Moeen Ali-inspired England set up T20 decider against West Indies
Moeen Ali-inspired England level T20 series against West Indies after 34-run win in Bridgetown… with stand-in captain smashing 63 before taking two wickets to help set up series decider on Sunday
- England went bigger with the bat and then defended tigerishly with the ball
- All-rounder Moeen Ali hit a rapid 63 with the bat and then took two wickets
- England sent down 10 overs of spin to push up West Indies’ required rate
- Chris Jordan and Reece Topley were both outstanding as death bowlers
Moeen Ali produced an outstanding captain’s display to send England into a series-decider against West Indies in Bridgetown this evening.
Worcestershire all-rounder Moeen hit a rapid 63 off 28 balls and followed up with two wickets with his off spin as, on the same pitch used for last Sunday’s win for England in which they held off a late West Indies surge by the barest of margins, a team without its usual leader Eoin Morgan due to injury went bigger with the bat and then defended tigerishly with the ball.
‘In the last game I did nothing – I got hit, I got nought, you’ve got to accept that sometimes,’ he said following the 34-run win that squared things at 2-2.
Moeen Ali produced an outstanding captain’s display to send England into a series-decider
Ali (centre) followed up a rapid 63 with the bat and with two wickets with his off spin
‘Today, I’m really happy I could contribute to keeping the series alive. When you’re captain you tend to under-bowl yourself and I thought it was a good situation for me to have a bowl.’
The decisive juncture of the contest proved to be the 18th over of England’s innings when, using the crease and second-guessing Jason Holder’s every move, left-hander Moeen crunched and caressed four successive sixes. In all, 28 runs came from it.
Launching the second and third balls aerially down the ground, the fourth was surgically placed over the rope at extra cover and when Holder switched to round the wicket, a flick off the stumps sailed over the dugouts.
Moeen took his personal six tally to seven with two in the next over off Romario Shepherd before picking out long-off attempting an eighth.
England sent down 10 overs of spin to push up West Indies’ required rate in their chase
Momentum was then maintained into the defence of 193 for six when Sam Billings marked his return to the team by taking England’s maximum count to 15 with two in as many deliveries at the end of the innings to transform Holder’s figures from 2-0-3-1 to 4-0-44-3.
England invested heavily in spin to surge up the required rate and it stood at 110 off seven overs when Adil Rashid, whose opening 15 overs of the series went at less than a run a ball, returned to the attack.
Holder twice used his long levers to haul the Yorkshire leg-spinner, who accounted for Wednesday’s centurion Roman Powell in his first burst, into the short leg side boundary during a cameo of 36.
Chris Jordan (right) and Reece Topley (left) were both outstanding with their death bowling
But England had the last laugh when, with the equation whittled down to 50 off 16, he holed out off the outstanding Reece Topley.
And unlike seven days earlier when they conceded 59 off the final three overs, the death bowling in general was well executed.
It looked like England were heading for only a second series defeat in 12 when Kyle Mayers entered the campaign in much the same manner as Powell had 72 hours earlier but Moeen lured him into a mishit down the ground and from 64 without loss, Windies were soon 78 for three.
Earlier, after England were inserted, Jason Roy survived a leg before DRS on nought off and was also dropped by Holder in his follow through on his way to 52 off 41 balls before Moeen pressed the accelerator late on.
Earlier, Jason Roy survived a leg before DRS and a dropped catch on his way to 52 off 41 balls
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