England vs West Indies LIVE: T20 World Cup latest score and updates
Follow all the action from the Dubai International Stadium
Follow all the action as England begin their T20 World Cup campaign against reigning champions West Indies.
Eoin Morgan’s side will attempt to banish the woes of 2016 when Carlos Braithwaite hit four monstrous sixes in the final over to vanquish Ben Stokes and complete a tremendous chase. “It’s definitely going to be in the back of their minds. For us to be in that situation and get over the line, it shows that sort of never-say-die attitude,” said West Indies captain Kieran Pollard, who missed the final due to injury five years ago. “I thought what Carlos did in those four deliveries in that last over, it’s unbelievable. It’s something that as a team we actually saw last night and it brought goosebumps back to us.”
Morgan has kept his cards close to his chest over his team selection, with plenty of scrutiny on the captain himself due to his poor recent form, and England can afford few slip-ups in a tricky group. If they can prevail in spin-friendly conditions in Dubai, though, and add the T20 World Cup to their ODI crowd, Morgan will go down as one of cricket’s great captains. “The name of the country on the shirt is irrelevant really when it comes to a World Cup,” he said of the task in front of his team. “You need to prove your worth through performance.” Follow all the latest updates below:
West Indies 9-1 (2)
An excellent over from Chris Woakes, making his first appearance at a WorldT20 or T20 World Cup ten years after making his international debut in the format. Gayle shoulders arms to the final ball of the over after Simmons had again handed over strike.
Moeen to continue.
OUT! Evin Lewis c Ali b Woakes 6 (5b 0x4 1x6), West Indies 8/1 (1.3)
There’s the first wicket. Lewis is eyeing something jaunty down the ground again but gets underneath it, skying it high over mid-off. Moeen trots back and takes a fine catch over his shoulder with extended arms. Good bowling from Woakes, a slower ball that deceived Lewis.
Chris Gayle replaces his fellow left-hander at the crease.
West Indies 8-0 (1.1)
To kick things off at the other end will be Chris Woakes, unsurprisingly. England may like for him to bowl as many as three overs in the powerplay for that is the phase in which he can be at his best. Simmons gets his second run with another leg-side nudge from Woakes’ opening ball.
SIX! West Indies 7-0 (1 over)
Evin Lewis blocks his first ball, drives his second to a fielder and then, after a ball from Moeen drifts delightfully into his arc, lofts a gorgeous straight drive back over the bowler’s head for the innings’ first maximum. Miss your mark even slightly and that is what the attacking left-hander will do.
West Indies 1-0 (0.3)
Lendl Simmons gets off the mark from the third ball, going back to a ball that skids on and flicking it out to deep midwicket for a jogged one. Over to Evin Lewis, who can struggle against spin. Chris Jordan in at slip - he’s outstanding off the spinners in there.
West Indies 0-0 (0.1)
The first ball is a flighted off-break which Simmons, in a cap, pushes back to a diving Moeen. We’re away!
Here we go!
Two titanic Twenty20 sides, and a blockbuster opening night in the Super 12 stage of a long-awaited tournament. Five and a half years on from Carlos Braithwaite’s demolition of Ben Stokes at Eden Gardens, it’s the West Indies vs England again in a Twenty20 World Cup, and Moeen Ali has the ball to kick things off against Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis.
The right-handed Simmons will face first after both sets of players take a knee to an ovation from the crowd.
Anthem time in Dubai
The two squads and match officials have made their way out onto the surfaceat the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which appears to be largely populated by empty seats. A few vibrant red and blue England shirts in amongst the swathes of plastic, though. A 70% capacity is allowed at this tournament across all venues but we are some way short of that today.
Strategy chat - How will West Indies use their deep batting order?
Had Fabian Allen been fit the West Indies might have had Bravo all the way down at number nine in the order, freakish batting depth that is only slightly reduced with the handy Akeal Hosein now stationed there. The West Indies must figure out how best to structure that depth, though - Shimron Hetmyer has tended to be used in the top four but had a standout IPL with Delhi as a finisher, so Pollard, a slower starter, could be utilised in his stead to break up the left-handers and afford their captain the slower start he sometimes favours.
Nicholas Pooran could be key. He’s an outstanding hitter of spin who could also negate the impact of Ali and perhaps force Eoin Morgan to go away from Adil Rashid - which might leave England short of overs or forced to use death specialists Tymal Mills and Chris Jordan earlier than he would like.
Strategy chat - Wood’s absence a big blow for England
Mark Wood hasn’t necessarily played too much short-form cricket in the last few months after his own struggles with injury but he was shaping as a key player for this team, and he’s a big miss for this game particularly. England aren’t short of high pace with Tymal Mills and Chris Jordan plenty quick enough, but in terms of specific roles, England don’t now have someone to replicate Wood’s likely enforcer role through the middle. Wood excels at hurrying a batter from a back of a length, a tactic that has proved incredibly effective in this format in the last couple of years, led by bowlers like Anrich Nortje in the IPL.
It would have been a useful ploy against this power-hitting West Indian middle order, who are so strong hitting length deliveries and anything short. I’d expect a heavy dose of Moeen Ali today, though - there are four left-handers in the West Indian top five for his off-spin to target. We’ll see if Kieron Pollard or Dwayne Bravo perhaps get pushed up as an attempt to counter Moeen.
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