Such marks will, however, not be easy to eclipse. India batsman K.L. Rahul currently holds the record for the fastest 50, achieved in a meagre 14 balls, in 2018. The fastest century was smacked by no other than legendary West Indian batsman Chris Gayle who reached the mark, in 2013, in just 30 deliveries.
Pooran has, however, looked in good form recently. Just last month, he cracked 10 sixes in a 45-ball epic worth 100 runs for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
"Any. Fastest fifty or the fastest hundred,” Pooran replied when asked which record, he would like to break in a recent Espn Cricinfo interview.
The player, however, also reflected on his performance in the IPL, which he believes could have been better.
"I don't think that I've too many great IPL performances. I had a couple of scores last year and the one against the KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) was good."
The batsman represented Kings XI Punjab in the IPL last season.
Recently, calls have grown louder for the 25-year-old batsman to be included in the team for the game’s longest format. Pooran has put together a string of impressive performances in both the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Indian Premier League (IPL) convincing some, including legendary West Indian batsman Viv Richards, that some of that success can be translated to the four-day format.
The batsman was not picked on the Test squad for next month’s tour but was named as part of the team’s T20 squad. Despite that, Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief of selectors Roger Harper recently revealed that the matter was being given some serious thought.
“There was a lot of consideration given to Nicholas Pooran; we are still looking at it and I am sure as we move forward, Pooran will have an opportunity as well,” Harper said.
The pair of First-Class matches are expected to take place at the same time as the Test match. The first Test is scheduled for Hamilton, between December 3-7, with the second booked for Wellington from December 11-15. Harper indicated that the team will consist of some of the T20 players and Test reserves.
"He is in the T20 squad and he has expressed willingness to play in four-day games that will be available during the tour," Harper said.
So far, Pooran has only played three First-Class matches and he has a top score of 55. In One Day Internationals (ODIs) he is considered as one of the most talented young batsmen. In 25 matches Pooran has scored 932 runs at an average of 49 with one century and seven fifties. In T20 cricket, he has 14 fifties and one hundred in 146 global matches.
In recent months, there have been calls to consider the in-form Pooran, in particular, for the Test cricket format, with his advocates insisting the shot maker has the ability to adapt.
Chief of selectors Roger Harper, as a result, extended the invitation to players on the current tour interested in playing a set of three-day games that will take place at roughly the same time as the team’s Test matches.
In addition to the interested white-ball specialists, the team will consist of six reserve Test players.
“This series will give our players an opportunity to play first-class cricket against foreign opposition as well as experience different conditions here in New Zealand,” Harper was quoted as saying.
“It will also help to keep them in the frame should the need for replacements for the Test team arise, as we will have players who have been playing red-ball cricket and in-form to consider.”
FULL SQUAD
Fabian Allen
Nkrumah Bonner
Joshua DaSilva
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Preston McSween
Shayne Moseley
Nicholas Pooran
Rovman Powell
Raymon Reifer
Jayden Seales
Romario Shepherd
Oshane Thomas
Hayden Walsh
West Indies “A” Team Tour Schedule
December 3-6: West Indies “A” vs New Zealand "A" at Bay Oval
December 11-14: West Indies “A” vs New Zealand “A” at Saxton Oval, Nelson
After winning the toss, the Warriors restricted the Bulls to 81 for 9 in 10 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Evin Lewis got things off to a flier, after scoring 16 runs off the first over. The innings soon lost momentum after Gurbaz’s mistimed shot was taken at cover and Lewis was gobbled up by Powell. In the end, Mohammad Nabi top-scored with a 10-ball 21 for the Bulls. Maheesh Theekshana starred with the ball for the Warriors after claiming 3 for 14.
In pursuit of a gettable target, Warriors skipper and in-form batsman Nicholas Pooran took responsibility by promoting himself up the order. He was, however, dismissed lbw by Fidel Edwards on 12. Simmons and Waseem Muhammad, however, kept the scoreboard ticking over. Opener Muhammad scored 27 off 22 but was dismissed before Powell (16 from 8) and Simmons (14 from 12) finished the proceedings.
Powell hit the winning runs with a huge six with 10 balls left. Theekshana received the Man of the Match award while Pooran was named Man of the Series. Northern Warriors are the first team to win the trophy twice.
England sealed a series victory over the Windies in last week's second Test at Trent Bridge, scoring over 400 in both innings of a Test match for the first time as they made totals of 416 and 425.
Vice-captain Pope managed a superb first-innings knock of 121 before Joe Root (122) and Harry Brook (109) brought up their centuries in the second innings.
England have become renowned for their all-out batting style – dubbed 'Bazball' – under head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.
Pope believes that approach suits England's batters and feels they could make history by breaking the record for most runs made by a team in a single day of Test cricket – Sri Lanka's 509-9 versus Bangladesh in July 2002.
"I got asked on day one, 'do you get told to play like that?' No, we don't. It's just our natural game and the way we go about it," Pope said.
"Sometimes we might score 280 to 300 in a day, but that's okay and probably because we're reading situations.
"There might also be a day where we go and get 500 to 600 at some point in the future as well, and that's a cool thing to have."
England came within three runs of that record Sri Lanka total on their 2022 tour of Pakistan, and Pope believes their success is down to the ruthlessness of the batting order.
"There's a real hunger – there always is a hunger – but now there's an extra bit in that batting line-up," Pope added.
"We want to be as ruthless as we can as a batting unit, but still play the way we do because that's our natural game.
"Obviously being ruthless is being part of Test cricket as well."
Pope struck 121 from 165 deliveries at Trent Bridge as England began the second Test of their series against the Windies in dominant fashion.
Arsenal goalkeeper Ramsdale was a guest of Gunners fan Pope on Thursday, having also watched his double century against Ireland last year.
And after his sixth Test century helped England to 416 all out, the 26-year-old feels Ramsdale, who was part of the Three Lions squad that reached the Euro 2024 final, is a lucky omen.
"He messaged me last night and I managed to sort him a couple of tickets. He can come more often," Pope said.
"I'm obviously a big Arsenal fan, so I go to support him a fair bit. He seems to be my lucky charm on the cricket pitch as well."
Pope opened 2024 with a superb 196 against India in Hyderabad, but scored over 30 just once in the subsequent four Tests of the tour, while a contribution of 63 was his best for Surrey in this season's County Championship.
The 26-year-old was left questioning his ability, but highlighted the influence of England batting coach Marcus Trescothick on his upturn in fortunes in this series.
"I wouldn’t say I had doubts," Pope added, "but I was thinking: 'why is everyone else in the country scoring runs in county cricket, but England's number three isn't going out and averaging 50?'
"[Marcus] came to London, and we did some really good work, which has put me in really good stead for the Test summer."
Pope is nine short of three figures after the first day of the deciding Test at Old Trafford having steadied the ship alongside Jos Buttler (56 not out) in an unbroken 136-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
England will resume on Saturday on 258-4 with Pope seeking a second Test century in his 10th match, and his first on English soil.
The 22-year-old had scored 97 combined in his previous seven Tests against India and West Indies, and feels judgements on him in the longest format have been reached prematurely.
"It would be a massive achievement for myself," Pope said of making a century.
"So far, I think I've played four Test matches before this in England. I haven't scored the runs that I would like.
"People talk a little bit and I've seen some comments but it's not a massive sample size to take it from. I've played all my first-class cricket in England.
"I don't look into that stuff too much but to get over the line would be a nice feeling. Those nine runs, hopefully they will come at some point."
Pope was particularly pleased to return to his Old Trafford hotel room not having to ruminate on a failure with the bat.
Both teams have remained in the bubble throughout the series in Southampton and Manchester, meaning there has been nowhere for Pope to hide after difficult days out in the middle.
"It's a really nice feeling this evening," Pope, who had scored 43 in his four previous innings in the series, added.
"I've missed out in those first two games. We've not been able to get away.
"You are brought back to your hotel after you've got out in the last two overs of the day and you're looking at over the cricket ground, there's no real escape from it.
"You can't go out for dinner, can't go for a coffee, see your family, it isn't easy.
"You can naturally think about your batting, think about your failures a little bit more than normal. To get a few runs today, it is a nice feeling."
Pope struck 121 from 165 deliveries at Trent Bridge on Thursday, propelling England to 416 all out.
While England's bowling attack dismantled the Windies at Lord's in the first Test, their batters put on a show in Nottingham, despite Zak Crawley going for a duck in the first over.
Ben Duckett sparkled with a sensational 59-ball 71, which included 14 fours, as he and Pope mounted a partnership of 104.
Duckett lost his wicket when he was caught by Jason Holder, who took four catches in total, but Pope ensured the day would be England's with his sublime knock, with the hosts having reached 281-5 by the time he was dismissed by Alzarri Joseph.
Captain Ben Stokes contributed an entertaining 69, while Jamie Smith (36) and Chris Woakes (37) chipped in with quickfire scores too, with Shoaib Bashir's dismissal in the final over of play bookending a fantastic first day for England.
Data Debrief: Speedy Duckett into the history books
Duckett needed just 32 deliveries to reach a half-century, as he kept up a pace mostly seen in T20Is.
It is the third-quickest 50 for England in their Test history, with Duckett drawing level with Ian Botham's effort against New Zealand in 1986.
Jonny Bairstow is second on that list (30 v New Zealand in 2022), with the legendary Botham leading the way (28 v India in 1981).
Much like West Indies batsmen had no response to Gus Atkinson's precision in the first Test at Lord's, the Caribbean side's bowlers did little to slow England's batting onslaught on this occasion, though it was not for a lack of trying. This, as several chances were squandered in the field, and England rode their wave of fortune to post a daunting 416 all out.
Ollie Pope, who was dropped twice on 46 and 54 by Jason Holder and Alick Athanaze, plundered 121 from 165 deliveries. His knock, which had 15 boundaries and a solitary six, was backed by Ben Duckett's 59-ball 71 and captain Ben Stokes, who made 69.
Alzarri Joseph got three for 98, as Kavem Hodge (2-44), Jayden Seales (2-90), and Kevin Sinclair (2-73), a late addition for Gudakesh Motie, who woke up feeling ill, picked up the other wickets.
With the batsmen having done their part, the England bowlers will be basking in the prospects of possibly ending this contest within three days and taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Scores: England 416 all out (88.3 overs)
After winning the toss, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite was optimistic of an improved bowling performance, and he would have relished his decision when Alzarri Joseph removed Zak Crawley with the third ball of the innings. However, Pope and Duckett pelted the boundary in a 105-run second wicket stand, but that was eventually broken when Shamar Joseph had the latter caught by Holder, who took four catches in total.
Joe Root (14) and Harry Brook (36) had brief stays in the middle, but Stokes and Pope added a further 80 runs for the fifth wicket to keep West Indies pinned against the proverbial ropes.
Pope was inevitably removed by Alzarri Joseph with England at 281-5, while Stokes' entertaining knock was ended by Kavem Hodge.
Jamie Smith (36) and Chris Woakes (37) chipped in with quickfire scores too, with Shoaib Bashir's dismissal in the final over of play bookending a fantastic first day for England.
Data Debrief: Speedy Duckett into the history books
Duckett needed just 32 deliveries to reach a half-century, as he kept up a pace mostly seen in T20Is.
It is the third-quickest 50 for England in their Test history, with Duckett drawing level with Ian Botham's effort against New Zealand in 1986.
Jonny Bairstow is second on that list (30 v New Zealand in 2022), with the legendary Botham leading the way (28 v India in 1981).
The Windies reduced England to 122-4 after Jason Holder won the toss, Kemar Roach the standout bowler with 2-56 in Manchester on Friday.
Pope (91 not out) and the under-pressure Buttler (56no) raised their bats for the first time in the series, an unbroken stand of 136 taking Joe Root's side on 258-4 when stumps were drawn 15 minutes early due to bad light.
Rory Burns earlier made 57 at the top of the order before he was superbly caught by all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall, playing his first match of the series.
England moved Ben Stokes up to number four and picked a five-strong bowling attack, including Jofra Archer and James Anderson, so the Windies will be disappointed not to have made further inroads but weather could prevent either side from forcing a win.
Roach snared Dom Sibley, a centurion in England's victory at the same venue last week, leg before without scoring from the final ball of the first over but the Windies suffered a blow when an injured Shannon Gabriel left the field.
England were 66-2 at lunch after captain Joe Root (19) was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from the alert Roston Chase after paceman Gabriel was able to return.
Roach produced a peach of a delivery to clean up Stokes, Man of the Match in the second Test following two magnificent knocks, for 20 prior to Burns bringing up a patient 126-ball half-century.
Cornwall then took centre stage to see the back of Burns with a brilliant one-handed reaction grab for at first slip off the bowling of Chase, leaving England four down before tea.
The classy Pope looked anything but a man out of touch with the Windies bowlers looking weary, finding the rope with a flurry of glorious drives and bringing up his 50 off 77 balls.
Buttler was watchful before dispatching spinner Cornwall for two sixes in an over and also reached his half-century, with West Indies unable to strike with the new ball.
Roach closes in on double-century
Roach was the pick of the Windies bowlers and conjured up a special delivery to see the back of the in-form Stokes, who made a hundred and a rapid half-century to set up a series-levelling win last week.
The Barbados-born fast bowler made a great start by trapping Sibley in front and then got one to nip back in and bowl Stokes, the newly-crowned top-ranked Test all-rounder, through the gate for his 199th scalp in the longest format.
Cornwall makes his presence felt
Cornwall had to be patient to get his chance to play a part in the series and although he was wicket-less, the sizeable all-rounder certainly made an impact on the first day of his third Test.
The 6ft 6in tall, 22 stone Antiguan, selected instead of Alzarri Joseph, snaffled a sharp chance to get rid of Burns and generated turn without reward.
Pope and Buttler to the rescue
England were in danger of being dismissed cheaply when Buttler joined Pope at the crease, only for the fifth-wicket pairing to turn the tide.
Pope has been out of sorts in the series, but returned to form in style with elegant strokes on both sides of the wicket and Buttler offered great support with a timely knock with his place under threat.
The match between the teams, which was scheduled for the Kensington Oval today, was postponed shortly after the toss as news of the positive test reached the units.
According to the existing COVID-19 protocols all players, management teams, and match officials will return to their hotel rooms where they will isolate before undergoing a round of PCR testing.
According to Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave, a decision will be taken on when or if the match can resume once the testing is completed.
“Everyone will be retested later today. In the meantime, everyone will have to stay in isolation until the results of those PCR tests are confirmed,” Grave said.
“We’ll make a further decision when the match can be replayed at a later date, once all the test results are back in, which will hopefully be by tomorrow morning.”
Australia currently leads the three-match series 1-0, after securing a 133 runs win via the DLS method in the first match on Tuesday.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, the Leewards suffered an early setback after losing Montcin Hodge in the second over of the match. Hodge was caught by Bryan Charles off the bowling of Jadon Seales. Powell, however, immediately set about repairing the damage after forming a 64-run partnership with Kacey Carty.
Carty’s dismissal left the Hurricanes at 66 for 2 but Powell feature in another pair of crucial partnerships. First with Devon Thomas, who made 12 before being bowled by Akeal Hosein, then Amir Jangoo with the two putting on a 100-run partnership to bring the score to 198 for 4 when Jangoo was sent back to the pavilion by Jason Mohammed soon after making his half-century. Powell’s brilliant resistance was brought to an end when he was trapped lbw by Yannic Cariah, having totalled 139 or 211 deliveries.
Terrance Ward added a patient 26 from 101 balls before being caught by Gabriel off Seales, while Cornwall could only add 5 to the tally before himself being dismissed by Gabriel.
Jeremiah Louis (16) and Hayden Walsh (8) ended the day as the not-out batsmen for the Hurricanes. Seales was the pick of the bowlers for T&T after ending with a best of 2 for 35.
The Vincentian left-arm quick took 3-14 from three overs in the last group stage game against Afghanistan at the same venue after coming into the team for Romario Shepherd who left the squad to attend the birth of his second child.
Historically, McCoy’s eight wickets in three games at the venue is the third most among active cricketers with only Pakistan Saeed Ajmal with 11 wickets in five games and Hayden Walsh Jr with 12 wickets in five games ahead of him.
Despite these statistics, McCoy was left out of the team that suffered a brutal eight-wicket loss on Thursday.
Shepherd, who came back into the side in place of McCoy, conceded 41 runs in two overs.
His last over was belted for 30 runs by Phil Salt who finished 87*.
West Indies Captain Rovman Powell defended the call to leave McCoy out of the side.
“I think when you're selecting a team and you have players that are playing good you will always have to make the tough decision. We sat down as a selection group and thought that the team that played today is our better team to face England and it just didn't work out tonight,” Powell said in a post-match press conference.
The hosts will next take on joint hosts the USA in Barbados on Friday before facing South Africa in their final Super 8 game in Antigua on Sunday.
Despite Wednesday’s loss, the West Indies still have their fate in their own hands as wins in those two games will see them having a good chance of making it to the last four.
“I think our destiny is still in our own hands. It's just for us to continue to play good cricket. And once we do that, we think we'll be ok,” Powell said.
The 31-year-old left-hander missed out on a chance under the new selection panel, after being skipped over in favour of Jamaica batsman John Campbell. Powell, who last played for the West Indies last August against Pakistan, has scored 144 runs in two matches for the Leeward Islands in the West Indies Championship, the seventh-best so far.
Campbell has in the meantime scored 213. With performances, the batsman believes there could also have been some consideration for Leewards no. 3 Devon Thomas who has scored 242, the second most behind West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who has 341.
“I definitely thought that if I didn’t make the Test squad I would make the President’s XI based on the performances, but I saw Devon Thomas batting the way that nobody else in the Caribbean batted in those two games and if the team is going to be selected on performances, the way that he has played is second to none so you would like to think that he would have gotten into this squad,” Powell told the Mason and Guest radio show.
Despite not making the squad, however, Powell was pleased with his start to the season and expressed disappointment at the competition going on a break during the England tour.
“I’m pretty happy with where I was able to get to. I’m very disappointed the season was halted after two matches because you would have seen cricket not being played for two years and guys were so excited to get back out there and the level of cricket the Leewards played in those games, we had some tough decisions against Barbados and a few things could have gone our way.”
The 27-year-old will be among a number of players typically recognized for their achievements in cricket's shortest format who will be looking to show that they merit consideration for the team’s Test cricket squad.
Prominently featured among that group has been T20 standout Nicholas Pooran, but Powell also believes he is capable of having a big impact with both bat and ball.
“I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking to show my all-around capabilities. Whenever I’m given the ball, to put it in the right areas and get wickets,” Powell told windiescricket.
“West Indies needs players that can bat a long time. So, I’m trying my best to go into those games and bat for a session, bat for two sessions,” he added.
Powell, who has never played Test cricket for the West Indies, has accumulated 338 runs in 11 First Class matches, with a high score of 71. The West Indies will open its tour of New Zealand with three T20 series.
The pair of First Class matches are expected to take place at the same time as the Test match. The first Test is scheduled for Hamilton, between December 3-7, with the second booked for Wellington from December 11-15.
In what promises to be a competitive series, the hosts will be looking for revenge against the team that knocked them out of their home tournament with a three-wicket win via the DLS method in Antigua in their final Super Eight match on June 23.
South Africa eventually got all the way to the final before narrowly losing to India.
West Indies skipper Rovman Powell likes the chemistry he’s seen from his group during their preparation for the upcoming series.
“I think it’s very good. It’s the first series since the World Cup so it’s an important one in the sense that we have to get back on track as a T20 team and I think so far, so good,” he said in a pre-match interview on Thursday.
The squad for the series comprises 12 of the 15 players that represented the region in the World Cup with Powell emphasizing keeping the core of the squad together with one eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Alick Athanaze, Fabian Allen and Matthew Forde are the three new members of the squad, replacing Brandon King, Alzarri Joseph and Andre Russell.
“We try our best as a selection group to keep it as close as possible to those guys in the World Cup looking forward to 2026,” Powell said.
“It’s also an opportunity for us to see other players like Alick (Athanaze), Fabian (Allen), Matthew (Forde) that we identified. Hopefully, once given the opportunity, they can grasp it with both hands,” he added.
Speaking about the team’s performance at the World Cup, Powell found some positives despite exiting the tournament earlier than they had hoped.
“I think we played good cricket. We had a clean slate right through the preliminary stage and faltered in the quarterfinals. I think we showed that we are a quality unit and if we prepare well and have the right plans, we can be successful at the international level,” he said.
With the West Indies currently sitting fourth in the ICC rankings, Powell also spoke about where the team wants to be at the end of 2025. Is it a case of wanting to just be high in the rankings or playing good cricket?
“I think it’s a mixture of both. Gone are the days when you played series just to play them. You use these series as building blocks and nothing is more important than winning. Once you win games you improve your ranking in the ICC standings and also guys become more familiar with roles and more encouraged to play for West Indies because the atmosphere and environment is a winning one,” he said.
“People want to associate themselves with winners so this is a building block for 2026. It might seem a long way away but we just need to continue to play good cricket series by series,” he added.
Russell last represented the West Indies at the ICC T20 World Cup in Dubai two years ago.
“It’s always good to have Andre Russell in a West Indies team,” Powell said in a pre-match press conference on Monday.
“We know the quality that he comes with and he’s fit and rearing and ready to go put on the maroon again for the people of the Caribbean. It’s exciting time for me as a Captain and also for the fans,” he added.
Powell and Russell, along with fellow squad members Nicholas Pooran, Kyle Mayers, Akeal Hosein and Jason Holder, were most recently a part of the Abu Dhabi T10 League, a fact that the skipper thinks will help them in this upcoming series.
“We have enough cricket under our belt to do well at the international level. It’s good that the guys played games in Abu Dhabi right down to the finals and if you look at the individual performances, they were very good so that brings confidence coming into this series,” Powell said.
“I’m very excited. When you look on our team that includes so much returning guys, it’s a powerful team. Having said that, we still have to play some good cricket and put it together as a complete team and from an individual perspective,” he added.
The last time the West Indies hosted England for a T20I series, they came out as 3-2 winners. Powell finished that series as the second-leading run scorer with 147 runs in three innings, including a career best 107* at Kensington Oval, the venue for Tuesday’s series opener.
“It’s always nice to be in Barbados. It always brings back good memories especially against England so it’s good to be here,” Powell said.
“It’s important for me to try my best and lead from the front. Once you lead from the front, players will always follow so I’m looking at my personal game and once I come to the party, naturally the guys will follow,” he added.
With the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup a few months away, Powell says this series gives the team an opportunity to find combinations that will work for them.
“It’s very important. It’s good that we’ve played T20 series’ before so we have an idea of the combinations that will work well for us. These five games against England provide another opportunity for us to fine tune whatever areas we need to fine tune,” he said.
Despite several key players choosing to make themselves unavailable for the upcoming Bangladesh tour, Powell was surprisingly not selected for hastily compiled ODI or squads. In explaining the unusual situation, chief of selectors Roger Harper claimed the player had not been considered as he was yet to make the team's required fitness standard. In a recent release, however, the NCA has vehemently disputed the claim. The 30-year-old top-order batsman was the top scorer in the previous season of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Super50 competition. Powell scored 524 runs at an average of 58.22, with two 100s and two 50s.
“When questioned on the omission of Powell, Chairman of Selectors, Roger Harper, responded that Powell is ‘yet to make the fitness standard’. This statement is incorrect. When the Leeward Islands Hurricanes conducted their fitness tests on June 30th, 2020, Kieran Powell successfully passed all aspects of the tests including the yo-yo test. The results of the tests were communicated to Mr. Peter Abraham Jr., CEO of the Leeward Islands Cricket Board, shortly thereafter. These results and, in particular, as they relate to Kieran Powell ought to have been made known to Cricket West Indies and their employees as they have an interest in the fitness of all of their players,” the release read.
“Subsequently, we presume Cricket West Indies were in receipt of Kieran Powell’s successful fitness test results as Powell was included in a group of probable players that were in consideration for the West Indies tour of Bangladesh as recently as two weeks ago.”
The NCA also claimed that in the first instance of Powell failing a fitness test, alongside Shimron Hetmyer and Evin Lewis, arrangements were made for the other two players to speedily retake the test, but no such provision was made for Powell.
The body has called the statement made by Harper ‘damaging’ and demanded a retraction, insisting the player is both fully fit and obviously in good form.
The 31-year-old opener fell just five runs short of a century, but his 95 from 175 balls anchored the West Indies B second innings total of 218 for 4 heading into the fourth day. The total, at the end of the day’s play, left the team with just 92 runs needed to win the match, with plenty of wickets in hand.
Powell was the anchor throughout the innings, forming key partnerships with opening partner Shane Moseley, who added 36, Shamarh Brooks (39), and Raymond Reifer (22), before being dismissed by spinner Rahkeem Cornwall, who also accounted for Moseley.
Earlier, WI Best A had resumed the day on 197-3 with an unbeaten and confident-looking Shai Hope at the crease on 104. However, young pace bowler Javon Searles continued an excellent performance with the ball when he added Hope to the collection of top-order batsmen he removed from the crease. Hope only managed another two runs before being caught by Mosely off the bowling of Searles. Searles ended the innings with the best figures of 4 for 40.
Paul Palmer, not out on 15, and Reifer, who was not out on 22, will resume the day at the crease for WI Best B on Thursday.
Phil Salt starred with an unbeaten 109 to help England chase down a mammoth target of 223 to win the third T20I on Saturday in Grenada. As such, the West Indies will enter the fourth game with a 2-1 lead and a chance to clinch the series.
England hit 19 sixes on their way to victory and Powell says his team will be solely focused on bringing that number down for the remainder of the series.
“It comes down to execution. Once we can execute as a bowling group, the six-hitting count will go down so that is what we’re stressing on for the rest of the series,” he said.
“Skills are very important in T20. Those Yorkers, wide Yorkers and defensive Yorkers are very important, especially when you get good batters on good wickets. If your skillset is not really up to par, you will always find yourself under pressure,” he added.
With that being said, Powell said he is not concerned with his team’s inability to defend totals.
“It’s not of major concern at the moment. All we’re concerned with is to just keep improving in all three areas. As a team, that is what we strive for and once we do that, we’ll be okay,” he said.
A question many people asked after the third game is why Powell opted to go with Andre Russell, who was expensive in his previous three overs, for the last over as opposed to himself, Kyle Mayers or Sherfane Rutherford for the last over with England needing 21 to win.
“When you look on the scheme of things, Russell was going at 10 runs per over and they needed in excess of 20 runs in the last over so I think it was only fair that I give Russell, one of my main bowlers, the final over. Unfortunate things do happen and if the situation did arise in another game, I’d be confident enough for Russell to bowl the final one,” Powell said.
With all that said, Powell says the team is in a good place ahead of Tuesday’s game.
“The conversations have been positive. We’re still in a good place and leading the series. It was just unfortunate that we didn’t come out on top,” he said.
“We went for the series win in our last game and unfortunately came up short. Tomorrow provides another opportunity for us to do that. The guys are upbeat,” he added.
The 30-year-old has yet to lose a series as skipper of the West Indies T20I side and spoke about the key to getting the best out of his players.
“I think it’s just putting players in roles that they are comfortable. We have a very good team with a lot of experience so it’s very important to put players in roles that they are comfortable with. Once you do that then you get the best out of players,” he said.
