By Glen Robertson
Darren Sammy's late heroics secured a five-wicket victory that meant a series success for West Indies against England.
Sammy hit 30 not out from just nine balls as the reigning World Twenty20 champions chased down England's 152 for seven with seven balls to spare.
Jos Buttler's biggest format score had helped England recover from 26 for three in Barbados after stand-in skipper Eoin Morgan chose to bat.
Buttler made 67 from 43 deliveries and enjoyed a fourth-wicket partnership with Alex Hales that was worth 76, while Krishmar Santokie took 4-21 after replacing the injured Sunil Narine in West Indies' side.
England's chances of defending the total took a hit when Windies openers Dwayne Smith and Chris Gayle - who smashed two massive sixes that cleared the stands at the Kensington Oval - put on 48.
Ravi Bopara led the fightback, taking the wicket of Gayle and ending his four overs with an impressive 1-10, before Tim Bresnan took two wickets in as many balls to leave West Indies 116 for five with 3.5 overs left.
But Sammy was quickly into his groove, sending Jade Dernbach to the boundary twice in the 18th over and followed it up by bludgeoning Bresnan for two sixes and then picking up the winning runs with a four to deep backward point.
Match Scorecard / Live ball-by-ball commentary
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Post-Match Presentations
10.10pm - Krishmar Santokie is the man of the match, after figures of 4-21. He said: "I watched the first game on the sidelines and I saw the pitch was a bit up and down.
“I just stuck to the basics what worked for me through the year (in T20s). Everything worked well for me today."
A disappointed stand-in England captain Eoin Morgan said: "(We were) about 15 or 20 (short). Starting at 30 for three wasn’t an ideal start. It’s an area we’ve struggled in the past and an area we’ll work hard on.
"I thought the effort in the middle period to get it back was great. We showed a lot of fight. We were in the game but we had to keep taking wickets and we couldn't do that.
"We showed a lot of fight, and that's a good characteristic to have on the brink of a World Cup.
"We're on an upward curve, we've improved from the last game and we want to keep that going. To turn over a good West Indies side, the current world champions, would be a good achievement."
West Indies skipper Darren Sammy added: "All of this is preparation building to the T20 World Cup. The boys look good.
"We have one more game (in the series). We have to give the public something to cheer before we go to Bangladesh.
"He’s (Santokie) been sitting on the sidelines but everytime he gets an opportunity he takes it. He’s given the selectors a headache.
"All the guys are firing. We have a good balance. We can be a force to be reckoned with (in Bangladesh)."
West Indies Innings
9.53pm - WEST INDIES WIN BY FIVE WICKETS AND TAKE AN UNASSAILABLE 2-0 SERIES LEAD! West Indies 155/5; Sammy 30, Bravo 8 - Sammy dispatches a short, wide one from Bresnan for four and secures the series for the hosts. England did well to get back into the game, but Sammy's heroics proved the difference.
9.52pm - Next up a short ball is called a wide before Sammy goes down the ground again for another maximum. They now need two runs from eight.
9.49pm - Sammy gets a hold of a full one from Bresnan and records another six, this one over long-off. The hosts need a run a ball from the last nine deliveries to win. Bopara, Bresnan and Eoin Morgan are deep in discussion over what to try next.
9.47pm - And the momentum swings back towards the hosts, with Sammy picking up four from a wild swing that went over the wicketkeeper and then catching hold of a full-toss that flew over midwicket for a maximum. Windies need 17 from two overs.
9.39pm - WICKET! Russell c Hales b Bresnan 0; WI 116/5 - Two in two Bresnan, and it is the same combination. Hales makes another regulation catch after a thick edge goes down the ground. Bresnan, who does not manage a hat-trick as Darren Sammy survives, has put England right back into this.
9.37pm - WICKET! Samuels c Hales b Bresnan 28; WI 116/4 - A huge wicket as Samuels picks out Alex Hales at long-on off Bresnan.
9.35pm - Bopara ends with an excellent 1-10. The Windies are 116 for three with four overs to go, needing 37 more for victory.
9.29pm - WICKET! Simmons c Buttler b Wright 19; WI 111/3 - How Luke Wright needed that. His first delivery was sent back over his head by Marlon Samuels for a maximum, then Moeen Ali couldn't quite prevent four from the next ball down at fine-leg. But Wright then gets Simmons on strike and sends him on his way, with an edge brilliantly taken behind by Jos Buttler.
9.25pm - Parry returns with a really good over. Windies can only pick up four singles, which takes them to 100 but pushes up the required run-rate.
9.20pm - Stephen Parry's first over in international T20 cricket is an expensive one, with Lendl Simmons helping himself to two fours. The six deliveries cost 13 runs and West Indies are looking well set for a series victory.
9.11pm - WICKET! Gayle b Bopara 36; WI 75/2 - Bopara gets the big scalp as Gayle chops on to his own timber. He had some fun out there. England will hope to find another few quick wickets to halt the hosts' momentum. Bopara has been very impressive so far.
9.09pm - After 27 deliveries without a boundary Gayle loses another ball, smashing Tredwell out of the ground for a second time. At the halfway stage West Indies are 74 for one, 79 short of victory.
9.02pm - Ravi Bopara follows with five dots of his own, with his first over costing just one run. Tredwell then also keeps things tight, giving up only three singles.
8.55pm - Tredwell is struggling to contain Gayle, but not many can when he's in this mood. He smashes his third maximum with a heave over deep square-leg. Tredwell responds well, however, with five dots, but West Indies are well set at the moment.
8.51pm - WICKET! Smith c Bresnan b Dernbach 30; WI 48/1 - Dernbach makes the much-needed breakthrough. Smith gets a thick edge, sending it high in the air and Bresnan is under it at cover.
England can't stem the flow of boundaries here. Gayle has just hit the press the box…almost came through the window. 44/0. #WIvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) March 11, 2014
8.47pm - Gayle is enjoying himself out there. James Tredwell is hit for a four down the ground, and it is followed by another monster six over long-on. In the preceding over Smith helped himself to two sixes. Windies are 44 without loss from four overs.
8.40pm - Jade Dernbach opens at the other end and the first five deliveries were good, conceding just two runs, but Chris Gayle catches a hold of the final ball, sending it straight over deep midwicket and out of the ground! That was huge and it's a very good start from the hosts.
8.32pm - CHANCE! - Bresnan has Dwayne Smith playing and missing at the first delivery and his third almost accounts for the Windies opener, but his thick edge is agonisingly too long for a diving Michael Lumb, who had ran back from mid-on. Smith makes the most of his fortune with a four through square and a six over deep backward-square. Lumb has gone off to receive treatment after injuring himself during that catching attempt.
8.30pm - After a quick turnaround, Tim Bresnan will open the bowling.
England Innings
8.16pm - WICKET & END OF INNINGS! Bresnan c Ramdin b Bravo 7;England 152/7, Wright 7 - Bresnan's maximum is the only one of a well-bowled final over from Bravo, and the Yorkshire bowler is caught behind off the final ball when going for a big heave. England have 152 to defend.
Shot @timbresnan ! Six over long on and the 150 is up
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) March 11, 2014
8.13pm - WICKET! Bopara c Bravo b Santokie 14; Eng 143/6 - Luke Wright is among the runs immediately, smashing Santokie over his head for a one-bounce four. But Bopara falls two balls later when he attempts to clear long-off but comes up short, and Bravo takes a simple catch.
8.10pm - WICKET! Buttler c Sammy b Santokie 67; Eng 137/5 - Buttler's best T20I knock comes to an end when he gets a thick edge on an attempted drive, which picks out Sammy at deep backward-point.
8.08pm - Buttler gives Bravo the treatment, slamming him down the ground for a maximum. England take 11 from the over to move to 136 for four, with 12 balls left to come.
8.03pm - Ravi Bopara sends Bravo to the deep square-leg fence but it's the only boundary of an over which yields eight runs. Another eight come off the 17th over, with Buttler putting Andre Russell back over his head for a boundary. England have three overs left.
7.55pm - FIFTY! Buttler (33b 4x4 2x6) - Right on time, the players return and Buttler takes two deliveries to find the single required for his second T20I half-century. He's four short of equalling his best score in the format. With five overs left, England are 109 for four.
7.42pm - The covers are coming off! We will be back underway at 7.55pm, with no overs lost.
7.20pm - Well we were told it would only be a short shower, but the rain continues to fall and the covers remain on in Barbados. When we do return, Buttler will be one run away from a second T20I fifty. After falling one run short of a hundred in the one-day series, he'll be desperate to complete this one.
7.05pm - RAIN STOPS PLAY! - It's been raining lightly on and off during the contest - that early weather forecast Tweet proves to have been useless - but a heavy downpour forces the players off the field midway through the 15th over. It shouldn't be too long until it passes and we'll be back underway.
7pm - CHANCE & WICKET! Hales c Simmons b Bravo 40; Eng 102/4 - Buttler should have been dismissed, skying one straight to cover where Dwayne Bravo, somehow fails to take the catch. Simmons shows his colleague how to do it from the very next delivery, as Hales chips one to the fielder at deep midwicket. A disappointing end, but the opener helped get the tourists back on track following the early flurry of wickets.
6.56pm - Buttler smashes another maximum over long-on, moving to 44, with England taking 16 from the 13th over. There's almost a mix-up at the start of the next set of six, with Hales stuttering before eventually setting off. He makes his ground and Buttler then grabs a single to bring up the hundred.
Now Hales is in on the act, pulling with venom to midwicket for six. Rampaul getting the treatment. 90/3. #WIvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) March 11, 2014
6.49pm - CHANCE! - Chris Gayle almost pulls off a worldie to get rid of Hales. Gayle, at backward point, springs forward, arm outstretched in a classic superman pose, but he can't cling on one-handed. Buttler then shows off his skills with successive boundaries - a four over Darren Sammy's head followed by a simply magnificent scooped six over fine-leg.
6.42pm - Hales goes big for the game’s first six, coming down the pitch and smacking Samuels over the long-on fence. England are 61 for three at the halfway mark. Whisper it quietly, but Buttler and Hales are steadying things here.
6.37pm - CHANCE! - West Indies turn to pace and Ravi Rampaul is welcomed by Buttler with a thick edge over the wicketkeeper’s head for a one-bounce four. Hales then goes for a big heave, but can only sky one high into the air. However, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin loses the ball in the clouds and completely misses it. A big let-off for Hales.
6.29pm - England are getting squeezed a bit, with eight singles in 12 balls since Morgan was dismissed. The wait for a boundary is ended when Jos Buttler sends Marlon Samuels' first delivery to deep extra-cover, though Santokie almost managed to keep the ball from crossing the rope via a fabulous flick with his foot. There is just one more run from the over, leaving England 39 for three from eight overs.
6.17pm - WICKET! Morgan c Simmons b Badree 3; Eng 26/3 - Skipper Eoin Morgan is off the mark with a controlled edge for two. Hales then survives a big shout for another lbw, which replays show would have hit leg stump. But Windies do strike in the over when Morgan, aiming to sweep for six, is caught by Lendl Simmons on the deep square-leg boundary. England are in a bit of trouble here.
6.12pm - WICKET! Moeen lbw b Santokie 5; Eng 21/2 - Moeen sends Santokie behind square for four with a lovely shot, but the next ball is a slower one which he does not read and he is given out leg before, having made five on his T20I debut.
6.09pm - WICKET! Lumb lbw b Santokie 4; Eng 13/1 - Krishmar Santokie strikes in his first over. Michael Lumb walks across his stumps and is rapped on the pads by a full-toss. Moeen Ali is the new man in.
6.03pm - Samuel Badree, who starred in the opening match, opens the bowling with his leg-spin, but Alex Hales cuts him down to third-man for an early boundary. It's a solid start for England as the opening pair pick up eight from the first set of six.
Pre-Play News
6pm - Alex Hales and Michael Lumb are striding out to the middle. Strap yourselves in...
5.50pm - We're 10 minutes away from the start of the game. Remember, not only is this match imperative for keeping the series alive going into the final game on Thursday, but the players are also competing for places in the side for the World T20 in Bangladesh. There's a place up for grabs with Joe Root ruled out through injury. Can somebody step up today?
5.35pm - England: Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Moeen Ali, Eoin Morgan, Joe Buttler, Ravi Bopara, Luke Wright, Tim Bresnan, James Tredwell, Stephen Parry, Jade Dernbach.
West Indies: Dwayne Smith, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Ravi Rampaul, Samuel Badree, Krishmar Santokie.
A new captain today - congratulations @Eoin16 #WIvEng pic.twitter.com/o4qNW2MZrw
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) March 11, 2014
5.30pm - ENGLAND WIN THE TOSS AND BAT! - Eoin Morgan, standing in for the injured Stuart Broad as skipper, calls correctly and chooses to set a total first. He also confirms two changes - Broad and Ben Stokes missing out and Moeen Ali and Stephen Parry coming in for their T20I debuts.
5.25pm - Just in case you were wondering what the weather is like in Barbados...
Only sunny intervals forecast for Barbados today. The @bbctms team might need a cardie. On air @BBC5LSX 545pm #WIvEng pic.twitter.com/WqHKjrs4Yk
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) March 11, 2014
5.20pm - Hello and welcome to ecb.co.uk's live text commentary of the second Twenty20 international between West Indies and England. The tourists must win this game to keep alive their hopes of a series victory ahead of the World Twenty 20 in Bangladesh. We'll bring news of the toss and the line-ups shortly.