Phil Salt produced another epic century hours after his Indian Premier League snub as England racked up their highest-ever T20 score to send their series against the West Indies to a decider.
Overlooked at Tuesday’s IPL auction in Dubai and three days on from his match-winning 109 not out in Grenada, Salt’s form transferred to Trinidad as he amassed a buccaneering 119 off just 57 balls.
The innings underpinned England’s gargantuan 267 for three, which was 26 more than their previous T20 best against New Zealand in Napier in November 2019, and proved enough to secure a thumping 75-run win.
Having been set a daunting target, which if achieved would have been a world record chase, the Windies went out all guns blazing but were all out for 192 in 15.3 overs.
Reece Topley finished with three for 37, Sam Curran and Rehan Ahmed each took a couple of wickets while there was one each for Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid.
Salt set a new benchmark for the highest T20 score by an Englishman while he is the first male from his country with two three-figure scores in the format.
From the moment he danced down the track to his third ball and dispatched a sweetly-timed drive off T20 debutant Matthew Forde for the first of his 10 sixes, Salt barely looked back.
England captain Jos Buttler registered his second successive half-century, thumping three sixes before holing out going for a fourth after contributing 55 to an opening stand worth 117 in 9.5 overs.
The wicket did not bring a halt to the onslaught as the Windies may have hoped as the first three balls of the next over from Sherfane Rutherford were hit over the leg-side rope by a free-flowing Salt.
Will Jacks chipped in 24 off eight balls as Salt inched towards a 48-ball ton.
He and Livingstone quickly got back to piling on runs in a boundary-laden 73-run union off 29 deliveries.
Livingstone briefly threatened six sixes in an over after the wayward Forde, who conceded 54 in 18 deliveries, saw his first three balls travel the distance before he finally got one in the blockhole.
England equalled their record for the most sixes in a T20 with 20 before Salt departed in the penultimate over.
He got himself in a tangle against Andre Russell and saw the ball sail between his legs before castling him, although Livingstone finished on 54 not out off 21 balls after taking three fours off Jason Holder.
Both Holder and Gudakesh Motie conceded 55 while Akeal Hosein was the only member of the Windies side who bowled more than one over and kept their economy rate under 10.
The Windies have enviable firepower of their own but Moeen gave England the best possible start in the second innings.
His first ball took Brandon King’s top edge and looped to Reece Topley, who took a fine leaping catch at short third.
Boundaries were not hard to come by in the chase as the Windies collected 14 sixes of their own and all of England’s bowlers came in for punishment, but they kept making breakthroughs in the batting.
Pooran (39) and Rutherford (36) threatened briefly while Russell clattered 51 off 25 balls before he was last batter out, attempting to take down Topley but caught by Brook running in from long-off.
Matthews takes 2-21, hits 41 as Melbourne Renegades get first win of the season in WBBL
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews produced a strong all-round performance to help the Melbourne Renegades get their first win of the season on the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, a six-wicket win over the Perth Scorchers at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Saturday.
The Scorchers were bowled out for 140 in 19.4 overs after winning the toss and batting first.
Opener Beth Mooney led the way with 36 while Alana King (26) and captain Sophie Devine (22) also made valuable contributions.
Sophie Molineux was the outstanding bowler on the day for the Renegades with 4-17 from her four overs and was well supported by Alice Capsey (2-15 from three overs), Matthews (2-21 from 2.4 overs) and Georgia Wareham (2-35 from four overs).
The Renegades then needed just 17.4 overs to reach 145-4 and secure their first win in three tries this season.
A 102-run opening partnership between Matthews and Courtney Webb set up the chase beautifully.
Webb led the way with 61 off 40 balls including nine fours and a six while Matthews made 41 off 27 balls including seven fours and a six.
Deandra Dottin hit a six to seal the win off Alana King who took 2-35 from 3.4 overs.
Jadeja and Ashwin boost India hopes of avoiding series whitewash
India boosted their hopes of avoiding a series whitewash by taking control on day two of the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai.
Ravindra Jadeja (4-52) and Ravichandran Ashwin (3-63) led the hosts' charge, as they reduced the tourists to 171-9 at the close.
Following their late 10-minute collapse on Friday, which left them at 84-4, Rishabh Pant (60 off 59 balls) and Shubnam Gill (90 from 146 deliveries) ensured India made a progressive start to the second day.
Washington Sundar also chipped in with 38 from 36 balls, but Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan went in quick succession as New Zealand claimed three wickets in the space of 10 overs after lunch.
The Black Caps trailed by 28 after bowling their opponents out for 263, but lost Tom Latham in the opening over, with Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra following soon after to leave them at 44-3.
Will Young (51 off 100) chalked up his second 50 of the Test, though it proved a false down for the tourists, as Jadeja and Ashwin took a combined seven wickets to keep their side's deficit down to just 143 with one wicket remaining.
Data Debrief:
India are desperately trying to prevent New Zealand from inflicting their first-ever home whitewash in a series of three or more Tests.
Pant certainly did his bit by taking just 36 balls to notch up India's fastest Test 50 against the Black Caps, for whom Patel (5-103) took his second five-wicket haul in the city of his birth, as well as his sixth overall in Test cricket.
Jadeja was also inspired in the field, though, as he took his wicket tally for the Test to nine.
Webster hits 95* as defending champions Red Force move to two wins from two with seven-wicket victory over Volcanoes at Brian Lara Cricket Academy
Hosts and defending champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force comfortably defeated the Windward Islands Volcanoes by seven wickets at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Friday to move to two wins out of two this season.
The Red Force first restricted the Volcanoes to 182 all out off 45 overs after winning the toss and bowling first.
Joshua James, Yannic Cariah and Anderson Phillip all took two-wicket hauls for the Red Force while Jeremy Solozano and Sunil Ambris each made 47 for the Volcanoes.
The Red Force then needed only 38 overs to reach 186-3 and secure their second win in as many games this season.
Tion Webster led the way with the bat with 95* off 115 balls including 14 fours and one six while Amir Jangoo hit 31.
Captain Joshua Da Silva finished 21* alongside Webster.
Full Scores:
Windward Islands Volcanoes 182 off 45 overs (Sunil Ambris 47, Jeremy Solozano 47, Joshua James 2-15, Anderson Phillip 2-21, Yannic Cariah 2-35)
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 186-3 off 38 overs (Tion Webster 95*, Amir Jangoo 31)
The Red Force will next play the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the same venue on Sunday while the Volcanoes will next play the Jamaica Scorpions at the Queen’s Park Oval on Tuesday.
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