Jos Buttler made an emphatic return to form as England defeated the West Indies by 7 wickets in the second T20I at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Sunday (November 10), taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Buttler, who had struggled with a golden duck in his first match back from an injury layoff, redeemed himself with a blistering knock of 83 runs off just 45 balls. This stunning performance guided England to their target of 159, with 31 balls to spare. Buttler walked in at number three after Phil Salt was dismissed for a golden duck off the very first ball of England’s chase. The England skipper quickly found his rhythm, forging an explosive 129-run partnership with Will Jacks, who made a solid contribution with 38 off 29 balls. The duo departed in quick succession in the 13th over, but England were already well on their way to victory.
Liam Livingstone, who had captained England during Buttler's absence in the ODI series, took charge after the wickets of Buttler and Jacks. Livingstone finished the chase with an unbeaten cameo of 23 off 11 balls, ably supported by Jacob Bethell, who contributed 3* from 3 balls. Their quickfire partnership ensured England reached their target without further alarms, wrapping up a second successive win in the series.
For the West Indies, it was a day of mixed fortunes. Seamer Romario Shepherd was the pick of the bowlers, claiming two wickets, while spinner Akeal Hosein also struck early by removing Salt for a duck. Despite these efforts, the West Indies could not stop Buttler and Livingstone’s dominance in the chase.
Earlier, West Indies struggled after being put in to bat. The opening pair of Brandon King and Evin Lewis fell cheaply for single-digit scores within the first three overs, putting the hosts on the back foot. Roston Chase was dismissed early as well, and although Nicholas Pooran (14 off 23 balls) fought through, he was eventually dismissed by Livingstone in the 11th over. Captain Rovman Powell was the standout batter for the West Indies, top-scoring with 43 runs off 41 balls, while Shepherd contributed a quickfire 22 from 12 balls. Lower-order contributions from Matthew Forde (13* off 6 balls) helped the West Indies reach a modest total of 158/8.
England’s bowlers were in dominant form, consistently taking wickets and applying pressure. Saqib Mahmood was the standout performer, picking up 2 wickets for just 20 runs in 3 overs. Livingstone also claimed two wickets, with Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid adding to the wickets tally with one each. Their collective effort in restricting the West Indies to a total below 160 proved to be decisive.
With the 7-wicket win, England now head into the third T20I with a 2-0 lead in the series and the opportunity to seal their first white-ball series victory in the Caribbean since 2019. The third match will take place on Thursday, November 14, in Saint Lucia, with England looking to wrap up the series with two matches still to spare.
