West Indies v England third T20 preview: England back to a winning feeling

After being on the wrong end of a thumping in the T20 series opener against the West Indies, England bounced back in Bridgetown to level the scores.

With three T20s still to go in Barbados, and the West Indies showing their fire power in both games so far, England have a lot to do if they are to take this series and continue their reign as the number one ranked side in the world.

Roy’s impressive turnaround

It was clear when Jason Roy arrived in Barbados that he was up for this series. He hit a blistering 36-ball hundred in the tourists’ warm-up match in what was his first appearance in an England shirt since recovering from his calf injury that curtailed his T20 World Cup. It would have been disappointing for him then to begin the official series in such a lacklustre way, making just six runs from as many balls and being on the wrong end of a nine-wicket loss.

However, on Sunday night he looked like a man that was ready to take the fight back to the West Indies, and in a positive fashion he ended the night as the top scorer in the match with a great knock of 45. At the halfway stage Roy had just 17 to his name from 23 balls but exploded into life with three fours and two sixes in the first over of the second half. One of the maximums was a real treat for travelling fans as it departed from the Kensington Oval into the island’s capital. When he fell in the next over, caught at long-on from the bowling of Romario Shepherd, the Surrey-man had taken 28 runs off his seven previous deliveries.

It looks like then, in this relatively inexperienced England side, that Roy will be setting the tone for the squad to follow. Without T20 batting regulars such as Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, a lot of runs will fall on Roy’s shoulders, but if anyone can take the responsibility, he can. Roy is 11/4 to finish up as England’s top batsman in the match.

England the favourites

The tourists head back to the Kensington Oval for the third instalment of this five-match series as the 4/6 favourites, with West Indies just slightly off them at 6/5. The two pitches we have seen so far have not been the most straightforward and if a decent pitch is to be provided then that 4/6 on England could look enormous. However, in this sport nothing is guaranteed, not least the conditions.

If conditions are favourable, though, the one thing you can expect will be runs on both sides. With both squads featuring some of the most explosive players on the international circuit, it could be raining runs in the Caribbean. In the England camp there’s the aforementioned Roy and Liam Livingstone heading up the top run scorer market at 11/4, and on the hosts’ side you have Shai Hope and Brandon King both at 10/3.

In truth, if conditions follow the previous two matches, it’ll be on the bowlers and how they can adapt to conditions, but in the world of T20 and with these batters on display, who wants to see that!?

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