Santokie, Sammy lead West Indies to series win

Bridgetown (Barbados), March 12 (IANS/CMC) Captain Darren Sammy's blistering knock enabled West Indies to clinch the T20 series against England 2-0, winning the second match by five wickets here at the Kensington Oval.

The West Indies had won the first game here Sunday and the three-match series ends here Thursday, reports CMC.

Sammy took charge hitting two sixes and smashing three fours to race to 30 in just nine balls, swinging the match back in West Indies favour after England had made some inroads by taking quick wickets and suppressing the run rate.

Sammy's men reached the target with seven balls to spare after England, who won the toss Tuesday and chose to bat, were restricted to 152 for 7.

England were undermined by Jamaican seamer Krishmar Santokie, who finished with an outstanding four-for-21, his best T20 figures.

Santokie led the onslaught by removing opener Michael Lumb and frontline batsman Moeen Ali for single digits to throw the England innings into disarray at 26 for three.

But a fourth-wicket partnership of 76 between Jos Buttler and Alex Hales pulled the Englishmen out of the slump.

Hales scored 40 while Buttler top scored with 67 before Santokie struck again shortly after he was brought back into the attack late in the England innings.

As Hales was dismissed, caught on the midwicket fence off Bravo, rain interrupted play for 45 minutes when England were 107 for four in the 15th over.

When play resumed Santokie, who was named man-of the match in only his fourth match, had Buttler caught while attempting a big shot and removed Ravi Bopara for 14.

Dwayne Bravo picked up two wickets for 34 runs.

Buttler and Bopara had also teamed up for a 5th wicket partnership that produced 35 runs.

Chris Gayle stroked off the West Indies challenge with an opening stand of 48 with Dwayne Smith to pave the road for victory, scoring an entertaining 36 which included a four and four sixes.

Three of Gayle's sixes went flying onto the roof of the stands and out of the ground.

Smith scored 30, Marlon Samuels 28 while Lendl Simmons scored 19 from 13 balls.

West Indies who were coasting along at 111 for three, lost two wickets in two balls as Tim Bresnan threatened to derail their chase.

Bresnan dismissed Samuels and then Andre Russell to leg side catches forcing Sammy to step up on arrival to play a captain's knock batting alongside Dwayne Bravo.

West Indies found themselves needing 30 runs from three overs and then 9 runs from nine balls for victory before Sammy exploded.

The West Indies captain was particularly severe on Bresnan hitting him for two sixes and a winning boundary in the penultimate over to seal the series.

Brief scores:

England 152 for seven ( Jos Buttler 67, Alex Hales 40, Krishmar Santokie 4-21, Dwayne Bravo 2/34)

West Indies 155 for five ( Chris Gayle 36, Dwayne Smith 30, Darren Sammy 30 not out, Marlon Samuels 28, Tim Bresnan 2/51

--IANS/CMC

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