England defeated the West Indies by three wickets in a tense 3rd T20I to seal an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match series. Chasing down a modest target of 146, England overcame a late wobble, with Sam Curran (41) and Liam Livingstone (39) leading the charge, despite a valiant effort from West Indies’ Akeal Hosein (4-22) and Rovman Powell’s blistering 54.
Mahmood Dominates Again
The win was set up by another sensational display from England’s Saqib Mahmood, who continued his remarkable form in the series. Mahmood claimed 3 for 17, including two wickets in the powerplay, and laid waste to West Indies’ top order. The home side’s early collapse, which saw them reduced to 37 for 5, was down to Mahmood’s ruthless accuracy with the new ball, as he dismissed Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran, and Roston Chase.
With the ball swinging and seaming, Mahmood proved too much for the West Indies batters, removing Pooran with a short ball and sending the dangerous Lewis back to the pavilion with a fuller delivery that found the edge. Roston Chase was next to fall, nicking Mahmood’s inswinger behind. When Shimron Hetmyer also fell to a loose shot against Mahmood, West Indies were in deep trouble at 37 for 5.
Powell’s Lone Stand
Despite the early collapse, West Indies’ captain Powell once again showed his resilience, batting through the middle overs to anchor the innings. His 54 runs came off 41 balls and included three boundaries, with Powell launching four sixes – two of which were off leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed.
Powell found support in Romario Shepherd, who added 30 runs to a 73-run partnership that helped West Indies reach 110 for 5 after 15 overs. But just as the partnership began to look threatening, Jamie Overton (3 for 20) made key breakthroughs in the middle overs, dismissing both Shepherd and Powell in quick succession.
Overton’s clinical bowling – a combination of slower balls and short-pitched deliveries – set up the collapse. Shepherd was deceived by a slower ball, while Powell’s downfall came when he mistimed a cross-seam delivery to deep midwicket.
Hosein Keeps the Pressure On
Despite the middle-order collapse, Akeal Hosein provided some late resistance with the ball, picking up four wickets for 22 runs to keep the chase tight. His spell was crucial in slowing down England’s progress, with Livingstone benefitting from several dropped chances. Livingstone,
