2nd T20I: Jos Buttler's 83 helps England outclass West Indies
Jos Buttler's explosive innings of 83 runs off just 45 balls, propelled England to a commanding seven-wicket victory over the West Indies in the second T20I match, which took place at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados . The win gave England a significant 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Notably, the hosts could only manage 158/8 batting first as the Brits (161/3) triumphed in just 14.5 overs. Here are the key stats.
England's bowlers restrict West Indies
England's bowlers also played a vital role in the win, keeping West Indies to three wickets down in the powerplay. Saqib Mahmood (2/30) continued his brilliant series performance with two early strikes. Despite Rovman Powell's fighting 43 off 41 balls and Romario Shepherd's 22, Dan Mousley (2/29) and Liam Livingstone (2/16) shared four wickets as WI were restricted to 158/8 batting first.
Buttler guides England to victory
Centurion from the last game, Philip Salt bagged a golden duck as, Buttler produced a match-winning performance while operating at number three. The explosive show of batting prowess came during a blistering 129-run stand with another opener Will Jacks (38), helping England comfortably chase down the target with 31 balls and seven wickets to spare. Meanwhile, Livingstone made a fiery 23*.
England's comfortable chase despite pitch conditions
Despite early signs of a difficult pitch at Kensington Oval, Jacks and Buttler cruised through the first overs. Jacks led the attack, hitting boundaries off Matthew Forde and Akeal Hosein. Buttler then took charge, hitting three back-to-back boundaries and bringing up his half-century off just 32 balls. This paved the way for England's easy chase of West Indies's total.
A look at Buttler's stats
Buttler hit eight fours and six sixes en route to his 45-ball 83. In 126 T20Is, Buttler has raced to 3,347 runs at 35.98. He registered his 25th T20I fifty (100: 1). In 19 matches versus WI, Buttler has raced to 473 runs at 31.53 (50s: 4). As per ESPNcricinfo, in 47 away T20Is (home of opposition), Buttler has 1,303 runs at 34.28. The tally includes 13 half-centuries.
