Bridgetown
England clinched an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the first T20I of a five-match series on Sunday, thanks to a powerful unbeaten century by Phil Salt. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 103 runs off just 54 balls, including nine fours and six sixes, earning the Player of the Match award with an impressive strike rate of 190.74.
Set to chase 183 runs, Salt and Will Jacks opened for England with aggressive play. The duo quickly established a 50-run partnership by the end of the fourth over. Salt reached his half-century in just 25 balls with a six off Gudakesh Motie. However, England lost Jacks shortly after as he departed for 17 runs off 10 balls. Captain Jos Buttler also fell without scoring on his first delivery. Despite the early losses, debutant Jacob Bethell joined Salt to drive England’s chase forward.
Salt and Bethell maintained steady control, hitting boundaries and rotating the strike efficiently. Their partnership crossed the 100-run mark in the 17th over, with Salt completing his century on the same delivery. Bethell contributed with a solid 58 not out from 36 balls, featuring five fours and two sixes. The duo finished the chase with 3.5 overs remaining, ending the match with an unbeaten 107-run partnership.
West Indies posted 182/9, led by Nicholas Pooran’s 38, Romario Shepherd’s 35, Gudakesh Motie’s rapid 33, and Andre Russell’s 30. England’s Saqib Mahmood took four wickets for 34 runs, while Adil Rashid added three wickets, helping to limit the West Indies.
