Sport
West Indies (172 for 4) fall to England (173 for 3) by seven wickets
West Indies opener Dwayne Smith in action. PHOTO/AP
Alex Hales fell one run short of England’s first Twenty20 international hundred but his 99, in a record 159-run partnership with Ravi Bopara, powered the home side to a convincing seven-wicket victory against West Indies at Trent Bridge, with their highest successful T20I chase.
As in the one-day series, West Indies’ bowling disappointed and there were a number of fumbles in the field which aided England’s progress. Sunil Narine went wicketless in the format that has made his name, although did not have much luck. In the 13th over – his third – he watched a Bopara shot fall between two fielders then Hales got a bottom edge between the keeper’s legs. With 22 needed off 17 balls Bopara was dropped at midwicket by Darren Sammy off Narine, which was West Indies last chance to try and exert some pressure on a new batsman.