BRIDGETOWN: Local hero Jason Holder shattered England’s hopes of Twenty20 success on Sunday with four wickets in the final four balls to lead the West Indies to a 17-run victory in the fifth and deciding game at the Kensington Oval and clinch a 3-2 series win over the tourists.

Akeal Hosein had already slowed England’s progress with a format-best four for 30.

West Indies won the toss, chose to bat and scored 179-4. In reply, England were all out for 162 with one ball left after entering the final over at 160-6 and needing 20 runs to win.

In that last over, Holder first claimed the wicket of Chris Jordan (seven) caught on the fence, immediately followed by the key dismissal of Sam Billings (41 runs off 28 balls) before golden ducks for Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood.

Holder joined an exclusive club when Mahmood’s inside edge nicked leg stump. Lasith Malinga, Rashid Khan and Curtis Campher are the only other bowlers in men’s cricket to take four-in-four in a T20 international.

Holder did not get a chance to go for five wickets in five balls with no England batters left. The all-rounder finished with 5-27 from 2.5 overs, having already removed England stand-in captain Moeen Ali.

“Classic finish,” Holder said. “Not the best of starts but [we were] just trying to stay in the game. People are seeing what I can do and giving me the responsibility. Every time I step on the field it’s about what I can deliver for the team.

“I pride myself on [not bowling] no-balls, pleased with how I came back, bowled a dot ball next up and then they had to come hard so I got the four wickets.”

The former West Indies captain was named both player of the match and series after taking 15 wickets across the five games — all at the Kensington Oval.

“I’m pumped up for the moment, I love playing at Kensington Oval,” he added. “It’s the best place in the world to play cricket.”

The West Indies had set England a target of 180 to win with captain Kieron Pollard leading a late run-spree with a rapid 41 not out from 25 balls.

West Indies had been frustrated by England’s spinners but Pollard and Rovman Powell (35 not out off 17) shared an undefeated fifth-wicket stand of 74 in just over five overs to give the hosts a reasonable target to set England.

The pair added a whopping 66 in the final 24 balls.

After losing Jason Roy with eight runs on the board, England steadied themselves as James Vince scored 55 before he was caught by Fabian Allen off Hosein’s bowling.

Billings took up England’s attempt to chase down the West Indies’ total but, with Jordan caught by Hayden Walsh off Holder, the collapse began.

Billings fell next ball to the same combination while Rashid and Mahmood were soon on their way back to the pavilion as the West Indies, beaten by 34 runs in the fourth T20 on Saturday, enjoyed a much-needed success after a one-day international series loss at home to Ireland earlier this month.

“This was a different game from last night and we capitalised with the bat in the last four overs,” said Pollard. “This is Jason Holder’s ground, his town, but it was total team effort from us.”

Moeen was again leading an England side missing injured captain Eoin Morgan, with the tourists deprived all series of T20 regulars Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes following their Ashes exertions.

But Moeen was in no mood for excuses.

“I thought West Indies were the better team,” he said, adding: “They were smarter than us today with bat and ball.”

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES:

B. King c Jordan b Livingstone 34

K. Mayers c Salt b Rashid 31

R. Shepherd c Mahmood b Livingstone 6

N. Pooran b Rashid 21

K. Pollard not out 41

R. Powell not out 35

EXTRAS (LB-3, NB-1, W-7) 11

TOTAL (for four wkts, 20 overs) 179

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-59 (Mayers), 2-67 (Shepherd), 3-89 (King), 4-105 (Pooran).

DID NOT BAT: J. Holder, F. Allen, A. Hosein, S. Cottrell, O. Smith

BOWLING: Topley 4-0-43-0 (1w), Mahmood 2-0-27-0 (1w, 1nb), Ali 3-0-20-0 (1w), Jordan 4-0-52-0 (1w), Rashid 4-0-17-2, Livingstone 3-0-17-2 (2w)

ENGLAND:

J. Roy c Pooran b Hosein 8

T. Banton c Holder b Smith 16

J. Vince c Allen b Hosein 55

Moeen Ali c Mayers b Holder 14

L. Livingstone c Smith b Hosein 6

S. Billings c (sub) b Holder 41

P. Salt st Pooran b Hosein 3

C. Jordan c (sub) b Holder 7

Adil Rashid c Smith b Holder 0

Saqib Mahmood b Holder 0

R. Topley not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-2, W-6) 12

TOTAL (all out, 19.5 overs) 162

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-8 (Roy), 2-40 (Banton), 3-86 (Ali), 4-95 (Livingstone), 5-112 (Vince), 6-119 (Salt), 7-162 (Jordan), 8-162 (Billings), 9-162 (Rashid).

BOWLING: Hosein 4-0-30-4, Holder 2.5-0-27-5 (1nb), Cottrell 3-0-21-0 (1nb), Smith 4-0-41-1 (3w), Pollard 2-0-15-0 (2w), Shepherd 1-0-7-0 (1w), Allen 3-0-17-0.

RESULT: West Indies won by 17 runs.

SERIES: West Indies won 3-2.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Jason Holder (West Indies)

PLAYER-OF-THE-SERIES: Jason Holder (West Indies)

UMPIRES: Gregory Brathwaite and Nigel Duguid (both West Indies)

TV UMPIRE: Patrick Gustard (West Indies)

MATCH REFEREE: Richard Richardson (West Indies)

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2022