Buttler powers England to 2-0 series lead over Windies

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Buttler powers England to 2-0 series lead over Windies

England captain Jos Buttler has bounced back to form after a months-long injury layoff with a brutal innings of 83 in a seven-wicket win for his team against West Indies in the second Twenty20 international.

Buttler smashed six sixes and eight fours in his 45-ball innings as England finished on 3-161 with 31 deliveries to spare in Bridgetown on Sunday, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Phil Salt, who hit an unbeaten century in the first T20 which England won by eight wickets at the same venue on Saturday, was out to the first ball of the tourists’ innings.

But Buttler, who made a first-ball duck in the same match, shook off that setback to top score for England 24 hours later.

Buttler returned to the England team for this series after being out since June with a calf injury and won important tosses in both of the first two matches, allowing England to bowl first and successfully chase.

Buttler helped to propel England past the home team’s 8-158. He came to the crease with England 0-1 and put on 129 for the second wicket with Will Jacks, who made 38 from 29 ******.

Buttler reached his half century from 32 ******. One of the sixes in his innings, off Gudakesh Motie, flew out of Kensington Oval into the surrounding street.

“It’s great to spend some time in the middle,” Buttler said. “I was a bit scratchy for the first few ****** but managed to come through that. I really enjoyed it. It’s great to be back out there.”

Jacks and Buttler both were out in the 13th over as England slipped to 3-130 but Liam Livingstone (23 not out) and Jacob Bethell (3 not out) calmly saw them home.

Earlier, captain Rovman Powell top-scored with a 41-ball 43 in a mediocre West Indies innings.

The hosts lost three wickets in the power play, as they did in the first match of the series.

Once again Saqib Mahmood bowled superbly at the start of the innings, this time in partnership with Jofra Archer who replaced the injured Reece Topley.

Mahmood dismissed Brandon King in the second over and Roston Chase in the fourth. Archer removed Evin Lewis in the third over as West Indies slumped to 3-35.

Nicholas Pooran and Powell stabilised the innings, taking the West Indies to 3-63 after 10 overs. Livingstone claimed a key wicket when he had Pooran stumped for 14 with the total 70.

Livingstone struck again to dismiss Sherfane Rutherford (1) who tried to sweep a ball that turned and was hit on the pad. England successfully reviewed the umpire’s decision of not out.

Powell and Romario Shepherd, who made 22 from 12 ******, helped boost the total.

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