England and the West Indies engaged in a thrilling match in the fourth Twenty20 International, with England looking to overturn the West Indies’ 2-1 lead and reclaim the series. The match took place at Tarouba with great stakes and a crucial toss that saw the West Indies win and choose to bowl first, a move that caused some controversy given the pitch’s tendency toward batters. Philip Salt and Jos Buttler, who displayed bravery and accuracy in identifying boundaries, led England from the beginning.
The captain unexpectedly collapsed on 55, coming off in just 29 deliveries, while Philip Salt continued his outstanding run with the goal of remaining unsold in the IPL auction. He scored another century, leaving the West Indies bowlers baffled by his unrelenting assault.
Will Jacks, who made a brief appearance and gave England’s innings some much-needed momentum, complemented Salt’s genius. England amassed a dominant 267 thanks to the brilliant 109 off 56 balls of Salt and the blazing 54 off 21 balls of Liam Livingstone. This was a record for T20Is at Tarouba and the second-highest total in matches involving all ICC members.
West Indies hitters were discarded like a deck of cards.
In response, Brandon King gave the West Indies their first wicket with the first ball. Despite their strong opening attack, the West Indies’ strategy proved counterproductive, as wickets fell frequently. Nicholas Pooran, Kyle Mayers, Sherfane Rutherford, and Shai Hope all had strong starts, but none of them took advantage of their chances. Towards the end, Andre Russell’s quick 51 off 25 deliveries gave some optimism, but it came a little too late.
Leading bowlers Adil Rashid and Reece Topley’s England made significant strides that hampered the West Indies pursuit. Sam Curran and Rehan Ahmed each took two wickets, but Topley’s three-wicket haul added to the West Indies’ misery. Despite Buttler’s deft bowler control, the hosts ultimately lost by 75 runs and lost all of their wickets with almost five overs remaining. This made the 268-run total appear unachievable. England’s convincing win not only leveled the series but also demonstrated their superiority in a high-scoring match.
After England defeated the West Indies in the fourth Twenty20 International, these were the reactions that ‘X’ users had to watch:
Omg England Just scored 267 runs in a T20 Against West Indies 😱 pity why i missed this #ENGvsWi #T20I https://t.co/Exn1F5cqLU
— Shahbaz Ali (@AliBhai13575742) December 20, 2023
This roar was personal for Philip Salt.
What a player…!!
Scored his second consecutive 💯 against West Indies on a day he went unsold in #iplauction2024 where he deserved a million bucks. pic.twitter.com/nz6mqM4b6V
— Classic Mojito (@classic_mojito) December 19, 2023
ENG Won the Match by 75 Runs. WI all out on 192 in 15.3 overs.
Series level 2-2
#WIvENG #WIvsENG #ENGvWI #ENGvsWi pic.twitter.com/JgeslkdRnD
— Sports Chronicle (@sportschr0nicle) December 19, 2023
Phil Salt, you absolute beast – full respect #ENGvsWi pic.twitter.com/DskVbYs2cy
— Tim Scott (@TimScottHR) December 19, 2023
— Jofra Archer (@JofraArcher) December 19, 2023
India
