BRIDGETOWN: England captain Jos Buttler bounced back to form after a months-long injury layoff with a brutal innings of 83 in a seven-wicket win for his team against West Indies in the second T20 International on November 10.
Buttler smashed six sixes and eight fours in his 45-ball innings as England finished on 161/3 with 31 deliveries to spare and took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
In a major change of fortune, Phil Salt, who hit an unbeaten century in the first T20 which England won by eight wickets a day earlier, was out to the first ball of the tourists' innings.
Buttler, who made a first-ball duck in the same match, shook off that setback to top score for England 24 hours later.
Buttler returned to the England team for this series after being out since June with a calf injury and won important tosses in both of the first two matches, allowing England to bowl first and successfully chase.
Buttler helped to propel England past the home team's 158/8. He came to the crease with England 0-1 and put on 129 for England's second wicket with Will Jacks, who made 38 from 29 balls.
[caption id="attachment_1119851" align="alignnone" width="1024"] England's Liam Livingstone, second from right, celebrates with captain Jos Buttler, second from left, and other teammates after West Indies batsman Sherfane Rutherford was dismissed.[/caption]
Buttler reached his half century from 32 balls. One of the sixes in his innings, off Gudakesh Motie, flew out of Kensington Oval into the surrounding street.
“It's great to spend some time in the middle,” Buttler said. “I was a bit scratchy for the first few balls, but managed to come through that. I really enjoyed it. It's great to be back out there.”
Jacks and Buttler both were out in the 13th over as England slipped to 130/3, but Liam Livingstone (23 not out) and Jacob Bethell (three not out) calmly saw England home.
Livingstone finished the run chase with a six from the fifth ball of the 15th over.
Earlier, captain Rovman Powell top-scored with a 41-ball 43 in a mediocre West Indies innings.
The hosts lost three wickets in the power play, as they did in the first match of the series. Once again Saqib Mahmood bowled superbly at the start of the innings, this time in partnership with Jofra Archer who replaced the injured Reece Topley.
Mahmood dismissed Brandon King in the second over of the innings and Roston Chase in the fourth. Archer removed Evin Lewis in the third over as West Indies slumped to 35/3, then 44/3 after the six-over power play.
Nicholas Pooran and Powell stabilised the innings, taking the West Indies to 63/3 after ten overs. Livingstone claimed a key wicket when he had Pooran stumped for 14 with the total 70.
Livingstone struck again to dismiss Sherfane Rutherford (one) who tried to sweep a ball that turned and was hit on the pad. England successfully reviewed the umpire's decision of not out.
Powell and Romario Shepherd, who made 22 from 12 balls, helped boost the total.
The third match of the series will be played at Gros Islet,
