Phil Salt hit six boundaries in an over as he and Jonny Bairstow powered England to an eight-wicket victory over host nation West Indies in their T20 World Cup Super 8s opener in Saint Lucia.
Salt (87 not out off 47 balls) thrashed three sixes and as many fours in West Indies seamer Romario Shepherd’s 30-run 16th over as the defending champions reached their target of 181 with 15 deliveries to spare in Gros Islet for a statement win.
Bairstow struck 48 not out off 26 deliveries in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 97 from 44 balls with Salt, taking three boundaries in succession off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein in the 15th over.
The Yorkshireman also smoked two consecutive boundaries off paceman Alzarri Joseph at the start of the 14th, which had begun with England requiring 70 from 42 balls following a West Indies fightback in the middle overs after England had reached 58-0 at the end of the powerplay through Salt and Jos Buttler (25 off 22).
Buttler’s side sit top of Super 8s Group 2, above South Africa on net run-rate, ahead of their clash with the Proteas in Saint Lucia on Friday (3.30pm UK and Ireland).
Spinner Adil Rashid (1-21) was earlier the pick of the England bowlers, conceding only two runs and dismissing the potentially dangerous Andre Russell (1) in the 17th over, with fast bowler Jofra Archer (1-34) shipping only four runs and removing Nicholas Pooran (36 off 32) in the 16th – those overs crucial in limiting West Indies to 180-4.
Brandon King (23 off 13) dazzled briefly for the hosts in the powerplay, including smashing Reece Topley for a 101-metre maximum over deep midwicket, but then retired hurt with a side strain that could rule him out of the rest of the tournament.
West Indies – who will rue Pooran dropping Salt on seven off Hosein early in the chase – next play against USA in Bridgetown, Barbados from 1.30am on Saturday.
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Watch all of Salt’s boundaries as he smashed 87 not out from 47 balls against West Indies
Salt stars in Saint Lucia as England lay down marker
Salt completed a 38-ball fifty when he smoked Shepherd for four over the covers at the start of the 16th over and then proceeded to pump a six down the ground before uppercutting a slower ball over wicketkeeper Pooran for four.
The opener continued his assault with sixes over long-off and deep backward square and concluded a run-laden over by belting a full toss through the off-side, leaving his team requiring just 10 from 24 deliveries and the game all but won.
Salt had earlier dominated his opening stand of 67 from 46 deliveries with Buttler before the latter was pinned lbw by off-spinner Roston Chase, while Moeen Ali (13 off 10) then holed out off Russell as England managed only 53 runs across overs seven to 13.
Bairstow reignited the innings, though, before Salt’s pyrotechnics.
With the ball, spinner Liam Livingstone (1-20) took some tap in his sole over, nailed for three sixes in four deliveries by West Indies skipper Rovman Powell (36 off 17) before he dismissed the same player, while paceman Mark Wood’s 18th over was taken for 19, largely due to Sherfane Rutherford (28no off 15).
But the hosts were largely subdued with top-scorer Johnson Charles (38 off 34) plodding along and England spinners Rashid and Moeen (1-15) keeping the run rate down.
After only squeezing into the Super 8s ahead of Scotland on net run-rate, England now look like genuine title contenders once again.
Buttler: England were calculated with the bat
England skipper Jos Buttler:
“I thought it was a really good performance. We planned really well and I thought we executed with bat and ball and deserved the win.
England captain Jos Buttler hailed Salt and Bairstow’s match-winning partnership
“We did really well to restrict such a powerful batting line-up. It was still a decent score we were chasing, you had to play well to chase it down, but we were very smart with the bat.
“Guys were calculated when they took their options and I thought the Bairstow-Salt partnership was so good. Bairstow came with great intent and took the momentum back, while Salty broke the back of the chase with that one big over.
“A lot of people say you learn when you lose but I believe you learn when you win as well. We need to reflect on what we did well and then put that to bed and move onto the next game.”
Salt smashed three sixes and as many fours in the 16th over of England’s successful run chase
Powell: West Indies must take the positives
West Indies captain Rovman Powell:
“I think we left 15, 20 runs out there with the bat. We are usually very good in the last five overs but credit to the England bowling unit. You can see they had clear plans and executed.
“We could also have given a better display as a bowling group. Phil [Salt] always seems to score runs against West Indies and hurt us but I felt we strayed a little from our plans.
West Indies captain Rovman Powell says his bowlers strayed from their plans in England’s run chase
“It is for us to re-evaluate as a batting and bowling group and take the positives from this game. Destiny is still in our own hands so we have to play good cricket.”
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What’s next?
England stay in Saint Lucia to play South Africa on Friday (3.30pm UK and Ireland), while West Indies travel to Barbados to take on USA on Saturday (1.30am UK and Ireland).