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England defeated West Indies by four wickets in the second T20I to clinch the series 2-0 by successfully chasing down a target of 197 runs in Bristol on June 8. This win marked their fifth consecutive victory against the West Indies in the ongoing tour. This was also England's back-to-back series win under Harry Brook's reign which came after a robust 3-0 ODI whitewash against West Indies.
West Indies had put themselves in a strong position to potentially claim their first win of the white-ball tour, smashing an impressive 75 runs in the final four overs of their innings. This late surge included a remarkable 31 runs off Adil Rashid's 19th over, ultimately allowing them to post a total of 196 runs for the loss of six wickets after being put in to bat by England's captain, Harry Brook, at the toss.
In their reply, England's innings saw Jos Buttler (who scored 47 runs off 36 balls) and Harry Brook (who contributed 34 runs off 20 balls) fall in quick succession, leaving them at 126 runs for the loss of four wickets in the 14th over. However, Jacob Bethell, with a quickfire 26 runs off just 10 balls, and Tom Banton, who remained unbeaten on 30 runs off 11 balls, then took charge, hitting boundaries all around the ground. Their explosive partnership guided the home side to victory with nine deliveries to spare.
Following their 3-0 clean sweep in the ODI series, England will now have their sights set on achieving another series whitewash in the third and final T20Il match scheduled to be played in Southampton on Tuesday, June 10.
Luke Wood, making his first appearance for England in nearly two years after replacing Matthew Potts in the side, made an immediate impact by taking a wicket with the very first ball of the West Indies innings in Bristol. The left-arm seamer delivered a devastating swinging yorker that trapped Evin Lewis leg-before-wicket for a duck.
Despite this early setback, Shai Hope (who scored 49 runs off 38 balls) and Johnson Charles (who contributed 47 runs off 39 balls) quickly formed an impressive 90-run partnership. This strong stand provided a solid foundation for the West Indies to launch an attack. However, England managed to take a couple of quick wickets, once again putting pressure on the touring side. Three West Indies batsmen fell for the addition of just 27 runs within a span of 4.4 overs. Hope was stumped by a beautiful delivery from Adil Rashid, Sherfane Rutherford was dismissed cheaply for 6 runs, and Wood claimed his second wicket by getting rid of Charles.
Just as it seemed England would restrict the West Indies to a below-par total, Rovman Powell played a rapid innings, scoring 34 runs off just 15 balls. This was followed by explosive hitting from Jason Holder (who remained unbeaten on 29 runs off 9 balls) and Romario Shepherd (who scored 19 runs off 11 balls). The duo particularly targeted Rashid in the penultimate over, hitting him to devastating effect.
Chasing a target of 197 runs, England lost Jamie Smith for just 4 runs in the second over. However, mirroring the West Indies innings, Jos Buttler and Ben Duckett (who scored 30 runs off 18 balls) counter-attacked with a strong second-wicket partnership, taking the hosts to 58 runs for the loss of one wicket by the end of the six-over powerplay. The partnership was broken in spectacular fashion in the eighth over when Powell took a terrific diving catch at midwicket to dismiss Duckett. Charles had a chance to dismiss Buttler for 43 but dropped a relatively straightforward catch. Fortunately for him, he managed to pouch the former England captain soon after, for the cost of only four additional runs.
Harry Brook, who had earlier hammered two boundaries and a six off Shepherd's 12th over, which cost 20 runs, followed Buttler back to the pavilion in the 14th over, leaving England looking suddenly vulnerable. However, Tom Banton immediately swung the momentum back in England's favour by slog-sweeping his very first ball for a six. He and Jacob Bethell then cleared the ropes on four more occasions, along with hitting one boundary, over the next two overs, putting England firmly in control of the chase. Although Bethell was dismissed late in the innings, Banton remained unbeaten and guided his side to victory.
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