WI captain Rovman Powell: T20 World Cup destiny in our hands

WEST INDIES Twenty/20 skipper Rovman Powell says his team's fate is in their hands following their loss to England in their first Super Eight match of the International Cricket Council (ICC) men's T20 World Cup at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia on June 19.

Sent in to have first strike on a good batting strip at the Beausejour venue, the tournament co-hosts got to 180 for four, with the defending champions England romping to a comfortable eight-wicket win with 15 balls to spare.

After a resolute bowling effort, England were led by a brilliant unbeaten knock from opening batsman Phil Salt, who scored 87 off 47 balls and shared in a game-sealing 97-run stand for the third wicket with Jonny Bairstow (48 not out from 26 balls).

Salt, who scored back-to-back centuries when the teams met in a five-match T20 series in the Caribbean last December, showed his match-winning qualities once again, and he effectively put the game to bed in the 16th over when he took allrounder Romario Shepherd for 30 runs in the 16th over of the chase – striking three telling sixes in the process.

Powell's team got the better of the Brits last year with a tight 3-2 series triumph. However, captain Jos Buttler's men were large and in charge in the meeting between the two winningest T20 World Cup teams, and they surged above South Africa in Group 2 of the Super Eight phase.

"I think we left 15-20 runs out there as a batting group. Having said that, we could have given a better display with the ball as a bowling group," Powell said, during the post-match presentation.

Buttler and the Man of the Match Salt took a measured approach early on. Still, the pair took the score to 58 without loss through the power play. The first wicket fell in the eighth over with the score on 67, as Buttler (25) was trapped lbw by Roston Chase.

Moeen Ali (13) had a brief stay at the crease before he was dismissed by allrounder Andre Russell (one for 21) as England slipped to 82 for two in the 11th over. However, Bairstow and Salt dominated the West Indies bowlers to remind the hosts of their threat with the bat.

The men in maroon don't have much time to lick their wounds as they will play fellow hosts the US at Kensington Oval in Barbados from 8.30 pm on June 21, before concluding their Super Eight campaign with a clash against South Africa in Antigua on June 23.

In the buildup to the World Cup, West Indies got a 3-0 series sweep against the Proteas, although both teams were without several players from their World Cup squad. With the top two teams in both Super Eight groups advancing to the semis, the Windies will need to replicate the form that saw them winning eight straight T20s before their stumble against the English.

"I think our destiny is still in our own hands. It's just for us to continue to play good cricket, and once we do that we'll be okay," Powell said.

West Indies faced 51 dot balls in total and they stuttered in the middle phase as they struggled to cope with the guile of leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who had figures of one for 21 from his four overs.

Opening batsman Johnson Charles top-scored with 38 off 34 balls, with the usually aggressive Nicholas Pooran scoring a more conservative 36 off 32 balls. The Windies looked to be in a promising position at 82 without loss after ten overs, but the pair couldn't capitalise in the second half of the innings as they fell to Rashid and Jofra Archer (one for 34) respectively.

Powell struck an aggressive 36 off 17 balls as he dominated a 43-run partnership with Pooran before falling to Liam Livingstone (one for 20) at the end of a 15th-over onslaught. West Indies got 43 runs in the last five overs, thanks largely to an unbeaten cameo of 28 from Sherfane Rutherford.

"It's just for us as a batting group and bowling group to sit and reevaluate and take the positives from this game," the West Indies skipper said.

"Every time (Salt) plays against the West Indies he always hurts us. Having said that, we strayed a little bit in our plans – especially to Salt."

Powell defended the decision to play Shepherd ahead of left-arm seamer Obed McCoy, who grabbed three for 14 in the team's final group game versus Afghanistan at the Beausejour venue on Monday. And although opening batsman Brandon King (23 off 13 balls) retired hurt with a side strain, Powell said it was premature to say if any tweaks would be made for the US game.

"We still think the guys who took the field were the right guys to take the field. But those things do happen. England played a very good game of cricket."

Buttler commended the all-around effort and execution from his team in the "deserved" win, and he was particularly pleased with his bowlers for restricting the West Indies' "six-hitters."

Salt, who struck seven fours and five sixes in his innings, credited the role played by England assistant coach Kieron Pollard, who has given shrewd advice on approaching run chases in Caribbean conditions.

"Kieron Pollard, since he has come in he has been talking about if you wanna get ten (runs per over), you can (get) eight from one side and 12 from the other end and stuff like that. "I had those words in my head at that point in time. I could take the spinners for less, but I've got to back myself to cash in later on with the seamers."

The right-handed Salt certainly took advantage in fine style, and England are suddenly looking in ominous form after flirting with a group-stage exit last week.

The co-hosts US and West Indies will fight to extend their stay in the tourney when they meet in their crucial clash in Barbados.