Liam Livingstone was dropped three times but made the most of his luck to guide England to victory over West Indies, clinching the T20 series with two matches still to play. With the score set at 146 to win during the third T20 match at Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, England found themselves struggling early on at 37-3. Despite the rocky start, Sam Curran's impressive batting of 41 runs from 26 balls brought the team back on track, putting them within reach of their target. Livingstone’s perseverance proved key as he scored 39 runs off 28 balls, leading England to triumph by three wickets with just four balls to spare.
The win gave England an unassailable lead of 3-0 in the five-match series, something they hadn’t achieved since before the pandemic-era hiccups around international cricket. Earlier, Saqib Mahmood and Jamie Overton showcased a dominant bowling display, each taking three wickets and limiting West Indies to just 145 runs, leaving the home side reeling at 37-5 at one point. Mahmood's trio of wickets came during the powerplay, adding to his impressive tally of nine wickets for the series at an average below 8, making him the standout bowler.
West Indies, led by captain Rovman Powell, managed to fight back slightly thanks to his fluent 54 runs and Romario Shepherd’s partnership of 73 runs for the sixth wicket. This partnership provided some stability after the batting order collapsed early, with Powell managing to give the innings some respectability. Overall, their efforts fell short as they needed far more runs to challenge England's formidable batting lineup. The Windies faced severe consequences from their early batting failures especially highlighted by their top-order batsmen falling for single digits.
The batting lineup was bolstered by captain Jos Buttler’s return after struggles from previous games, but he too suffered as he was dismissed early, once again highlighting England's fragility up top. But the returning Livingstone ensured England capitalized on West Indies’ mistakes, particularly with some alarming dropped catches. Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer, both prominent figures for the Windies, had three catches between them, all dropped, giving Livingstone multiple lives during his innings. The game hung by the thinnest of threads, as England relied on their depth and ability to bounce back from adversity.
Despite the hiccups along the way, England's players expressed their relief and happiness at securing the series victory, with Livingstone remarking on enjoying his role within the squad. He emphasized the thrill of contributing such pivotal innings. Saqib Mahmood echoed similar sentiments, pointing to the collective effort of the side and the conviction to perform well under pressure as instrumental to their success. Jos Buttler also reflected on how the series represented strong teamwork and resilience among the players, particularly noting the strong competition for places, as several first-choice players were missing from this tour.
The immediate focus for the squad now turns to the remaining two T20 matches scheduled this weekend. While England can celebrate their series win, West Indies’ captain Powell recognized the challenges his team faced and emphasized the importance of playing to their natural strengths. The series showcased both the promise and pitfalls of T20 cricket as teams vied for dominance, but England's victory contributes positively to their rebuilding phase following earlier struggles.
Looking back, this series victory for England is significant as it marks their first away T20 series win since October 2022 and was achieved without many of their leading stars present. But the foundation built by Mahmood’s exceptional bowling and Curran and Livingstone’s batting resilience has set them up strongly for future contests, reinstilling confidence and depth within the squad. The upcoming matches will now serve as both tests of talent and opportunity for players to establish themselves as fixtures within this changing lineup.
