Record-breaking England cruise to win over Windies

Third T20, Utilita Bowl, Southampton

England 248-3 (20 overs): Duckett 84 (46), Smith 60 (26); Rutherford 1-20

West Indies 211-8 (20 overs): Powell 79 (45); Wood 3-31

England won by 37 runs; win series 3-0

Ben Duckett’s inventive 84 helped big-hitting England blast their way to a record score on home soil as they wrapped up a series clean sweep with a 37-run victory over West Indies in the third T20.

Duckett’s knock came off 46 balls as he shared a 120-run stand with fellow opener Jamie Smith, who made a 26-ball 60, as the pair provided the backbone of England’s total of 248-3.

Skipper Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell continued the momentum as they peppered the boundary to finish unbeaten on 35 and 36 respectively, as a dispirited West Indies bowling attack ran out of ideas.

England’s total was their highest in T20s on their own turf, eclipsing the 234-6 they made against South Africa at Bristol in July 2022, and was their second highest anywhere.

West Indies gamely approached the chase as Rovman Powell cracked an unbeaten 79 while captain Shai Hope smeared three sixes in his 45 as the tourists finished on 211-8.

It helped ensure the margin of defeat for the tourists was more modest than might have been anticipated as left-arm quick Luke Wood finished the pick of England’s bowlers with 3-31.

A quick pitch and an England team rediscovering their white-ball swagger, up against a demoralised West Indies bowling attack, proved to be an heady cocktail for the Southampton crowd as they lapped up an evening of audacious run-scoring.

England’s openers bristled with intent from the get-go, as the right-left hand combination of Smith and Duckett wreaked havoc.

Duckett liberally sprinkled runs to all angles, with his innings full of nifty reverse sweeps, deft cuts and clever scoops.

Alzarri Joseph stuck a paw out to a brutal Duckett drive on the up when he was on 37, but such was the ferocity of the strike it still flew to the boundary leaving the West Indies quick with a bruise but nothing more.

Six overs in, England were 83-0 and it already felt the like the match was over as a contest as the shoulders of those wearing maroon started to droop.

The diminutive Duckett dovetailed well with the taller Smith, as West Indies’ attack struggled to find the right length against England’s innovative strokeplay.

Thrust up the order by Brendon McCullum to open in place of Phil Salt, who is absent on paternity leave, Smith has taken to the role like the manor born as he used his levers to good effect.

Three consecutive sixes spanked off the bowling of Gudakesh Motie will have had the England coach purring before Smith dropped one inside the ropes to the biggest boundary and into the hands of Shimron Hetmyer.

A century beckoned for Duckett, and the opportunity to join Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan as one of only three English players with hundreds in all three formats.

However, the 30-year-old misjudged a sweep and was bowled behind his legs by left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein with the milestone tantalisingly within his grasp. Duckett thumped his pad with his bat in frustration.

If England were ruthless West Indies were rudderless as this match marked the end of a pretty chastening tour.

A 3-0 drubbing in the one-day international series was followed up by the same scoreline in the three T20s which have followed.

Indeed, this is the first time West Indies have been ‘double’ clean swept by England in both a ODI and T20 series since 2012.

Here they were again cumbersome in the field and struggled to know how to contain England with the ball. Romario Shepherd’s economy rate was 19 across two overs and Hosein, their most economical bowler, still went for 10.50 an over.

Evin Lewis pumped Luke Wood’s for six off the first ball of West Indies’ innings, but there was an end-of-term feel to the early part of the chase.

Certainly the callous disregard for anything tossed up by spinners Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid and Bethell early in the innings suggested some of their top order were already in the departure lounge.

West Indies skipper Hope, and the man he succeeded in the form of Powell, at least showed some fight during what always looked to be a forlorn effort.

It does not help their cause that one of their best players – and one of the best T20 batters in the world – has seemingly turned his back on them.

Nicholas Pooran, who was not part of this tour, announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday at the age of 29 and has prioritised franchise paydays.

England captain Harry Brook: “I’m very pleased. The lads have put a really good shift in. To top off the series like we have tonight is really pleasing.

“I like the depth in the batting, it gives the lads at the top permission to go out there and get us off to a flier like they did today.”

West Indies captain Shai Hope: “We haven’t really put a complete game together in this series. We just need to find ways to do it. We need to keep chipping away and try to get as good as we can.”

England head coach Brendon McCullum talking to Sky Sports: “It’s been a really good two weeks. We have seen a clear blueprint of how Harry Brook wants this cricket team to run.

“I have let Harry find his way [with captaincy]. He doesn’t like to make things complicated. He likes to keep it simple. His calmness and ability to keep it simple rubs on other guys. He has captained a lot of sides growing up. He’s got great friendships.