By Rob Barnett
Leg-spinner Samuel Badree celebrated his 33rd birthday with the wickets of England’s top-three batsmen to set up West Indies’ 27-run win in the first of three Twenty20 internationals.
Opening the bowling with the tourists chasing 171 for victory in Barbados, Badree had Alex Hales and Luke Wright stumped from successive balls and then ousted Michael Lumb.
Had Badree - a World Twenty20 winner in 2012 - held a caught-and-bowled chance from Eoin Morgan, he would have recorded international-best figures. As it was, he had to settle for a joint-best of 3-17 from his four overs.
Badree’s fellow spinners Sunil Narine and Marlon Samuels, who earlier top-scored with an accelerating 69 not out on a flat track, took the next three wickets. Narine snared Jos Buttler before Samuels accounted for Morgan and Ben Stokes.
Ravi Bopara battled with 42 from number seven, but when he was caught and bowled by Dwayne Bravo in the 15th over the game was up. Tim Bresnan’s unbeaten 47 proved in vain as the Windies struck the first blow in this warm-up series for the World T20 in Bangladesh.
England, whose previous match at the Kensington Oval saw their 2010 World T20 triumph, had done reasonably well to limit their opponents to 170 for three after Darren Sammy won the toss.
Stuart Broad’s side stopped threatening innings from the hosts’ opening pair, Bopara bowling Dwayne Smith for 27 and the impressive James Tredwell trapping fit-again Chris Gayle in front for 43.
Samuels held the innings together and was shelled at extra-cover on 43 by Tredwell off Jade Dernbach before moving to a fifty with the second of five consecutive fours, all in the same Dernbach over.
Andre Russell offered good late support for Samuels, ending with an unbeaten 24. Tredwell, England’s sole spinner, returned 1-16 and Bopara 2-23 from their four-over allocations, but it was Badree’s day.
Match Scorecard/ Live ball-by-ball commentary
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Post-Match Presentations
9.30pm - Marlon Samuels is man of the match for his unbeaten 69 and 2-21. He said: “I love to play cricket in Barbados. It’s a Mecca.
“It’s a pitch you could play your shots on so you had to back yourself to play your shots.”
Victorious captain Darren Sammy added: “Today in front of a full house we played a good game. Credit to the team. It’s one of three games. Unlike in the ODIs, we want to go on to win the series."
England skipper Stuart Broad said: “You look at the (fact that the) spin bowlers have taken most wickets.
“This wicket seems a lot better for slower bowlers and that’s something we’ll have to take into consideration in the other games.
“I’ve got abit of tendonitis. I’m not sure I’ll play the next two games to get right for the World Cup.”
England Innings
9.15pm - WEST INDIES WIN BY 27 RUNS! England 143/9; Bresnan 47, Dernbach 1 - Bresnan starts and ends the last over, bowled by Bravo, with a four to finish off a creditable innings. However, the tourists have come up well short today.
9.10pm - WICKET! Tredwell run out (Russell) 1; Eng 133/9 - Bresnan smacks Russell for six over midwicket, but the bowler ends the over by running out James Tredwell as Bresnan sought to keep the strike. England require a notional 38 runs from the last over.
9.05pm - WICKET! Broad run out (Ramdin) 5; Eng 123/8 - Stuart Broad plays and misses at Bravo before Ramdin, standing back to the seamer, brilliantly throws down the stumps. Broad was limping a bit as he tried to get back to his ground. England want 48 from the last two overs.
8.59pm - Samuels returns 2-21 after a tight fourth over before Bresnan edges Russell for a four with either side of the bat. The equation is now 52 from three overs.
8.45pm - WICKET! Bopara c & b Bravo 42; Eng 101/7 - After a cheap Samuels over, Bopara chips four just over cover but gets under the next ball, a slower one, and Bravo takes a steepling catch moving towards square-leg. The tourists soon need 69 from five overs.
8.40pm - CHANCE! - Tim Bresnan skies Rampaul to point, where Sammy and Samuels more-or-less leave the ball for each other and the ball falls to ground. Bopara responds with back-to-back fours and Bresnan adds another to leave 80 required from seven overs.
8.35pm - WICKET! Stokes st Ramdin b Samuels 4; 73/6 - Ben Stokes swings and misses at Marlon Samuels’ spin and is comprehensively stumped. It’s getting heated in the middle but it is West Indies who are on fire.
8.32pm - Bopara smacks a Darren Sammy full-toss over the midwicket rope to give England a much-needed boost.
8.25pm - WICKET! Morgan c sub (Charles) b Samuels 19; Eng 55/5 - The left-hander is held at deep midwicket by Charles, who judges the catch excellently not to step over the rope. That is a major blow to England. At the end of the over the tourists need 113 from 10 to win.
8.20pm - Two consecutive Ravi Bopara fours in Dwayne Bravo’s opening over move England past 50.
8.14pm - WICKET! Buttler c sub (Charles) b Narine 0; Eng 40/4 - Jos Buttler falls on the reverse-sweep, chipping to substitute Johnson Charles at point. Narine, who hurt his knee while diving in the previous over, requires treatment but bravely completes his over before leaving the field.
8.10pm - CHANCE! - Badree cannot accept a return chance from Morgan, on 13, and concedes four from his last ball due to a misfield. However, Badree’s birthday allocation yields a happy 3-17.
8.09pm - WICKET! Lumb c Rampaul b Badree 18; Eng 36/3 - Lumb top-edges a pull at a long-hop but picks out Rampaul on the rope.
8.03pm - Lumb hits Rampaul’s slower ball over cover for four and Morgan reverse-scoops Badree just above short third man and to the rope. A conventional sweep off Sunil Narine brings Morgan another boundary and helps England to 36 for two from the powerplay.
7.51pm - WICKET! Wright st Ramdin b Badree 0; Eng 13/2 - Luke Wright, playing his 50th Twenty20 international, swipes at his first delivery and fails to connect. In doing so, he drags his back foot out of his crease and cannot get it back in time. Eoin Morgan defends the hat-trick ball and pulls the next for four.
7.49pm - WICKET! Hales st Ramdin b Badree 3; Eng 13/1 - Alex Hales advances and misses the ball, to be comfortably stumped by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.
7.43pm - Leg-spinner Samuel Badree opens the bowling on his 33rd birthday and concedes just two from the over. Michael Lumb then pulls and outside-edges seamer Ravi Rampaul for four.
West Indies Innings
7.27pm - END OF INNINGS! West Indies; 170/3 Samuels 69, Russell 24 - Dernbach gets his yorker in well during a final over yielding a mere five runs. England need 171 to win.
7.23pm - Russell backs away and then moves back to the off side to lift Bresnan for six over cover. Another four leaves West Indies 165 for three with an over to go.
7.17pm - CHANCE & FIFTY! Samuels (51b 6x4 1x6) - Tredwell blots his copybook by shelling a hard-hit but regulation chance straight to him at extra-cover as Samuels survives off Dernbach. The second of five consecutive fours then raises a half-century for Samuels. That was a bad over for England.
7.13pm - Andre Russell hits Bresnan for two leg-side fours, ushering the hosts to 132 for three from 17 overs.
7.06pm - CHANCE! - Samuels cuts Broad aerially and a leaping Eoin Morgan gets a fingertip on it but cannot prevent four. It was the toughest of opportunities.
6.59pm - WICKET! Simmons c Lumb b Bopara 3; WI 112/3 - Bopara has a second breakthrough as Lendl Simons, who failed to get going, holes out to long-on. Bopara completes a fine over with figures of 2-23 from his allocation.
6.54pm - Samuels picks up the mantle from Gayle, taking Stokes for three consecutive fours including a pulled six, as West Indies move into three figures. ‘Tricky Tredders’ responds well with a miserly over for excellent figures of 1-16 from four.
6.47pm - WICKET! Gayle lbw b Tredwell 43; WI 87/2 - The left-hander is plumb in front, playing from the crease, as Tredwell strikes a crucial blow.
6.42pm - Gayle casually lifts Tredwell for a maximum to midwicket that sees the ball lost. At the end of the over the hosts are 78 for one from 10.
6.38pm - James Tredwell, England’s sole spinner is introduced, and restricts the Windies in an over costing two. Bopara follows up with another cheap set of six.
6.28pm - WICKET! Smith b Bopara 27; WI 57/1 - Ravi Bopara strikes second ball to end an impressive stand, bowling the right-hander through the gate with one that clips the bails. Marlon Samuels cuts his first delivery for four.
6.25pm - The blow described in the below tweet is one of three Gayle fours in Bresnan’s next over. Ben Stokes ends the powerplay, after which West Indies are 56 for none, and is on the end of more punishment from Gayle, who smites six over long-on and immediately pulls for four.
Anyone remember THAT Roberto Carlos free-kick for Brazil? Well Gayle has just smashed one down the ground with that kind of bend. Bonkers.
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) March 9, 2014
6.17pm - Tim Bresnan takes over from Broad and begins with a brilliant set of six that goes for just one run. Gayle then sees his leading edge off Dernbach fall safely over the bowler’s head and Smith swivel-pulls the Surrey seamer for four.
6.05pm - An emphatic start to the game from Dwayne Smith, who pulls Stuart Broad for six from the first ball and then adds three fours in an over that costs 19. Jade Dernbach starts with a decent over, beating Chris Gayle with a beauty before being cover-driven for four by Smith.
Pre-Play News
5.55pm - The last time England played at Barbados’ Kensington Oval they won the 2010 World T20. Paul Collingwood, captain then and now among England’s coaching staff, here reflects on that triumph.
5.50pm - West Indies, the World T20 holders, line up as follows: Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy (captain), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Ravi Rampaul, Samuel Badree.
Congratulations to @lukewright204 who wins his 50th T20 cap for his country #WIvEngpic.twitter.com/rOtqHrfggh
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) March 9, 2014
5.40pm - WEST INDIES WIN TOSS AND BAT! - Stuart Broad calls incorrectly and Darren Sammy opts to set a score. Eoin Morgan is again fit for England after returning from a knee injury in the third one-day international. West Indies include dangerous batsman Chris Gayle, who has overcome hip soreness.
Eng: Hales, Lumb, Wright, Morgan, Buttler, Bopara, Stokes, Bresnan, Broad, Tredwell, Dernbach #WIvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) March 9, 2014
5.30pm - Hello and welcome to ecb.co.uk’s live text commentary of the first of three Twenty20 internationals between West Indies and England as they warm up for this month’s World Twenty20. The toss is coming up shortly and the game is set to start at 6pm.
A closer look at the surface. Should be more pace in it than Antigua. "I'll take this end Broady"#WivEngpic.twitter.com/Ta5uNEGGAU
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) March 9, 2014