Rovman Powell scored an excellent 51-ball century as the Windies won the third T20I by 20 runs.
The West Indies went 2-1 up in the five-match T20I series against England in what was an entertaining high-scoring encounter between the two sides. Batting first, the WI registered a massive score of 224/5 in 20 overs, after Rovman Powell scored an explosive century. The English batsmen faltered at a crucial juncture of their innings to ultimately hand the Windies a 20-run victory.
After losing openers Shai Hope and Brandon King cheaply, destructive duo Powell and the veteran captain Nicholas Pooran joined each other in the middle. The two batsmen gave the English bowlers the beating of a lifetime, smashing them to all parts of the ground.
Pooran, who has been out of form in the recent past, took a few balls to settle down before teeing off. His innings was an exhibition of pure hitting, as he scored four boundaries and five sixes in his excellent knock of 70 in just 43 balls.
Powell’s innings was more of a display of brute force as he smashed 10 huge sixes in his brilliantly made century, which propelled the Windies well beyond the 200-run mark. His 132-run partnership with Pooran in just 66 balls set up the massive score for the Windies, whose innings ended at 224/5 after 20 overs.
Only the third West Indies player to score a T20I 💯 🤩
— CricWick (@CricWick) January 27, 2022
Rovman Powell blasted 🔟 sixes in his destructive hundred against England 🤯
The star all-rounder will be partially available for @MultanSultans this season 👏#WIvENG #HBLPSL7 pic.twitter.com/cDYQtfAD2t
In reply, the English openers looked good, with Jason Roy hitting a couple of sixes off the Windies fast bowlers before mistiming a lofted shot straight into Jason Holder’s hands at long-on. Soon after Roy’s dismissal, James Vince also departed after an entertaining cameo, falling to left-arm spinner Akeal Hossain.
Tom Banton was the only English batsman who could offer any resistance to the Windies bowlers. Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone were done away with after some disciplined bowling by the Windies bowling attack, as England were struggling at 107/4 chasing a huge total of 225. Banton continued the onslaught for a short while after Livingstone’s dismissal, but fell for a superb 73 to Kevin Pollard.
After Banton’s dismissal, it was basically curtains for the England chase, as the lower order could not do much, falling in quick succession. Phil Salt did play a wonderful cameo, scoring 57 in just 24 balls, but it was too little, too late, as his support at the other end dwindled after Harry Brook’s dismissal, until which England looked like they had an outside chance of winning the game.
The equation eventually came down to 38 off the last over by Romario Shepherd. Salt struck two sixes off the first two legal deliveries after a wide first up, where the English batsmen sneaked a single, but Salt was bowled the very next ball, and England finished their innings on 204/9, as the Windies won by 20 runs.
Powell was given the ‘Man of the match’ award for his scintillating century as the Caribbean Kings went 2-1 up in the five-match series.
