All over in 132 balls
Not without a stumble, but England get to the winning target in 8.2 overs, which gives them a big net-run-rate boost of 3.97. We sign off with a teaser from our end-of-game report:
There was no thriller in the repeat of the 2016 T20 World Cup final as West Indies played low-percentage cricket on a difficult pitch to be bowled out for 55, a target England had to work reasonably hard to overhaul, losing four wickets and taking 8.2 overs. Between them, England spinners Moeen Ali bowled 6.2 overs for 19 runs and six wickets.
That it wasn’t easy for England will make West Indies question their approach: they lost nine of their 10 wickets looking to hit a four or a six, 59 of the 86 balls they faced were dots, and they made no attempt to rebuild after losing early wickets.
Whether West Indies aimed too high and fell too short or they didn’t trust themselves to bat at a run a ball for five or six overs without taking risks is something we will get to know if West Indies are caught batting first on a difficult pitch again in this tournament.
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Akeal Hosein makes the highlight reel
A sensational bit of fielding off his own bowling, diving full length to his left, sticking the back in his thumb and two fore fingers, then falling down in a way that the third umpire doesn't see enough evidence to overturn the soft signal of "out". England 39 for 4 in 6.1 overs.
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England 39 for 3 after Powerplay
The score tells you it is a difficult pitch, but West Indies hardly have a target. I am sure they will be asking themselves if they should have aimed at 140 and then taken it from there
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NRR on easy on nerves?
You are in the England dugout. Would you rather they scored 56 for 8 in six overs or 56 for 0 in 10?
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WI dot up
59 Number of dot balls West Indies faced out of 86
That is the third-highest dot-ball percentage in a T20I innings of at least 60 balls played by an ICC full member. Above this are Afghanistan against England and Ireland against Kenya. west Indies feature twice in the top five.
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Can we get a thriller?
Same venue, similar score, can we get a similar thriller?
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West Indies 55 all out
Another slog-sweep, another wicket. Adil Rashid ends with figures of 2.2-0-2-4. Nine of the 10 wickets have fallen to boundary attempts. Did they set their sights too high on a difficult pitch or did they lack the skill to move along at six-seven an over without taking risks once they lost early wickets? That's 59 dots in 86 balls.
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Rashid. Nearly a hat-trick
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Two more sixes attempted, two more wickets gone. First Pollard finds long-on, then Obed McCoy does so first ball. On flat pitches, there is no doubt this is how you play. Are the wickets flat enough in this World Cup for West Indies to shun the single? They are 50 for 9 in 13 overs.
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Adil Rashid. Wrong'un. Timber
Immediately after the drinks interval, we have a wicket to a defensive shot. Andre Russell looks to block the first ball he faces from Adil Rashid, and the googly sneaks through. West Indies 44 for 7 now.
Rashid to Gayle in all T20 cricket: 5 balls, 10 runs, 1 wicket
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Wickets keep falling
6 Number of wickets gone in the first nine overs, all six to attacking shots
Evin lewis: trying to clear mid-off
Lendl Simmons: trying to hit a six over long-on/midwicket
Shimron Hetmyer: looking to clear mid-on
Chris Gayle: hooking
Dwayne Bravo: looking to repeat a square-cut for four
Nicholas Pooran: forceful drive to a length ball
West Indies have stayed true to their style of T20 cricket: try to hit boundaries, but they are 42 for 6 in the ninth over. Is it because of the pitch? If it is, will it force West Indies to look at their highly attacking T20 style? They have scored 30 of these runs in seven balls. Now in a similar situation, a side like India will make use of the singles and doubles, which becomes more valuable if it turns out to be a low-scoring tournament in which the pitches make boundary hunting a low-percentage exercise.
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Moeen 4-1-17-2
18 Number of dot balls Moeen bowled in his four overs bowled on the trot at the top
Also 14 of the 17 runs he conceded came in just three shots. Against right-hand batters he went 8 balls, 2 runs, 1 wicket, and against left-hand batters his numbers were 16 balls, 15 runs, 1 wicket.
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England own the Powerplay
West Indies refuse to sit in during the Powerplay. Chris Gayle attacks Woakes, and Shimron Hetmyer goes after Moeen. However, England keep persisting with their plans too, and get both of them out. Hetmyer finds mid-on trying to hit the third boundary of the fifth over, bowled by Moeen. Gayle is done in by the short ball from Tymal Mills, bowling in international cricket for the first time since May 2018. West Indies 31 for 4 after the Powerplay.
At the fall of Hetmyer's wicket, West Indies made the tactical move of promoting Dwayne Bravo to No. 5, making this the first time he is batting in the Powerplay since December 2018. The thinking seems to keep Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell for the end and also split the left-hand batters in the middle.
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Over No. 3: a wicket-maiden
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Woakes deceives, Moeen receives
In the second over, Chris Woakes bowls a lovely slower ball to get the better of Lewis. It is great deception because it is not a cutter so it is difficult to pick it. And Moeen runs back from mid-off, and takes it over his shoulder, cool as.
In the next over, Moeen makes mockery of "don't bowel offspin to right-hand batters" as Simmons holes out to one of the two deep fielders, deep midwicket. It is exactly how Mohammad Nabi got him out in the warm-up game. Simmons tries to take on the match-up, but is beaten in the flight, and Moeen is bowling with the bigger boundary on the leg side of the right-hand batter. West Indies 9 for 2 in 2.2, and now Moeen has tow left-hand batters to bowl to.
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Moeen Ali opens
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One left-hand bat in Evin Lewis and one right-hand bat in Lendl Simmons. England surprise them with Moeen Ali with the brand new ball.
Moeen in Powerplay in T20 cricket: economy 8.29, average 44.55. Against West Indies he had never bowled inside the Powerplay.
Moeen starts well, conceding just one run in five balls. Looks to protect the over last ball, bowling to Lewis, so odds are with him, but Lewis dumps him straight back over his head for a six.
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T20's response to the egg-and-bacon tie
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England chase, go batting-heavy
England have won the toss and will be chasing. Dubai has been an extremely chase-friendly venue this IPL. And England have packed their side with extra batting. Their specialist bowlers are Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Kyle Mills and Chris Jordan. Mark Wood has an ankle niggle, and it is being said he should be okay for the next game.
For West Indies, Andre Russell is fit, which makes this an all-star power-packed line-up. Akeal Hosein and Obed McCoy make their World Cup debuts. Like Tymal Mills for England, Ravi Rampaul makes a comeback.
Two things that could play a big part: dew and a short boundary on one side as this match is being played on one edge of the square.
West Indies: 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt.), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Obed McCoy
England: 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Eoin Morgan (capt.), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Tymal Mills
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T20 Timeout
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Talking tactics
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Remember the game?
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The encore
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You don't need reminding. That's how it ended when these two sides last met in a T20 World Cup. England and West Indies are back again, and it's no less intriguing. Two teams that "get" T20 cricket. Two teams that play fearlessly. How will they adjust to these pitches that have been used during the IPL and are not likely to allow big scores. Will Eoin Morgan drop himself? Will Andre Russell be fully fit? Will England go batting-heavy or bowling-heavy? What kind of magic awaits us with Pollard, Russell, Bravo, Gayle coming together?
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