Gayle, Lewis star in Windies T20I win

England evidently brings out the best in Carlos Brathwaite as the Windies skipper put on a show, this time with the ball in hand, to guide his side to a 21-run win over the home side in a one-off Twenty20 International at Chester-le-Street on Saturday (September 17).

Set 177 for victory after a blitz by Windies’ top order, England got off to a poor start -- Jason Roy falling for a duck off the first ball off Jerome Taylor's bowling -- and was bowled out for 155 in 19.3 overs on a chilly and rainswept day.

Brathwaite, who famously smashed four consecutive sixes off the final over of the ICC World Twenty20 final last year against the same opposition, inflicted damage with the ball this time, picking up 3 for 20 from 3.3 overs.

Earlier, the crowd witnessed some breathtaking shot by Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis.

The duo smashed 77 runs from 6.2 overs with Gayle gathering 49 from 21 balls and Lewis’s blitz yielding 51 from 28. The early assault had laid the perfect platform for a massive score but Windies was derailed somewhat before it ended with 176 for 9 from 20 overs.

Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid were the pick of the bowlers for England with both picking up three wickers each.

After the wicket of Roy, Alex Hales could have been next on the list of golden ducks but Rovman Powell put down a tough chance. Making the most of that opportunity, Hales made 43 from 17 balls, including eight fours and a six.

The problem for England, though, was that no one else was able to contribute after Hales’s dismissal in the sixth over. Brathwaite was the man who accounted for the England opener, and soon the floodgates opened. England went from 64 for 1 to 68 for 4.

With England needing 26 off the last over, Brathwaite came on to bowl and dismissed Plunkett to bring an end to the game.

Sunil Narine, who returned figures of 2 for 15 from 4 overs, was named the player of the match.

England and Windies begin a five-match One-Day International series in Manchester on Tuesday.