West Indies are yet to win a game on this United Kingdom tour. Tough times if you are in Shai Hope's shoes, but not if you are in Harry Brook's. The Yorkshireman has led the side well and won the ODI series 3-0. Now, he has led England to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the shortest format, with the third and final T20I taking place in Southampton on Tuesday. For now, this is me AkshayaKrishna Polya, who is signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Deepak Prakash and scorer/analyst Raju Khariya. We will meet again. Until then, it is cheers!
Harry Brook (England Captain): "Yeah, it’s amazing. A great start to the T20s from the boys, and we had a lot of fun out there today. Yeah, look, they obviously finished well. But I think we stuck to our plans and held things together nicely as a bowling unit—we didn’t let them get away.
Before we went out to bat, we discussed that it would only take a couple of big overs to swing things, and that’s exactly what we saw from them at the end too. So yeah, I think we chased the score beautifully. It was a really solid performance.
Yeah, I've said it plenty of times—we've got a lot of depth. Obviously, with the small boundaries here, we always felt they were under par by about 30 runs. But yeah, it gives us great confidence knowing that we've got Will Jacks, Tom Banton, and Jacob Bethell all batting at 5, 6, and 7. The top order can go out there, and all of them are ready.
Yeah, it gives us great confidence playing on a small ground like this as well, knowing we can go in there with four spinners and two seamers. Woody started beautifully today, taking the new ball, getting it to swing like he did, and getting a wicket off the first ball—that just set the tone. Then, like I said, that middle period with the spinners, the game didn’t really get away from us. I think we held a few overs, especially from Daws and Rash, where they went for less than six runs. Having those couple of tight overs allowed us to recover after that big over at the end. Yeah, like I said, I think they were about 30 runs short.
Yeah, absolutely. Another opportunity to try and win three now."
Shai Hope (West Indies Captain): "Firstly, I felt we were a few runs short. Considering the dimensions and the fact that the pitch was playing pretty well, I thought we could’ve put a few more on the board. I don’t think we capitalized enough during the middle phase, especially against the spinners.
That said, once we posted 195 or whatever the total was, we knew we had to give it our all to defend it. You always back your score, but in hindsight, we were probably a few runs short.
[On Akeal] Oh yes, he’s okay. It’s especially great to have Akeal back—he really helps control that middle phase. He’s been excellent for us over the past couple of years, and now, with Jason also making an impact with his variations, it’s coming together well. We’re just trying to find the best roles for everyone based on the conditions we face. The guys are shaping up really nicely for us here.
Well, I think we just need to limit the number of dot balls and look to score off more deliveries. That dot-ball percentage really needs to come down. We’ve always had that ball-striking ability, but as the game has evolved, it’s not just about power hitting anymore. We need to rotate the strike, run hard between the wickets, and find ways to keep that dot-ball rate low. That’s how we need to shape our batting. And if we can do that consistently, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
Oh, we have to try and bounce back. We haven’t won a game on the tour yet, so the aim is to finish strong. Every game still matters—we want to make sure we’re playing good cricket and setting the tone we want to carry forward as a team."
Luke Wood (POTM): "Yeah, like I said before, I’ve been out of the team for about a year and a half, maybe two, so it’s nice to come back in and make an impact. Well, there are always a few nerves when you're coming back in, especially after missing the first game. But getting into the action settles you down, gives you confidence, and from there, the rest of the spell runs more on adrenaline.
I think we discussed it as a bowling unit, and with Brookie on the field, about what was working. We were pretty clear that slower balls and mixing it up against these kinds of batters was the way to go. Like I said, some days it pays off, some days it doesn’t—but yeah, it was great to see a good bit of execution today.
Yeah, of course. It’s always nice to win any series, especially off the back of the ODIs. We’re just trying to keep that momentum going and, hopefully, in a couple of days, we can make it three-nil."
Player of the Match: Luke Wood
Time for the post-match presentation......
Most expensive spell for an England spinner in a T20I: 1/59 - Adil Rashid vs West Indies, Bristol, 2025 (This Match) 1/58 - Moeen Ali vs Australia, Birmingham, 2018 1/55 - Liam Livingstone vs New Zealand, Birmingham, 2023
Most expensive spell for an England bowler in a T20I: 1/64 - James Anderson vs Australia, Sydney, 2007 1/61 - Sajid Mahmood vs South Africa, Centurion, 2009 0/60 - Stuart Broad vs India, Durban, 2007 1/60 - Jofra Archer vs India, Chennai, 2025 1/59 - Adil Rashid vs West Indies, Bristol, 2025 (This Match)