Rampant England seek 3-0 sweep after Jordan, Billings light up T20I series

OverviewWest Indies v England3rd T20I
Warner Park, Basseterre, St. Kitts
Sunday, 10 March; 4:00pm local, 8:00pm GMT

It will mark as a small victory for England, having disappointed in the longest format and drawn 2-2 in ODIs, but this series has been a pleasant finish, and one which has seen some of the peripheral players come to the fore.

For the West Indies, little can be done to take the gloss off their magnificent triumph in the Tests, despite having succumbed to a humbling defeat in the previous match; skittled for 45 – the second lowest T20I team score ever.

Chris Jordan and Sam Billings, both absent in the England line-up during the ODIs, were the key protagonists in a game which saw some of the seasoned players and star performers in this series flail. Billings belted a 47-ball 87 in a stunning display of batsmanship, before Jordan notched 4/6, helping his side to a 137-run win.

With the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil just months away, there is no better time than now for players on the outskirts, such as Billings and Jordan, to stake their claim for a spot in the side. Equally, West Indies will most likely look to field a few fresh faces, despite fast bowler Obed McCoy’s expensive debut (1/44) in the previous clash.

The Windies’ reliance on Chris Gayle could once again prove to be the home side’s achilles heel. He has failed to record a score above 15 in both matches, and his young teammates took great confidence during the ODI series from his presence in the middle. If he sticks around, expect England to have a much fiercer challenge.

Exciting young batsmen Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer will be desperate to make a splash in this series, having fallen short with the bat on both occasions. With one match remaining, it is ripe time for them to grab the bull by the horns and thwart England’s efforts to secure the 3-0 sweep. We could see a rejuvenated display from Jason Holder’s men, in a format which in recent years has certainly been their most fruitful.

**Key PlayersShimron Hetmyer (West Indies):**Flamboyant, eye-catching, and with talent in abundance like few his age in world cricket, Hetmyer is a burgeoning prospect of Windies cricket, and England are yet to feel his wrath in this series. A brutal hitter, but an imperious stroke-maker all the same, the 22-year old will be itching to record a score before the imminent IPL campaign. Having made his debut just last year, Hetmyer is yet to set the world alight in T20Is for his country, but it is a matter of when he does, certainly not if. From the basis of the first two matches, Windies need a hero, and it would delight the home fans if said hero turned out to be the swashbuckling Hetmyer.

**Chris Jordan (England):**His exploits in the first T20I catapulted him back into the attention of the cricket sphere and World Cup selectors alike, but his blistering spell in St. Kitts has solidified his reputation as one of the fiercest competitors in the shortest format of the game. With a demon yorker in his arsenal, unerring accuracy under pressure and a record as one of the most consistent death bowlers in the game, combined with phenomenal fielding abilities, Jordan could once again be the catalyst for an England win.

ConditionsThe forecast is rosy, with the blazing sunset to hit St.Kitts with predicted temperatures reaching just shy of 30 degrees Celsius. The chance of rain is minimal.
Squads

West Indies: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, John Campbell, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Obed McCoy, Oshane Thomas

England: Eoin Morgan (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, David Willey, Mark Wood