| England 132 (19.3 overs): Salt 38 (22); Motie 3-24 |
| West Indies 133-6 (19.2 overs): Hope 43* (43); Topley 2-17, Rashid 2-21 |
| West Indies won by four wickets and won series 3-2 |
| Scorecard |
England lost the fifth and deciding T20 against West Indies by four wickets in Trinidad to suffer a 3-2 series defeat.
After being put in to bat, England struggled for fluency at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy and were bowled out for 132 off 19.3 overs.
Sam Curran gave England a chance with a brilliant penultimate over, taking a wicket and conceding two runs, to leave the hosts needing nine from the last.
But Shai Hope’s mighty six sealed victory with four balls to spare.
England fought well with the ball, Reece Topley impressing with 2-17 and Adil Rashid taking 2-21, but Hope’s crucial run-a-ball 43 not out proved the difference.
Playing on the same pitch on which they scored a record 267 in the fourth T20, the tourists’ timing was thrown off, with the surface offering more for the bowlers and West Indies’ attack showing much more consistency.
The in-form Phil Salt hit 38 but only Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali, with 28 and 23 respectively, also made telling contributions as England lost their last five wickets for just 11 runs.
The defeat completes a disappointing end to the year for England’s white-ball sides after a 2-1 series defeat in the one-day internationals that preceded the T20 leg of the tour, and the group-stage exit of the 50-over World Cup in November.
England’s batting falters in decider
After two magnificent batting displays to level the series from 2-0 down – chasing 223 in Grenada before the onslaught at this same venue – a third straight win proved a challenge too far for England.
The pitch played completely differently to Tuesday, though England opener Salt still showed signs of his touch and power before canny slow left-armer Gudakesh Motie got one to pitch on leg stump and rip out middle.
Salt’s dismissal left England 60-3 in the seventh over and they never really recovered, with many left batters left ruing some loose dismissals.
Captain Jos Buttler earlier miscued a ramp shot to short fine leg, Harry Brook was caught off a top edge when misting a sweep and Livingstone chipped one back to Motie just as he appeared to be setting himself for a counterattack.
Andre Russell rolled back the years in a masterful death bowling display, expertly mixing his variations to restrict England’s struggling lower order and remove Chris Woakes and Rehan Ahmed with consecutive deliveries.
While England’s bowlers also benefitted from the surface, West Indies were under little pressure with the luxury of knowing their target, and even as the tension rose in the 19th over, the victory never felt out of reach.
Hope exuded class and calmness throughout to anchor the chase, before launching Woakes over cover to finish the game and the series in style.
More to follow.