Late West Indies assault leaves England chasing competitive total to win decider

Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone took two wickets apiece as England were set 180 to win the Twenty20 series against the West Indies, who launched a furious late innings assault to post a competitive total in Barbados.

While spin trio Rashid, Livingstone and Moeen Ali took a combined four for 54 from 10 overs, England quicks were bludgeoned to all parts of the Kensington Oval as the Windies got to 179 for four in the fifth and final T20.

Brandon King (34) and Kyle Mayers (31) laid a strong platform before the Windies were becalmed in the middle overs but it hardly mattered as they teed-off later on, Kieron Pollard and Rovman Powell adding 66 in the last 24 balls.

Pollard finished unbeaten on 41 off 25 deliveries while Powell, a centurion in midweek, clubbed four sixes in his 35 not out from 17 balls after Rashid’s two for 17 saw him leapfrog Chris Jordan to become England’s all-time leading T20 wicket-taker.

England brought back Saqib Mahmood for this winner-takes-all showdown, having prevailed 24 hours earlier to set up a decider.

Mahmood had endured a fraught experience in the second T20, conceding 28 in the final over as the Windies fell one run short, and his first ball here was sent back over his head for a towering six by King.

Mayers twice swiped across the line in the same over, the first disappearing into the stands and the second whizzing past the despairing dive of the deep square leg fielder, as Mahmood yielded 19.

Stand-in England captain Moeen switched to his own spin after the Windies had reached 31 without loss after three and there was immediate turn on offer. He should have had the wicket of the advancing King but Sam Billings failed to gather with the batter well out of his crease.

Another Mayers swivel