In St Lucia on Wednesday, England began their Twenty20 World Cup campaign with an impressive performance against previously unbeaten West Indies. The hosts were restricted to 180-4 by the English bowlers, who played a crucial role in the victory. The English batsmen chased down the target within 18 overs, with opener Phil Salt scoring 87 runs from 47 balls.
The win over West Indies boosted England’s confidence as they now share the top spot in Group 2 with South Africa. They will face their next opponents, South Africa, who they will play in their next match.
England’s bowlers effectively contained the explosive West Indies batters and took regular wickets in the later stages of their innings. Despite a strong start by West Indies, they lost momentum after losing key players like Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran, skipper Rovman Powell and Andre Russell.
Phil Salt’s aggressive batting set the tone for England’s chase and provided support towards the end with Jonny Bairstow. Their partnership effectively sealed the victory as Salt’s explosive hitting in the 16th over put the game beyond West Indies’ reach.
