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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

5 talking points as England limp to one-run victory after West Indies fightback

England were able to level the series with a close one-run win over the West Indies in the second T20I in Barbados, bouncing back from a poor batting display in the first match.

Having been comprehensively beaten by nine wickets after collapsing to 103 all out the day before, Eoin Morgan 's side were more watchful early in their innings before looking to capitalise later on and it paid dividends.

Having been put into bat once again, no player managed to reach fifty but there were several important contributions throughout the innings.

Tom Banton got England off to a good start, striking 25 off 18 during the powerplay before getting caught and bowled Fabian Allen.

Allen also bowled James Vince for four in the same over, leaving England 40-2 after the powerplay.

Jason Roy enjoyed a much more sedate start to his innings and he built a decent platform with Moeen Ali, as England reached 64-2 at the halfway stage of their innings.

The pair then looked to kick on, with Roy targeting Allen in the 11th over, striking five boundaries and more than doubling his own score.

Moeen then picked up nine runs off the following over, but just as England looked like they were going to get away, the West Indies picked up three quick wickets to drag things back.

Roy was the first to go, getting caught at long-on off Romario Shepherd for 45, while Moeen fell in the next over for 31, getting caught at short third off Kieron Pollard.

Sam Billings then top-edged a sweep to short fine leg off Akeal Hosein to leave England 116-5.

An important partnership between Morgan and Chris Jordan added a further 31 runs, but they were unable to finish the innings strong, with Morgan getting caught for 13 and Jordan for 27.

England ultimately ended up reaching 171-8, a much-improved display after yesterday's collapse, and it gave their bowlers something to defend.

England beat the West Indies by just one run (RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

Reece Topley, making his first T20I appearance in almost six years, got England off to the perfect start with the ball as he accounted for both openers.

Brandon King, who scored 52 not out in the first game, was out lbw for a duck in Topley's first over.

The left-armer then ran out Shai Hope in stunning fashion, getting down quickly to intercept the ball and then flicking it onto the stumps.

Replays also showed that Hope would have been out lbw as the ball hit the toe of his boot before the bat.

The two wickets reduced the West Indies to 6-2 and it could have got worse, with Dawson dropping a difficult, steepling catch which would have removed Pooran.

Pooran looked to make the most of his extra life, striking a few boundaries, but just as he began to get going Moeen got him caught for 24.

That wicket was key for England, breaking a burgeoning partnership between Pooran and Darren Bravo and sparking a collapse which saw them lose five wickets for just 18 runs.

Adil Rashid removed both Pollard and Bravo lbw on review, before Moeen picked up the wickets of Holder and Odean Smith.

Late cameos of 44 off 28 balls from Shepherd and 44 off 16 balls from Hosein took the West Indies close to a remarkable win, but it was all in vain as they fell just two runs short of their target.

Here are five talking points...

Roy kicks on after sedate start

Having been out in the first over of the last game attempting to slog Cottrell out of the ground, Roy started much more sedately in this match and was 17 off 23 balls after ten overs.

It was a smart approach from Roy, who was able to adjust to the conditions before going on the attack in the 11th over, smacking three fours and two sixes.

He eventually perished for 45 off 31 balls, holing out in the deep off Pollard, but it was an important innings from the opener and played a big part in England reaching 171-8.

Chris Jordan played another useful cameo with the bat (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Jordan plays another cameo

After top scoring in the first T20I with 28, Jordan played another important innings after getting pushed up the order to number seven.

The absence of Liam Livingstone due to illness means England have been a batter light and Jordan has stepped up.

This time, he struck 27 off 15 balls after coming to the crease with his side 116-5, helping England reach 171.

Reece Topley played his first T20I since March 2016 and took a wicket in his first over (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Topley's triumphant return

Brought into the side as a replacement for Tymal Mills, Topley took 1-18 on his return to the fold.

Having last played a T20I at the 2016 T20 World Cup, Topley's career has been blighted by four stress fractures in five years.

The 27-year-old made his international return in 2020 in an ODI against Ireland and he also featured in two ODIs against India the following year, but had not played a T20I until today.

And he made a dream return to the side, getting King out lbw in his first over since March 2016.

In his next over, Topley ran out Hope with an outstanding fielding effort and replays showed he could also have dismissed lbw off the same ball.

Adil Rashid removed Kieron Pollard and Darren Bravo with two beauties (RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)
Moeen Ali picked up 3-24, career best figures in T20I cricket (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

England's spin twins show their quality

Close friends off the field, Rashid and Moeen have been key figures in England's white ball success on it and they were at their best in the second T20I in Barbados.

After Topley got England off to an excellent start with some early wickets, Rashid and Moeen ripped the heart out of the West Indies' middle order as they picked up five wickets between them.

Moeen got Pooran and Smith caught in the deep and took a stunning caught and bowled chance to remove Holder, while Rashid produced two beauties to account for Pollard and Bravo.

Romario Shepherd and Akeal Hosein shared a magnificent 72 run partnership to drag the West Indies to within two runs of a remarkable win (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Shepherd and Hosein's onslaught

Although it ultimately proved to be in vain, Shepherd and Hosein batted brilliantly to somehow get their side within two runs of completing a remarkable victory.

Coming together with the score 98-8, the pair both scored 44 not out, with Shepherd bludgeoning five sixes and Hosein striking four.

England particularly struggled at the death, with Jordan conceding 23 runs in the 18th over and Saqib Mahmood conceding 28 in the 20th.

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