England defeated West Indies first T20I
England defeated West Indies in the first T20I by 21 runs.
2025.06.07
Liam Dawson bagged Player of the Match for his brilliant bowling performance
With an outstanding all-around effort, England defeated the West Indies by 21 runs in the first Twenty20 International at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street to start the T20I series. England won the first game of the series thanks to a dominant effort by a standout hitter.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, England got off to a fast start thanks to youthful Jamie Smith, who blazed with a scorching 38 off only 20 balls. Jos Buttler, however, was the star of the show with a smooth and commanding knock of 96 off 59 deliveries that included six fours and four sixes.
Buttler’s strong strokeplay put England in charge even though they lost wickets often during the middle overs. Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell (23 off 23) made late contributions to enable England to a respectable 188/6 in 20 overs.
Andre Russell and Roston Chase each contributed a wicket, while Romario Shepherd (2/33) was the standout bowler for the West Indies.
Evin Lewis gave the West Indies a strong start in the reply with a scorching 39 off 23 balls, but England’s bowlers quickly turned the tide. After rejoining the team, Liam Dawson had a game-changing spell, taking four wickets for just twenty runs in his four overs. At key points, the West Indies chase was thwarted by his precise lines and deft variations.
Shepherd, Roston Chase (24), and Jason Holder all had brief appearances, but the visitors were unable to build much momentum and were ultimately limited to 167/9 in their 20 overs. Dawson was well-supported by Matthew Potts (2/48) and Bethell (2/27), while Adil Rashid also made a contribution with a clean session that claimed one wicket.
@Charith rajapaksha
