, while Smith's near-century and 62 from Chris Woakes helped them to a total of 376, a 94-run advantage.

West Indies' response was immediately halted as Woakes claimed skipper Kraigg Braithwaite for a duck in the first over.

Kirk McKenzie (eight) then fell to Gus Atkinson, while opener Mikyle Louis was fortunate to see Stokes drop a simple catch as the visitors reached stumps on 33-2. 

Louis, on 18, and Alick Athanaze, on five, will resume batting on Sunday's third day with the Caribbean side 61 runs behind, and eight wickets intact to possibly make a fight of it.

Data Debrief: Root roars past Lara

Root delivered another impressive batting display for England. Although he was fortunate not to be dismissed in the second over, as replays showed he would have been given out had the Windies reviewed an lbw appeal.

Nevertheless, he fully capitalised with his 87 taking him past 12,000 Test runs, making him only the second England player to do so after Alastair Cook.

Although a 33rd Test century narrowly eluded him, Root did leapfrog Brian Lara into seventh place on the all-time leading Test run-scorers list.