West Indian captain Nicholas Pooran won the toss and elected to field first.
India’s opening pair of returning captain Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav got the ball rolling, putting on a partnership of 44 before Yadav was dismissed by Jason Holder for a quick 16-ball 24.
Captain Sharma provided a steady head for the Indians throughout the majority of the innings as he lost partners Shreyas Iyer (0), Rishabh Pant (14) and Hardik Pandya (1) before eventually being dismissed in the 15th over for a top score of 64 to leave the tourists 127-5.
They eventually got up to 190-6 off their 20 overs thanks to cameos from Ravindra Jadeja (16) and Ravichandran Ashwin (13) as well as a brilliant closing effort of 41 from just 19 balls including four fours and two sixes from Dinesh Karthik.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein was brilliant for the hosts with an economical 1-14 from his four overs while opening pacer Obed McCoy took 1-30 from his four.
The West Indian reply got off to a fast start thanks to openers Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks as the pair sped to 22-0 in the second over before Mayers fell for 15 to pacer Arshdeep Singh.
The Windies then tried to gamble, sending Jason Holder up the order to bat at three but this move fell flat as he was next to go, bowled by Ravindra Jadeja for a duck.
The innings then ground to a virtual halt as Brooks (20), Nicholas Pooran (18), Rovman Powell (14), Shimron Hetmyer (14), Akeal Hosein (11) and Odean Smith (0) all perished to, eventually, leave the Windies needing 90 off 21 balls for victory.
Keemo Paul and Alzarri Joseph then finished not out on 19 and 5, respectively, to end the innings on 122-8, 68 runs short.
It was a balanced bowling effort by the Indians with Ravichandran Ashwin (2-22 off four overs), Arshdeep Singh (2-24 off four overs) and Ravi Bishnoi (2-26 off four overs) all contributing well.
Gus Atkinson finished with figures of 4-67, while Chris Woakes took 3-69 for England, as only a fine sixth-wicket stand from Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva saved West Indies from being bowled out for a much lower total.
But England, chasing a 3-0 series whitewash, let their dominant position slip when taking up the bat for the final 35 minutes, Zak Crawley (18), Ben Duckett (3) and Mark Wood (0) being dispatched as bowler Jayden Seales dropped them to 38-3.
Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat, leading his side to a solid start before a spell of three wickets in five overs before lunch put England on top.
Atkinson accounted for Mikyle Louis (26) and Alick Athanaze (2) on either side of Wood sending stumps flying with a full delivery to dismiss Kirk McKenize for 12.
Brathwaite's knock of 61 was brought to a halt shortly after the action resumed, the captain gloving Wood's leg-side ball to Jamie Smith as the tourists slid from 76-0 to 115-5 in 45 balls.
Holder (59) and Da Silva (49) then shared 108 to drag the Windies towards a respectable total, but things looked bleak for them when the latter feathered Woakes' ball through to Smith.
Having gone 30 overs without a wicket, England needed just 14 more to polish off the tail, the highlight being a terrific diving catch from Joe Root to send Gudakesh Motie (8) packing.
England were given just over half an hour with the bat to cap Friday's action, but any hopes of a serene finish were soon dashed.
Holder made two terrific catches off Seales' bowling, the first from Crawley's thick outside edge and the second to dismiss Wood for a duck, either side of Alzarri Joseph's cracking delivery accounting for Duckett.
That spell ensured what had been a good day for the hosts ended on a sour note, with the Windies sure to target quick wickets when the action resumes on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Atkinson and Seales dominate
This series began with all the focus on James Anderson as England's greatest-ever bowler bowed out at Lord's, but Atkinson has taken centre-stage since making his Test debut in the opening match and now has 20 wickets through five innings.
That is eight more than West Indies' Jayden Seales, the next-most prolific bowler in this series, has managed.
Seales was determined to have an impact on day one, though, and his two wickets at the death have set the stage for a far more competitive match than those England won at Lord's and Trent Bridge.
Pollard featured in 123 ODIs for West Indies and scored 2706 runs at a strike rate of 94.41. He also scored three centuries and 13 fifties. In the T20I format, the all-rounder scored 1569 runs at a strike rate of 135.14. He also picked 55 ODI and 42 T20I wickets.
He was a part of the West Indies side that lifted the 2012 ICC Men's T20 World Cup and has also come through the ranks, playing the U19 World Cup in 2006.
Youngster Jordan Johnson thanked Pollard for his encouragement, "We'd like to thank you guys for coming up, and giving us your words of encouragement and motivation. And I hope that they'll use it to the best of their abilities. To help us throughout the World Cup. Thank you!"
West Indies begin their campaign on the opening day of the tournament, taking against hosts South Africa in Potchefstroom. Apart from the Proteas, they'll go up against England and Scotland in their group.
The West Indies, holders of the Wisden Trophy, are locked at 1-1 with the hosts who are trying to regain the trophy they relinquished when they went down to the West Indies in the Caribbean in early 2019.
This, Estwick believes, makes the occasion one of significant magnitude.
“Obviously this a big, big Test match not only for the people who are here in England, there are a lot of people tuned and we’ve got to be really up for it, Estwick said.
He believes the West Indies are more than capable of winning the series.
“The key thing is if you look at the first innings [of the first Test] we got early wickets. When we won in Southampton we got off to a decent start in the first innings with the bat so for me those are two key areas,” he said.
“If we can blunt that new ball and stop England from getting early wickets and also get early wickets ourselves, that could put us in a position to control the game and try and put them under some added pressure.”
Estwick said the coaching staff has been trying to get the players to be aware of the piece of history that can write if they win. West Indies last won a Test series in 1988 before any member of the present team was born.
“We’re constantly reminding them they have the chance to change something that hasn’t happened in 32 years,” he said.
“We played them over the last two or three years and we’ve won the odd Test matches. We’ve obviously won in the Caribbean – we want to go one step better here in England. We really want to win that Test match.
“We have to be up for it. Obviously England is going to be up for it because it’s a final – when you look at this game it is a final for both teams and whoever puts in a big performance also will win the game.”
West Indies last won a Test series in 1988 before any member of the present team was born.
Led by Captain Kraigg Brathwaite's patient 72 and propped up Kyle Mayers' crucial unbeaten 36, the West Indies scored 253 all out in reply to the home side’s first-innings score of 204.
The visitors had resumed from their overnight score of 69-1 with Brathwaite on 22 and Nkrumah Bonner on one. The pair extended their overnight partnership of seven runs to 75 when Ramesh Mendis claimed the first of his six wickets trapping Bonner lbw for 35.
The visitors went to lunch at 145-2, still 59 runs behind the hosts but they failed to build a commanding lead having lost wickets at regular intervals on the resumption after Brathwaite was bowled by Lasith Embuldeniya.
Shai Hope’s miserable Test form continued as he made only 10 while Roston Chase made 22 as the West Indies slipped from 166-3 to 197-7 as Mendis inflicted further damage on the West Indies batting order.
However, Mayers' late innings heroics proved instrumental in giving the West Indies a 49-run lead with his unbeaten knock that guided the West Indies to a small but important advantage.
Mendis’s six wickets cost 70 runs while Embuldeniya took 2-94 and Praveen Jayawickrama 2-59.
Trailing on first innings for the first time in the series, Sri Lanka got off to a bad start losing their leading run-scorer for the series, Dimuth Karunaratne, who was run out for six with only seven runs on the board. Oshado Fernando was also run out, for 14, as the home team crawled to 39-2 as close of play approached.
However, at stumps, Pathum Nissanka remained unbeaten on 21 with debutant Charith Asalanka at the other end on 4.
The West Indies trail 0-1 in the two-Test series.
Ramesh Mendis, who took 3-23 and Praveen Jayawickrama 2-25 were the main destroyers for the hosts as the West Indies collapsed from a solid start from Captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who made 41 and Jermaine Blackwood (20).
Brathwaite and Blackwood were hardly troubled by the Sri Lankan bowling as both took few risks while making effort to rotate the strike as best they could against tight-bowling and a close field. They ran singles and pierced the field for the occasional boundary steadily building a foundation for the chase.
However, the promising start would eventually unravel in the most disappointing fashion.
At 46-0, Blackwood was trapped lbw playing down the wrong line to a Lasith Embuldeniya delivery that was going on to hit leg stump. Nkrumah Bonner was out soon after as after having faced 11 balls, Jayawickrama had him caught at slip for one.
His dismissal triggered a slide that saw the West Indies lose four wickets for 53 runs. Among the wickets to fall was that of Brathwaite, who was caught at leg slip off Mendis for 41 as close of play approached.
The wickets of Shai Hope (10), Roston Chase (2) and night watchman Jomel Warrican followed in quick succession as the West Indies slipped further from 80-3 to 100-6.
Kyle Mayers 22* and Jason Holder 1* are the batsmen at the crease when play ended for the day.
Earlier, Chase took 5-83 to restrict Sri Lanka, resuming from their overnight total of 267-3 were bowled out for 386.
The hosts lost their last seven wickets for 119 runs after overnight batsman Dhananjaya de Silva, who resumed from his overnight score of 56, added five runs to his score before he was first out, hit wicket to the bowling of Shannon Gabriel for 61.
The big wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne, 132 overnight, followed soon after when he was caught at slip for 147.
Chase also removed Dinesh Chandimal for 45 as he and Jomel Warrican (3-87) ran through the remainder of the Sri Lanka batting.
Having erased a first-innings deficit of 114, the hosts appeared to be gaining the upper hand as they reached 249-3, Zak Crawley combining with stand-in captain Ben Stokes to put on a partnership of 98 for the fourth wicket.
The pair built on the good work done by openers Dom Sibley (50) and Rory Burns (42) but West Indies fought back impressively in the final session, Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph each taking two of the five wickets to go down.
Stokes (46), however, fell for a second time in the match to opposite number Jason Holder when seemingly going well, steering the West Indies skipper to one of two catchers positioned in the gully region.
As for Crawley, the right-hander's impressive innings came to an end on 76 when he chipped a return catch back to Joseph, who then followed up by bowling Jos Buttler for nine.
Gabriel produced a fine spell in fading light to bowl both Dom Bess and Ollie Pope, the latter via an inside edge, and though England avoided being dismissed prior to stumps, they had undoubtedly let slip a glorious opportunity after battling so hard to forge their way in front.
Burns and Sibley continued on from the overnight total of 15 without loss in the early stages of Saturday's play, pushing their opening stand on to 72.
Spinner Roston Chase finally claimed the initial breakthrough for West Indies, aided by Burns hitting a long hop to point, while he also tempted Joe Denly to chip a simple catch to mid-wicket. Having reached 29, England's number three once again failed to capitalise on a promising start.
Sibley did carry on to register his first half-century on home soil in Tests, though departed soon after reaching the landmark.
Reprieved when bowled off a no ball earlier in the same over, he was caught down leg by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich off the bowling of Gabriel, whose closing burst saw him finish with figures of 3-62.
WINDIES ON TOP BUT WORK STILL TO DO
West Indies will be pleased by the way they hit back with the ball after tea, though a wearing Rose Bowl pitch showing signs of uneven bounce means a fourth-innings chase is by no means straightforward. Still, considering how well England were going with Crawley and Stokes together, the tourists should now be considered favourites.
ROOT'S RETURN CREATES SELECTION ISSUE
With Joe Root set to come back into the XI for the second Test, one of England's batting line-up will have to make way for the returning skipper. It seems a straight fight between Denly and Crawley, with the latter surely now ahead on points after making his highest score in the format.
MOMENT OF THE DAY – GABRIEL GETS HIS MAN... AGAIN
Sibley appeared to have perished straight after reaching 50, bowled off an inside edge. A tight no-ball call initially offered him a second chance, yet the opening batsman failed to capitalise, lasting only two further deliveries before he was dismissed by the same bowler.
Speaking at the event in Antigua and Barbuda, Richardson, 60, urged Caribbean people from “small islands” to never look at themselves as being small, because they all had big hearts and could compete with anyone in the world.
Richardson told the graduating class of 2022 that he was proud to be an ambassador for Antigua and Barbuda, and proud to represent the region as a cricketer.
He said he, Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Curtly Ambrose, and Sir Andy Roberts were committed to developing the Four Knights Cricket Academy, which opened in 2015 in Antigua and Barbuda, to identify and support emerging cricket talent. He believed once the people of the WI remained focused and disciplined, it could keep producing outstanding cricketers.
“I remain optimistic and hopeful that the WI will return to being the best cricketing team in the world someday, hopefully pretty soon.”
Richardson encouraged the audience to remember where they came from and the opportunities they got because of their people and country. He added that having received higher education, they were the beginning of a cultural change in their families, communities and countries. They now had to find their niche and excel at it.
“It is important that you know your history and identity and use it to cultivate your present and your future. We are all from small island developing states and the harsh reality is that many persons in other parts of the world are not even aware of what our respective Caribbean islands are called or what ethnicities and cultures make up our people.
“But you can change this as you utilise your knowledge to strengthen sectors and create awareness of our existing cultures.”
He recalled, as a young man, wanting to be like great West Indian batsmen of the past, and wanting to make an impact on the world stage, which “lit a fire” in him for the game and to succeed.
Richardson represented the West Indies in 86 Tests from 1983-1995, scoring 5949 runs at an average of 44.39 with 16 centuries and 27 half centuries.
He also represented the region in 224 ODIs from 1984-1996, scoring 6248 runs at an average of 33.41 with five hundreds and 44 fifties.
After having New Zealand on the verge of elimination of 153 for 8, needing 239 to win, Joey Field and Kristian Clarke, number nine and 10, respectively, the West Indies were upended by an unbeaten 86-run ninth-wicket stand that knocked them out of the tournament.
Opting to bat, the West Indies lost two wickets inside the first 10 overs for 32 runs. However, Kevlon Anderson (33) and Kirk McKenzie posted a stand of 78 runs. That was followed by a 73-run fourth-wicket stand between McKenzie and Antonio Morris (31) set up the West Indies total.
The West Indies were in line to score much more but Clarke and left-arm spinner and Jesse Tashkoff, the New Zealand skipper, combined to trigger a West Indies collapse that saw the Caribbean side plunge from 183 for 3 to 205 for 8 in just 45 balls. The innings closed at 238 all out in 48 overs.
McKenzie, who had retired hurt, returned to be the last West Indies batsman out for a well-played 99.
The West Indies bowlers then set about the New Zealand batting setting the team up for a comprehensive victory.
Opener Ollie White was out for a duck early and Rhys Mariu soon followed for 26.
It was soon 67 for 4, after Fergus Lellman and Tashkoff fell within four balls.
Quinn Sunde (32) and Simon Keene staged a brief recovery to take New Zealand to 118 but Ashmead Nedd triggered a collapse taking three wickets in a space of 15 deliveries.
With New Zealand struggling at 153 for 8, Field and Clarke gradually rescued their team and eventually got them over the line with two balls to spare.
Clarke's 46 was the highest score by a No. 10 in the Under-19 World Cup history while their partnership was the highest for the ninth wicket in a chase.
In what was another embarrassing display of batting, the West Indies, who won the toss and opted to bat, were bowled out for 148 in 43.4 overs. The visitors lost their first five wickets for 41 runs midway the 18th over and only managed to cross the hundred-run mark thanks to a 32-run ninth-wicket stand between Rovman Powell and Alzarri Joseph, who took the score from 88 for 8 to 120 for 9.
Powell, who also put on 28 for the last wicket with Akeal Hosein who made 12, fought hard for his top-score of 41 from 66 balls before being the last man out.
Meanwhile, amid the disaster of the top order batting, debutant Kjorn Ottley looked good during his brief stay at the crease scoring 24 of the West Indies 36 runs before becoming the second wicket to fall. Nkrumah Bonner scored 20 in a vain attempt to hold the middle order together as the West Indies were powerless in their efforts to keep the Bangladeshi bowling at bay.
“Obviously, it was a little disappointing for us. A much better wicket for us, and we needed to put a lot more runs on the board. I think the spinners were always going to be challenging. We keep losing wickets in clusters, and we can't have partnerships going. That's been our downfall,” said Captain Jason Mohammed following the carnage.
Mehidy Hasan took 4 for 25 with his right-arm off-breaks and there were two wickets each for Shakib al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman.
Bangladesh made light work of the chase easing to 149 for 3 from just 33.2 overs.
Captain Tamim Iqbal scored an even 50 while Shakib remained unbeaten on 43 at the end.
Raymon Reifer was the best of the Windies bowlers with 1 for 18 from the five overs he bowled. Akeal Hosein and Jason Mohammed shared the other two wickets between them.
Mohammed tried to take some positives from the humiliation.
“There's a little bit of positives -- Ottley played well in his debut game. Rovman did well to get us a decent total. Akeal bowled well again."
Australia, batting first, set the tone for an exhilarating encounter with Warner smashing a blistering half-century in his 100th T20I, scoring 70 off 36 deliveries. Tim David's explosive 17-ball 37 further fueled Australia's innings, propelling them to a formidable total of 213 for 7.
Andre Russell took two wickets off consecutive deliveries in the final over of the Australian innings to finish with 3-42. Alzarri Joseph took 2-46.
Chasing 214 for victory, West Indies displayed early promise with openers Brandon King (53) and Johnson Charles (42) forming a dynamic partnership. King, in particular, played a stellar innings, reaching a half-century off 36 deliveries. However, legspinner Adam Zampa's brilliant performance in the middle overs proved crucial for Australia as they successfully defended their total.
Zampa, with figures of 3-26, outfoxed the aggressive West Indies batsmen, preventing them from achieving the challenging target. Despite a late onslaught from Jason Holder, who scored an unbeaten 34, West Indies ultimately fell short, finishing at 202 for 8.
The match served as a platform for auditions and milestones, with Josh Inglis getting an opportunity to partner Warner as the opening batsman. In his 16th T20I, Inglis showcased his 360-degree range, contributing 39 off 25 balls.
While Warner starred in his milestone 100th T20I, reaching the elite company of players with 100 internationals in each format, West Indies' big-hitters, including King and Charles, went for broke in their pursuit of victory.
Australia's left-arm quick, Jason Behrendorff, faced early challenges in the windy conditions but managed to claim a late wicket, finishing with figures of 1 for 38 off 3 overs. The pivotal moment in the match came in the 16th over when Zampa's brilliance dismissed Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran, tilting the scales in Australia's favor.
Chasing a target of 348, the West Indies were bowled out for 160 after lunch mere minutes before the rains came.
Bonner remained unbeaten on 68 that was made over the course of 220 balls while da Silva made a solid 54.
The pair came together on Wednesday evening with the West Indies tottering on 18-6 and resumed from their overnight total of 52-6, hoping to bat through the final day and perhaps some match-saving rainfall.
Riding their luck, the pair put on exactly 100 runs in 286 balls for the seventh wicket when Lasith Embuldeniya got one to spin across the Trinidadian, who was caught at slip.
The West Indies went to lunch at 125-7 with Bonner on 42 and Rahkeem Cornwall, who replaced da Silva, on five. On the resumption, the pair took the score to 149, a partnership of 31, when Cornwall, inexplicably tried to go down the ground to a Praveen Jayawickrama delivery that was in the slot but only managed to hole out to long-off.
Bonner and Gabriel added 11 more runs before the latter lost his wicket to Embuldeniya without scoring, sealing the victory for the hosts.
Embuldeniya finished with figures of 5-46 while Ramesh Mendis, who did the damage on Wednesday returned 4-64.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite praised Bonner and da Silva for their efforts but lamented that the remainder of the batsmen let the team down.
“I thought Joshua and Bonner, the way they fought from yesterday evening, was tremendous,” he said while indicating that there were some positives to take away from the match.
“I always believe first innings total is important, and then build pressure. (The) Sri Lanka skipper played well. It was important for us to get close to their score.”
I thought Joshua and Bonner, the way they fought from yesterday evening, was tremendous. I always believe first innings total is important, and then build pressure. Sri Lanka skipper played well. Gabriel getting two wickets, Roston getting five, we were decent, they batted well but our batting let us down."
The West Indies lost the first match on Sunday by six wickets.
West Indies won the toss and sent India to bat and their bowlers justified the decision restricting India to 237-9. After Kemar Roach dismissed Rohit Sharma for five, Odean Smith backed him up with the wickets of Risbah Pant and Virat Kohli for 18 each as India slipped to 43-3 in the 12th over.
A 90-run partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul held the West Indies up until 30th over when Rahul was run out for 49. Yadav and Washington Sundar added 43 for the fifth wicket before Nathan Allen had the former caught behind for a well-played 64.
Akeal Hosein claimed the wicket of Sundar for 24 and India struggled to push for a more challenging score as Jason Holder dismissed Deepak Hooda for 29 and Alzarri Joseph took the wickets of Shardul Thakur for eight and Mohammed Siraj for 3 as the Indian innings closed without flourish.
Yuzvendra Chahal was unbeaten on 11.
Smith was the best of the West Indies bowlers with 2-29 while Joseph took 2-36. There was a wicket each for Holder, Hosein, Roach and Allen.
With a target that required scoring below five runs an over, the West Indies opening pair of Brandon King and Shai Hope shared in a 32-run partnership that set the visitors up for a successful chase. However, once King got out to a rising delivery from Prasidh Krishna for 18, the West Indies’ chase went off the rails.
Hope was the next to go dismissed by Chahal for 27 from 52 balls.
Shamarh Brooks contributed 44 in the middle order but he lost partners frequently as the West Indies slumped to 76-5 in the 22nd over, Krishna picking up the wickets of Darren Bravo for one and Nicholas Pooran for nine along the way.
Hosein provided some lower-order resistance for the West Indies with a stubborn 34 from 52 balls and Smith provided a late flurry to score 24 from 20 balls but the West Indies were bowled out for 193. It was the second time in as many matches that they have failed to score 200.
Krishna returned the remarkable figures of 4-12 from nine overs while Thakur took 2-41.
The final match is set for Friday, February 11.
The Selection Panel is resting fast bowler Alzarri Joseph in consideration of his workload including the forthcoming all-format tour of Australia in January and February. He is replaced in the squad by fellow pacer Oshane Thomas. Johnson Charles, the experienced batter is also called into the squad to replace Shimron Hetmyer.
West Indies currently lead the Series 2-1 after winning the first two T20Is in Barbados and Grenada. England won the third match in Grenada ahead of the two teams travelling to Trinidad for the finale. The West Indies have a chance to clinch the T20I Series on Tuesday 19 December in the fourth encounter at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. The final match will be played on the Thursday 21 December at the same venue. Both matches are day/night games with the first ball bowled at 4pm local time (3pm Jamaica time).
FULL SQUAD: Rovman Powell (Captain), Shai Hope (Vice-Captain), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russel, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd and Oshane Thomas.
MATCH SCHEDULE
3 December – 1st CG United ODI: West Indies won by 4 wickets at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
6 December – 2nd CG United ODI: England won by 6 wickets at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
9 December - 3rd CG United ODI: West Indies won by 4 wickets at Kensington Oval, Barbados
12 December – 1st T20I: West Indies won by 4 wickets at Kensington Oval, Barbados
14 December – 2nd T20I: West Indies won by 10 runs at National Stadium, Grenada
16 December – 3rd T20I: England won by 7 wickets at National Stadium, Grenada
19 December – 4th T20I at Brian Lara Academy, Trinidad (4pm local time/3pm Jamaica time)
21 December – 5th T20I at Brian Lara Academy, Trinidad (4pm local time/3pm Jamaica time)
The two-time world champions made a terrific start after putting their opponents in to bat in Guyana as Romario Shepherd and Akeal Hosein accounted for Tony Ura and Lega Siaka within three overs.
However, Sese Bao steadied the ship for Papua New Guinea, smashing 50 runs off 48 deliveries including six fours and one maximum before Alzarri Joseph struck him middle and leg 17 overs in.
Kiplin Doriga was 27 not out as the visitors finished 136-8, and the Windies initially looked to be making smooth progress towards that target as Nicholas Pooran put on a 53-run partnership with Brandon King.
Papua New Guinea skipper Assad Vala then came up with two dismissals as the hosts collapsed from 61-1 to 97-5, nerves being frayed as they required 37 off 19 balls to win.
However, star man Russell (15 off nine) supported Roston Chase (42 not out) as they got over the line with six deliveries to spare, avoiding a shock defeat in their Group C opener.
Data Debrief: Windies stop the rot… just
West Indies entered their home opener looking to improve on miserable performances at the last two T20 World Cups, having lost six of their last eight games at the tournament.
Russell ultimately came up with the goods both with ball (2-19) and bat as they got the job done, but more will be required when they face New Zealand and Afghanistan later in the pool.
The three matches are West Indies’ last remaining three fixtures in the ICC ODI Super League as West Indies aim to automatically qualify for the 2023 ICC World Cup in India. West Indies will be seeking to win the CG United ODI Series to secure one of the automatic qualification places reserved for the top 7 teams in the ODI Super League table, excluding hosts India.
CWI’s Selection Panel named one newcomer to the squad in off-spinner Kevin Sinclair. He made his international debut in T20I cricket last year against Sri Lanka and has so far played six T20Is. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie has been named in the 14-member squad and will have to undergo a fitness assessment on the finger injury sustained against India in the CG United ODI Series in Trinidad last month.
Allrounder Roston Chase is unavailable for selection due to injury while fellow allrounder Fabien Allen is also unavailable for personal reasons.
Lead Selector, The Most Hon Dr Desmond Haynes said: “As we stated before, we are looking to broaden the pool of players and we have decided to give Sinclair an opportunity in the CG United ODI Series against New Zealand. He has been in the system for a while and was also in the ‘A Team’ to play against Bangladesh ‘A’ in the upcoming series. We believe with his calm approach and skills he will do well in the matches against New Zealand.”
“New Zealand is a very good cricketing nation, and this will be a very competitive series. We have the confidence in the players selected that they will do very well. This is the last series of the international season at home, and it would be good to end with some solid performances as we continue to build towards the ICC World Cup in India next year,” he added.
FULL SQUAD
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Shai Hope (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Keacy Carty
Shimron Hetmyer
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Gudakesh Motie (subject to fitness)
Keemo Paul
Jayden Seales
Kevin Sinclair
All 15 members of the provisional squad will travel to all matches. There will then be a 13-member squad for each match from which the final XI will be selected.
Wicket-keeper/batsman Shai Hope, and fast bowler Oshane Thomas have earned recalls to this format. Thomas played his last match in this format in Pakistan in December 2021 while Hope played his last match in India in February 2022.
Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “The squad is selected with the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in mind. We are looking at various plans as we try to find the right combinations. As we prepare; we are looking to build a unit which we believe can do the job when we host the global event in just under a year. We have some match-winners in our line-up and we will look to have the right kind of preparation, starting here in Trinidad on Thursday.”
Haynes added: “We also have other players who could come into consideration going forward, with the Caribbean Premier League starting next month, others will come into the reckoning.”
The Brian Lara Cricket Academy will host the opening match on Thursday. The teams then move to the Guyana National Stadium for the second and third fixtures on Sunday 6 August and Tuesday 8 August.
The series will climax with the blockbuster weekend at the Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida for the final matches on Saturday 12 August and Sunday 13 August. All matches start at 10:30am local time (9:30am Jamaica Time).
Tickets for the matches are available from box offices at Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain; the National Cricket Centre in Couva, Trinidad and the Guyana Cricket Board headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana. Additionally, tickets are available online in advance from the Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard at tickets.windiescricket.com .
Fans who purchase online will benefit from a 20% discount compared to the box office prices, with tickets ranging from the most premium seats with the best and shaded views in each stadium through to affordable standard seats or mounds/grounds entry.
Tickets are also available for the Tribe Party Stand in Trinidad with all-inclusive drinks and light food options. CWI has also announced that West Indies hospitality by the Red Stand will be on sale for the first time with tickets for the hospitality suites. This is a premium all-inclusive experience in air-conditioned suites, with outdoor viewing and fully inclusive premium food and drink options.
For the matches at the Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida there will be VVIP and VIP hospitality packages available providing patrons with a great experience.
FULL SQUAD
Rovman Powell (Captain)
Kyle Mayers (Vice Captain)
Johnson Charles
Roston Chase
Shimron Hetmyer
Jason Holder
Shai Hope
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Obed McCoy
Nicholas Pooran
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
Oshane Thomas
Match Schedule
Kuhl Stylish Fans T20I Series powered by Black and White
3 August: 1st T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
6 August: 2nd T20I, National Stadium, Guyana
8 August: 3rd T20I, National Stadium Guyana
12 August: 4th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
13 August: 5th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
- start time at: 10:30am (9:30am Jamaica)
The match will be played at the Daren Sammy Stadium in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia from June 24-28. West Indies have a 1-0 lead in the Padma Bridge – Dream Fulfilled – Friendship Test Series, presented by Walton. They won the first match by seven wickets at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Sunday.
Kemar Roach was named the Player-of-the-Match in the opening contest. He had match figures of 7-74 – including the match-winning 5-53 in the second innings. This took him to 249 wickets in his career, joint sixth alongside the legendary Michael Holding, on the West Indies' all-time list of wickets-takers. He is also the leading West Indies bowler at eighth position in the latest ICC Test Match bowling rankings.
“It was a very good victory in Antigua. The team played really well and must be feeling really confident heading into Saint Lucia for the second match. We have a group of players who are very disciplined and are giving 100 per cent,” said lead selector Desmond Haynes.
“Great credit to our bowlers who worked really hard in the first Test match. We can’t take Bangladesh lightly, they also bowled really well and were quite disciplined. I know we will try our utmost to win the second match.”
Haynes lavished praise on Roach, who is now just one wicket shy of 250 Test wickets in his remarkable career.
“Kemar is a legend. He has done really well for West Indies. He made a great start to his career, then had some injuries, then he worked his way back and is our leading bowler,” Haynes said.
“He’s among the best in the world. I am very pleased with his performances, not just on the field, but the way he had been guiding the younger players and the way he has been interacting with the other members of the team.”
Test squad for the second Test against Bangladesh in St Lucia: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, John Campbell, Joshua Da Silva, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillips, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Devon Thomas.
The three-match Apex Series is level 0-0 following a draw in the first Apex Test match, which was played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
Nkrumah Bonner was named Player-of-the-Match. He scored a career-best 123 in the first innings and 38 not out in the second innings on the final day.
“It was a hard-fought first match in Antigua and we decided to stick with the same 13 players for the second match in Barbados,” said lead selector Desmond Haynes in explaining the decision not to make any changes ahead of the second Test.
“Bonner demonstrated the way you should play, and we were very pleased with the way he played in the first innings and again in the second innings. It was hard work for all the bowlers, and we were very happy with the way they stuck to the task.”
WEST INDIES TEST SQUAD: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice-Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales.
The West Indies will visit India from February 6 to 20, where they will also play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20I. CWI named the ODI team last week.
The three T20Is will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on February 16, 18 and 20, following the three-match ODI series which will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 6, 9 and 11.
“The team has been doing well in the Betway T20I Series against England in Barbados and we decided to stick with the same group of players. They have demonstrated great skill and fight and we expect the same kind of performances on the tour of India,” said lead selector Desmond Haynes.
Kieron Pollard will lead the squad that will comprise Vice-Captain Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith and Hayden Walsh Jr.
The West Indies are locked 2-2 in the series against England with the decider to be played later today at the Kensington Oval. England won Saturday’s match by 34 runs to level the series.
