West Indies

The Selection Panel named one uncapped player in the 15-member squad – Jeremy Solozano, the left-handed opening batsman – following the two recent three-day Best v Best matches and training sessions at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.

Roger Harper, Lead Selector said: “The Best v Best matches provided the opportunity for the players to spend some time in the middle honing their skills for this tour. The aim was to simulate as much as possible, the conditions that the team will likely face in Sri Lanka, so it was good to see the batsmen spending time at the crease while putting some scores together and the bowlers looking to build pressure and create wicket-taking opportunities,” Harper said.

“Jeremy played for the West Indies ‘A’ Team in 2019 (against India ‘A’) with success and in the Best v Best matches he displayed a sense of application, patience, and composure while looking very comfortable against both pace and spin which encouraged the panel to invest in him at this point.”

Harper added: “The squad is well balanced, with good depth in all departments. The composition is very similar to the squad that brought us success in our last away tour to Bangladesh, with a few changes in personnel. There are a number of players who are familiar with Sri Lankan conditions and most of the others have good experience in the Indian sub-continent, so they know what to expect and are gearing themselves for it.”

Both Test matches will be played at the Galle International Stadium. West Indies will have a four-day warm-up match in Colombo from November 14 to 17. The Tests will follow on November 21 to 25 and November 29 to December 3.

The series is the second of six series, three at home and three away, that West Indies will play in the 2021-2023 ICC World Test Championship. Please see ICC World Test Championship table here: https://bit.ly/3EcJXpV

 FULL SQUAD

Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice-Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jeremy Solozano, and Jomel Warrican.

The 35-year-old Jamaican, who at one time spearheaded the attack for the West Indies, has been signed by English County side Gloucestershire to a three-year contract. He will represent the club in all forms of the game.

Having fallen out of favour with regional selectors in recent years, Taylor has made England his stomping ground. He previously had spells with Leicestershire and Sussex and most recently T20 contracts for the last two seasons with Somerset.

Taylor was a member of the Windies' 2016 World T20-winning squad. He last played for his country in 2018.

"Jerome will add pace and international experience to the attack,” said Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson.

"He can contribute in all formats so he'll be a valuable addition," Dawson added.

Taylor is the second West Indies fast bowler to play for Gloucestershire in successive seasons following Shannon Gabriel, who played in two first-class matches in 2019.

"I am very excited to be joining Gloucestershire," the Jamaican said. "I am grateful for the opportunity as I really enjoy playing county cricket and I am hopeful that my experience can help on and off the field."

Promoted Gloucestershire will start the County Championship Division One season against Yorkshire at Headingley on April 12

Taylor’s home debut should be against Lancashire at Nevil Road in Bristol a week later.

Rapid on his day, Taylor, in 2009, famously grabbed 5 for 11 to demolish England, leaving the visitors all out for 51 during an unforgettable spell of fast-bowling at a Sabina Park Test. His returns in 46 Tests totalled 130 wickets at 34.46. He was also capped more than 100 times in limited-overs internationals.

The hosts recovered from a tough position to post 285-9 from their 50 overs after being put in to bat by the 2016 champions.

At one point, South Africa found themselves 145-6 in the 35^th over before a brilliant 130-run seventh wicket partnership between Dewan Marais and Captain Juan James.

Marais hit four fours and four sixes on his way to a top score of 65 off just 38 balls while James his three fours and one six for his 47 off 54 balls.

Earlier, David Teeger did his best to provide some stability to the innings with a patient 98-ball 44 batting at three while opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius made a 34-ball 40.

West Indies Vice-Captain Nathan Sealy was impressive with his left arm spin with 3-34 from his 10 overs while pacers Deshawn James and Nathan Edward took a pair of wickets each.

The West Indian reply then got off to the worst possible start when, off the second ball of the innings, Adrian Weir was wrongly adjudged out leg before wicket off the bowling of Kwena Maphaka for a duck.

That was the start of a horrendous first powerplay for the tourists with Captain Stephan Pascal (6), Joshua Dorne (9), Jordan Johnson (21) and Steven Wedderburn (12) all falling in quick succession.

With the West Indies 73-5, Nathan Sealy and Jewel Andrew were brought together and the pair put together a brilliant 117-run sixth wicket partnership to put victory well within reach for the Caribbean side.

The partnership came to an end in the 29^th over when Sealy was brilliantly run out by Oliver Whitehead for a crucial 33 off 55 balls.

Shortly after Sealy’s dismissal, Andrew brought up a magnificent hundred off just 71 balls including 11 fours and three sixes.

With the West Indies comfortable, needing 61 from 90 balls with four wickets in hand, the game changed once again thanks to a brilliant piece of wicketkeeping from Ntando Zuma to stump Tarrique Edward for 13 off the bowling of David Teeger.

The West Indies fightback all but ended off consecutive deliveries in the 39^th and 40^th overs.

First, Maphaka picked up his fourth wicket of the innings with an excellent Yorker to dismiss Nathan Edward for 12 before Andrew’s innings finally came to an end off the bowling of Riley Norton at the start of the very next over with the West Indies needing a further 36 for victory.

Andrew made a brilliant 130 off just 96 balls including 14 fours and three sixes.

Maphaka ended proceedings with his fifth wicket, removing Isai Thorne for two to dismiss the West Indies for 254 off 40.1 overs.

Scores: South Africa Under-19s 285-9 off 50 overs (Dewan Marais 65, Juan James 47, David Teeger 44, Lhuan-de Pretorius 40, Nathan Sealy 3-34, Deshawn James 2-38, Nathan Edward 2-63)

West Indies Under-19s 254 off 40.1 overs (Jewel Andrew 130, Nathan Sealy 33, Jordan Johnson 21, Kwena Maphaka 5-38, Riley Norton 3-66)

Joseph, who scooped man of the match honours, certainly played his part in the crucial victory, bowling with plenty of pace and hostility to restrict Zimbabwe to 122 in pursuit of the West Indies 153 for 7.

The win, however, while giving the Caribbean team a tournament saving two points, still leaves them just out of the equation on Net Run Rate.  In the ultra-competitive group where all the teams are on 2 points after 2 matches, the equation becomes simple.  Win the next one and advance.

“It’s very encouraging but we know the job’s not done.  We still have one more game to win and we have to try and get that win in order to get out of this round,” he added.

For the second match in a row, Joseph, who worked well in tandem with Holder, was brought in with the team on the back foot and managed to steady the ship so to speak.

“For me, it’s all about pulling it back for the team.  I try and get an early wicket, if not I just keep it tight,” he added.

The West Indies will face Ireland in their final fixture of the tournament on Thursday at 11:00 pm, while Zimbabwe will face Scotland.

For that to happen, the players would have to go through rigid isolation and testing protocols, as well as austere social distancing measures.

Of course, the proposal will include officials as well as media and the England skipper thinks it can work.

“I’m optimistic about it. It would be a real shame if it doesn’t happen. The public are desperate for some live sport and the guys are missing it,” said Root.
“The players would be sectioned off in one part of the hotel and would be in isolation together. There would be no interaction with the media, the TV crews or even the opposition when off the pitch.

“We would have separate lunchrooms. It would have a different feel to it but it’s probably manageable. Hopefully that is the case.”

According to the proposals, the three Tests would be played at ‘bio-secure’ venues behind closed doors.

Those venues, the proposal points out, are those that have hotels on location, like Manchester, Southampton and Headingly.

Root, while optimistic, is cognizant of the fact that Cricket West Indies (CWI) would have to take the risk.

In response, West Indies Test captain Jason Holder, has said his side would have to be certain of their safety before saying yes to such a proposal.

“This thing has been really, really serious as we all know and has claimed quite a few lives throughout the world and that’s the last thing any of us would really want,” said Holder.

“I think we’ve got to play the safety card first before we can even think about resuming our normal lives.”

In the meantime, CWI Chief Executive, Johnny Grave, has said the England Cricket Board’s proposals were being considered but that first all the moving parts would have to be understood.
England will be desperate to get back the Wisden Trophy they lost to the West Indies last year for the first time in a decade.

As England toiled in the early stages of day three of the third Test against West Indies, Vaughan said England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chiefs should sit down with Root after the series in the Caribbean.

The ECB is advertising for an England men's team managing director, but Vaughan says a priority should be the captaincy.

England's bowlers struggled to make inroads in the latter stages of West Indies' innings on Saturday, allowing Joshua Da Silva to reach a maiden Test century and the hosts to open a 93-run first-innings lead.

Vaughan questioned the vitality of the England players, a number of whom are still carrying scars from the team's 4-0 Ashes drubbing.

Interim managing director Andrew Strauss said after England's Ashes calamity that Root was "absolutely clear" he wanted to keep the captaincy. However, Vaughan thinks the time has come to ask again.

"I think the biggest meeting first and foremost is to sit with Joe Root, and really look him in the eyes and say, 'Have you got the energy?'," Vaughan said on BT Sport.

"There comes that moment as England captain that the energy is not with you. You're still going out there, you're still trying your best, but you've not got the energy. If he has got the energy, then I would stick with him. But if he's lost that energy and the real drive and that desire… As a captain, you have to wake up every morning and it's got to be your love, captaining the England side.

"If you've lost that ounce of any kind of loving it, you've got to give it up. If he's lost that desire and love to captain England, just be the batter, because he'll score as many runs, and he'll still be a great leader in the side.

"I can see an England captain that looks a little bit drained."

Vaughan said of England's morning performance, as West Indies advanced from 232-8 to 297 all out: "It looked an England side, and England captain, that looked very, very tired."

He praised the home team's efforts in frustrating the tourists, but added: "I'm pretty sure there'll be a lot of England fans out there watching the telly, throwing things at the screen and thinking, 'I could do a lot better than that'.

"It was just a little bit of a lack of imagination. It concerned me a bit about the skipper this morning, I didn't think he tried enough, didn't try himself early enough."

Part-time spinner Root eventually brought himself on to bowl and took the final wicket, having Jayden Seales caught and bowled.

"As a captain in those kinds of situations, you've got to be so energised, you've got to be on your bowlers, you've got to be on your team, you've got to be creating ideas, creating angles," said Vaughan. "I didn't see enough of that this morning."

Root's difficult day got worse after lunch when he was caught at slip for five off Kyle Mayers to leave England 27-2 in their second innings.

It was confirmed on Thursday before the second Test between England and the Windies that Archer had been excluded after breaking coronavirus protocols.

The three-match series is currently taking place at bio-secure stadiums to try and prevent anyone from either team coming into contact with COVID-19, and the players had been ordered to travel directly from Southampton to Manchester following the conclusion of the first Test.

However, Archer ignored those directives and went home to Brighton to visit an unnamed person before arriving in Manchester, where he is now undergoing a five-day period of self-isolation.

Though the person Archer met has since tested negative for coronavirus, England's managing director Giles stressed the ramifications of his actions could have been enormous for the ECB's financial health ahead of another Test series with Pakistan.

"This could have been a disaster," Giles said.

"A small act, the ripple effect this could have had through the whole summer could have cost us tens of millions of pounds.

"Hopefully we can look back on it and Jofra can learn from it, and he will learn from it, I'm sure.

"The potential knock-on effect I don't think he could have understood. I think we made it very clear what we expected and what the protocols mean but maybe he didn't quite understand what the consequences could be."

Giles would not comment on whether Archer will be under consideration to return for the third Test but revealed the 25-year-old will be the subject of an internal disciplinary process.

"We trust these men, whether they're old or not, to make the right decisions," he added.

"If you know what the protocols say and what's expected of you, it's a simple choice. I don't think we can cover every eventuality in or out of the bubble for people making wrong decisions.

"Show me someone who says they've never had a mistake and I'll show you a liar. We've all made mistakes in our lives and Jofra's a young man. He will learn from it, we will support him through it and he'll move on."

Archer has been plagued by a litany of fitness problems since bursting on to the international scene in 2019 but is on the comeback trail with hopes of featuring in June’s T20 World Cup in the United States of America and his native Caribbean.

The seamer is not yet certain if he will make the tournament, having last played competitively 11 months ago following a repeat stress fracture in his right elbow, but insists avoiding further setbacks is crucial.

The mental and physical toll has been considerable on Archer and he accepts another breakdown could be one too far.

“It’s been a while and honestly, I don’t know if I’ve got another stop-start year in me. That’s the truth, I don’t know if I’ve got another one,” he told the 4Cast’s Athlete’s Voice podcast.

“I haven’t played cricket for a whole 12 months as yet. Last year I played from January to May. I think the year before that, I played maybe one or two games for Sussex, so you know I’ve had a whole year of nothing.”

England are taking a cautious approach with his latest return, taking an early decision to withdraw him from the Indian Premier League and pre-emptively ruling him out of the rigours of Test cricket until next year.

Instead they hope to unleash him in familiar territory in the West Indies, where they will look to defend their 20-over crown.

He shares that ambition but is refusing to count on it.

“Come the first game in June I really do want to be in the team. The last two years have been really stop-start, so I just think that, you know, everyone’s going to just take it a bit easy,” he said.

“If I’m ready then fine, happy days, but if I’m not they’re still supporting me. Worst-case scenario, I don’t really want to think about this, but even if I don’t make it to the World Cup for whatever reason, there’s still the T20 Blast, there’s still The Hundred.

“There’s still cricket that I haven’t got a chance to play in the last couple of years, so as much as I want to play in the World Cup, if it doesn’t happen for whatever reason, at least I still know I could be somewhat active.”

And if Archer does manage to pull an England shirt back on during their visit to his home island of Barbados, he is expecting to see some friendly faces in the crowd.

“I know it’s not dog friendly in the Caribbean as much as it is here in the UK, but I’d love my family and my dogs at that first game back,” he added.

Campbell was charged with evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection in April 2022. In their 18-page ruling, the panel said in part: "The panel is persuaded to a comfortable degree of satisfaction that the athlete committed an anti-doping rule violation, namely a breach of JADCO rule 2.3. The panel does not find, on the evidence presented, that the athlete's anti-doping violation was not intentional.

"In the circumstances of this case, the athlete is ineligible for a period of four years."

This means the 29-year-old batsman will not be able to play cricket until he is 33 years old, which could significantly impact his ability to represent the West Indies beyond 2026.

Campbell has scored 888 runs in 20 Tests for the West Indies.

In response to the ruling, attorneys Ayana L. Thomas and Mark-Paul Cowan of the noted legal firm Nunes Scholefield Deleon and Co. made clear their disappointment and did not rule out appealing the judgement.

“Mr Campbell has been a clean athlete throughout his outstanding career as a batsman and he remains committed to a clean sport,” the statement read.

“It is important to emphasize that the allegations against him was not relating to an adverse analytical finding or banned substances. The allegation concerned refusing or failing to submit a sample collection after proper notification pursuant to Article 2.3 of the JADCo Anti-Doping rules.

“Our client has to date, never returned an adverse analytical finding for banned substances.”

According to the attorneys, JADCO committed several breaches of the International Test Standards (IST).

“We have read the written decision of the disciplinary panel and believe there are legitimate grounds for an appeal concerning whether the necessary ingredients to sustain the alleged anti-doping rule violation were proved before the panel particularly as it relates to the notification requirements,” the lawyers said.

“Mr Campbell’s position was that he was not properly notified by JADCO. There were several breaches by JADCO of the mandatory International Testing Standards and Investigations in respect of the notification of the athlete of which, in our view, were not adequately addressed by the panel.”

That matter was not the only issue concern for Campbell’s attorneys.

“Additionally, there were several mitigatory factors supported by evidence which were not challenged by JADCO and which ought to have been mitigated against the imposition of the maximum penalty,” they said, “even if the panel found that the athlete committed a violation.

“It does not appear from the written decision that these factors in mitigation were adequately considered by the panel.

“Our client will, therefore, at this time, consider exercising his right of appeal after further consultation with his legal team and will make a decision shortly.”

“

For the ongoing "A" Team Series in Bangladesh, left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul will travel to Sylhet as cover for fellow left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who has been ruled out of the remaining matches due to a lower back injury.

Motie, on the other hand, will travel to Dubai ahead of the West Indies' three-match One-Day International (ODI) Series against the UAE at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Although he will not participate in the matches, he will receive treatment from the medical staff with the aim of being available for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, starting on 18 June.

Off-spinner Kevin Sinclair, who is currently with the "A" Team in Bangladesh, will replace Motie in the 15-member ODI squad for the series in Sharjah. Additionally, experienced batter Johnson Charles has been called up as a replacement for Devon Thomas, who has been provisionally suspended from playing cricket due to charges brought by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit under the Anti-Corruption codes.

Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes, expressed his thoughts on the changes: "We were forced to make some changes to the squads, and this has presented opportunities for players to come in. Sinclair has been in good form all year and has taken that to the 'A Team' series in Bangladesh. Permaul and Charles are experienced players, and they will be able to quickly adapt to the conditions and fit into the environment in Sylhet and Sharjah."

Haynes further added, "Motie is a key part of our plans for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, so we are hopeful he will make a full recovery for that tournament. The decision was taken to have him remain with the squad in Sharjah so he will be closely monitored and receive the best treatment available."

 Updated Squads:

West Indies "A" Squad vs Bangladesh "A": Joshua DaSilva (Captain), Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Tevin Imlach, Akeem Jordan, Brandon King, Jair McAllister, Zachary McCaskie, Kirk McKenzie, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kevin Sinclair, Veerasammy Permaul (cover for Gudakesh Motie)

West Indies ODI Squad vs United Arab Emirates: Shai Hope (captain), Brandon King (vice captain), Alick Athanaze, Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Dominic Drakes, Kavem Hodge, Akeem Jordan, Keemo Paul, Raymon Reifer, Kevin Sinclair, Odean Smith.

Match Schedule:

West Indies "A" Team vs Bangladesh "A":

16-19 May: 1st "Test" at Sylhet International Stadium – Match drawn

23-26 May: 2nd "Test" at Sylhet International Stadium 2 – ongoing

30 May to 2 June: 3rd "Test" at Sylhet International Stadium

ODIs vs United Arab Emirates:

4 June: 1^st ODI at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

6 June: 2nd ODI at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

9 June: 3rd ODI at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

Buttler was out for three off 13 balls against the West Indies in Antigua, his fifth single-figure score in eight ODIs, while he has now gone 13 innings in this format without a fifty.

Number 11 batter Gus Atkinson was the only other England batter who did not reach double figures in the first of three ODIs, where the tourists set a target of 326 in their first match since the World Cup.

Speaking after the Windies overhauled England’s total with four wickets and seven balls to spare in an exciting crescendo, Buttler remains optimistic he can turn his fortunes around quickly.

“I feel good, I just keep managing to get out,” he said. “It’s disappointing, frustrating and gone on for a lot longer than I would have liked but there’s only myself who can score my own runs.

“I’m not going to score any if I hide away and don’t get out there. You keep working hard, you keep putting the effort in and trust that it will turn around.”

Buttler is widely-regarded as one of England’s greatest white-ball batters ever and his lean patch has coincided with his side’s listing fortunes – this was their seventh loss in 10 ODIs.

England are at the start of a new cycle and there were positives as openers Will Jacks and Phil Salt, neither of whom were selected for the World Cup group stage exit, put on 77 in 8.2 overs.

Harry Brook top-scored with 71 off 72 balls, Sam Curran and Brydon Carse put on 66 in 38 balls to lift England to 325 all out – the highest total in ODIs at this venue, a record that lasted a few hours.

Rehan Ahmed was the pick of the attack with two for 40 but Curran recorded the most expensive figures by an England bowler in an ODI as he leaked an eye-watering 98 in 9.5 overs.

Curran and Carse were unable to stop an onslaught from Windies captain Shai Hope and Romario Shepherd, who put on 89 in 51 balls to turn the tide after the hosts had slipped to 213 for five.

Hope clattered three sixes in four balls off Curran to end proceedings, finishing on 109 not out, while Shepherd crunched seven boundaries in his 28-ball stay before being dismissed two shy of fifty.

“There’s some young guys in that team who have not played loads and loads of one-day cricket, they’ll learn a lot from this,” Buttler said of a side that had five individuals with fewer than 10 ODI appearances.

“A lot of stuff we did really, really well; not well enough to win the game in the end but guys will be better for the experience, learn plenty from that and come back for the next one.

“I thought we played really well, I thought the two guys at the top set the tone really well. We were positive and aggressive and put the pressure on the West Indies at the start.

“We just didn’t quite close it out. There’s no need to panic, we’ve done a lot of things really well, there’s guys who have gained experience from this and we look forward to the next one (on Wednesday).”

The Windies are also at the outset of a new era, having failed to qualify for the World Cup, but it was Hope, a champion performer who reached 5,000 ODI runs in his knock, who was their star on Sunday.

“This definitely gives us confidence for the rest of the series,” Hope said. “We’ve got to make sure the guys believe they can win in any situation. It’s great we can start this way.”

England raced to 77 for none at the end of the powerplay, then 112 for two at halfway, but collapsed to 171 all out in 19.3 overs, losing their last five wickets for six runs in 15 balls in Barbados.

Adil Rashid marked his 100th T20 appearance – he was presented with his cap by Andrew Flintoff – with two for 25 and became the first English male bowler to collect 100 wickets in the format.

But the Windies batters lived up to their reputation as big hitters, bludgeoning 14 sixes in total, possibly aided by a half-hour rain delay that made bowling conditions trickier.

Buttler accepted figuring out how to stop them so readily being able to clear the rope must be a priority for England’s bowlers in the remaining four matches.

“From the position we were in at halfway, to only end up with 170 is an area we could have improved in,” Buttler said. “The wicket definitely got harder and the West Indies adapted.

“They hit a lot of sixes as a team, that’s something that is a trademark of their side and we’ve got to find ways to limit that. Obviously the swing in the game with sixes is so big.

“You’ve got to find ways to get it out the arc, try and find ways to take wickets as well, be aggressive and be committed. It’s a great test for us and we’ll find out lots over the next few games.

“But certainly we need to find a way to score 20-25 more runs in that phase which would have been a really good score on that wicket.”

Veteran all-rounder Andre Russell marked his first international appearance since the 2021 T20 World Cup with three for 19 and an unbeaten 29 off 14 balls, as the Windies won with 11 balls to spare.

He is a regular on the franchise circuit, but has been coaxed back into the Windies set-up by former team-mate and now head coach Darren Sammy just a few months before they co-host the T20 World Cup.

“I still have a lot left in the tank, but based on discussions with the coach I told him that after the World Cup, I would walk away from international cricket,” the 35-year-old said.

“But if they need me, I will come out of retirement. If West Indies should still need me, I would be willing to put in the hard yards for them. I always want to play for West Indies.

“Sometimes people might think it’s all about playing leagues and all of those things, but I try to make sure that I look after my body and make sure that when this call up is here, I’m ready.”

England have no time to lick their wounds after a miserable World Cup and ODI series defeat against the Windies was followed by another setback here, with the second T20 on Thursday in Grenada.

They were vindicated in selecting two leg-spinners as Rashid and Ahmed shared five of the six Windies wickets and the pair are set to feature in two matches in Grenada and another couple in Trinidad.

“It was great to see them operate together,” the England captain added. “We need to find out if it’s an option here before we get to the World Cup.

Rashid continues to shine for England and will almost certainly be instrumental in their T20 World Cup defence in six months’ time.

“He was class again,” Buttler said. “He’s been a key player for England for such a long period of time, to reach 100 caps shows his longevity, his skill and he’s been such an important member of our team.”

England raced to 77 for none at the end of the powerplay, then 112 for two at halfway, but collapsed to 171 all out in 19.3 overs, losing their last five wickets for six runs in 15 balls in Barbados.

Adil Rashid marked his 100th T20 appearance – he was presented with his cap by Andrew Flintoff – with two for 25 and became the first English male bowler to collect 100 wickets in the format.

But the Windies batters lived up to their reputation as big hitters, bludgeoning 14 sixes in total, possibly aided by a half-hour rain delay that made bowling conditions trickier.

Buttler accepted figuring out how to stop them so readily being able to clear the rope must be a priority for England’s bowlers in the remaining four matches.

“From the position we were in at halfway, to only end up with 170 is an area we could have improved in,” Buttler said. “The wicket definitely got harder and the West Indies adapted.

“They hit a lot of sixes as a team, that’s something that is a trademark of their side and we’ve got to find ways to limit that. Obviously the swing in the game with sixes is so big.

“You’ve got to find ways to get it out the arc, try and find ways to take wickets as well, be aggressive and be committed. It’s a great test for us and we’ll find out lots over the next few games.

“But certainly we need to find a way to score 20-25 more runs in that phase which would have been a really good score on that wicket.”

Veteran all-rounder Andre Russell marked his first international appearance since the 2021 T20 World Cup with three for 19 and an unbeaten 29 off 14 balls, as the Windies won with 11 balls to spare.

He is a regular on the franchise circuit, but has been coaxed back into the Windies set-up by former team-mate and now head coach Darren Sammy just a few months before they co-host the T20 World Cup.

“I still have a lot left in the tank, but based on discussions with the coach I told him that after the World Cup, I would walk away from international cricket,” the 35-year-old said.

“But if they need me, I will come out of retirement. If West Indies should still need me, I would be willing to put in the hard yards for them. I always want to play for West Indies.

“Sometimes people might think it’s all about playing leagues and all of those things, but I try to make sure that I look after my body and make sure that when this call up is here, I’m ready.”

England have no time to lick their wounds after a miserable World Cup and ODI series defeat against the Windies was followed by another setback here, with the second T20 on Thursday in Grenada.

They were vindicated in selecting two leg-spinners as Rashid and Ahmed shared five of the six Windies wickets and the pair are set to feature in two matches in Grenada and another couple in Trinidad.

“It was great to see them operate together,” the England captain added. “We need to find out if it’s an option here before we get to the World Cup.

Rashid continues to shine for England and will almost certainly be instrumental in their T20 World Cup defence in six months’ time.

“He was class again,” Buttler said. “He’s been a key player for England for such a long period of time, to reach 100 caps shows his longevity, his skill and he’s been such an important member of our team.”

Chasing a sizeable first innings score of 436, Nottinghamshire crumbled for 276, despite 111 from opener Haseeb Hameed and not losing their first wicket until they had put 115 runs on the board.

Charlie Morris had the best bowling figures for Worcestershire, after taking 3 for 30 but Joseph chipped in with 2 for 33.  The West Indies accounted for top-order batsman Ben Duckett and Nottinghamshire were then forced to follow on still some 160 runs short of the target.

In the first innings, Joseph was part of a staunch lower-order effort that ballooned the tally late on.  Joseph recorded his first half-century in the competition with 61, Ed Barnard added 58 and captain Joe Leach 84.

The total adds to Joseph’s debut innings of 46 from 55 against Derbyshire last week.  On that occasion, the bowler also chipped in with 3 wickets.

The 24-year-old racked up an impressive 82 from 108 balls, as part of staunch mid-lower order resistance, en route to the Windies posting a satisfactory first innings score of 409.  In the end, Joseph’s aggressive innings was ended when he was caught by Liton Das as he attempted to pull away Abu Jayed.

His total proved a handy one for the team, who will count any runs from the bowler as a huge bonus.  For Joseph, however, a player who prides himself on his batting, it was the second time he was coming close to making his first Test century.

Against New Zealand, in December, Joseph put together a commendable 86, which remains his highest score to date.

“It’s disappointing not to get 100 but I’ve been working hard on my batting, so there will be other opportunities to get that total,” he added.

“When I came to the crease it was just to spend some time and support Josh (Joshua Da Silva) at the crease."

Together Joseph and Da Silva put together an important 7^th wicket partnership.

At the end of the first day, Joseph remained unbeaten on 46 from 81 balls and sharing in an eighth-wicket stand worth 89 runs with Ed Barnard.  The partnership took Worcestershire to 305 for 7, after looking in some trouble at 216 for 7 earlier on.

The total marks Joseph’s second 40+runs innings of the young season, having opened up with 46 from 55 against Derbyshire last week.  On that occasion, the bowler also chipped in with 3 wickets drawing commendation from Worcestershire coach, Alex Gidman, who praised the player's mentality.

When play resumes Joseph could be looking for his first half-century in the competition, having signed a seven-game deal with Worcestershire for the first part of the season a few weeks ago.

The 24-year-old has taken 37 wickets from 15 Tests and shown plenty of ability with the bat of late, scoring half-centuries on successive Test tours of New Zealand and Bangladesh.

With 13 Test match appearances and 29 One Day International (ODI) games under his belt, the 29-year-old fast bowler has done most of his damage with the ball.  Joseph has taken 32 Test wickets and 48 ODI wickets, on occasion, however, he has shown plenty of ability with the bat.

In the recent series against New Zealand, the bowler’s 85 in the first Test was one of the batting highlights in an overall poor showing at the crease for the West Indies.  Despite showing flashes of ability, the player is yet to display any type of strong consistency with the bat, but he admits he is working towards it.

“Personally, I’m aiming to be an all-rounder, but, as of now, I’m just taking everything step by step,” Joseph told members of the media from Bangladesh on Thursday.

“I’m looking to first do my main attribute, which is to contribute with the ball, and then when it comes to batting, I will give my best, whatever performance I can put in with the bat I will put it in,” he added.

The hosts won the toss and decided to bat first, a decision that was proven to be the right one as Markram and Dean Elgar put on 141 for the first wicket before Elgar was dismissed for 71 by Joseph in the 36^th over.

That brought debutant Tony de Zorzi to the crease to join Markram and the pair brought the score up to 221-1 in the 57^th over before de Zorzi was run out for 28.

Before that partnership was ended, Markram, making his return to the Test side after being dropped last year. Brought up his fifth Test hundred off 150 balls.

Two balls after de Zorzi’s wicket, Temba Bavuma, in his first innings as South Africa’s Test Captain, was dismissed for a duck.

Four overs later, Markram’s knock finally came to an end when he was bowled by Joseph for a classy 115. His innings came off 174 balls and included 18 fours.

Markram’s wicket started a collapse for South Africa as they lost their next four wickets for 64 runs as Heinrich Klaasen (20), Senuran Muthusamy (3), Keegan Petersen (14) and Kagiso Rabada (8) all fell in quick succession.

South Africa ended the day 314-8 off 82 overs with Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee on 17 and 11, respectively.

Alzarri Joseph has, so far, taken 3-60 off 16 overs for the Windies.

Scores: South Africa 314-8 off 82 overs (Aiden Markram 115, Dean Elgar 71, Alzarri Joseph 3-60)