NEW DELHI: Defending champions
England
cruised to an eight-wicket win against hosts West Indies in their
Super Eights
clash of the
T20 World Cup
at Gros Islet in St Lucia on Thursday.
Opener
Philip Salt
smashed an unbeaten 47-ball 87 as England chased down the 181-run target with 21 balls to spare.
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Salt was first involved in a 67-run stand with his captain
Jos Buttler
(25) and then in an unbeaten 97-run partnership with
Jonny Bairstow
(48*).
Salt hit 5 sixes and 7 fours in his knock and a major factor for England cruising to victory was a brutal assault by the England opener in one over off West Indies' pacer
Romario Shepherd
.
The assault came in the 16th over of the run chase when Shepherd came on to bowl his second over having conceded 11 runs in his first over.
Salt smashed 4, 6, 4, 6, 6, 4 in the over to heap misery on the Windies and shut out any hopes they were harbouring of a victory.
Salt hit the first ball over extra cover for a four to reach his fifty. The second ball was mistimed but such was the power behind the shot that it went all the way straight down the ground for a six.
Salt hit the third delivery over the keeper for a four and smacked the fourth delivery over long-off for another six.
The carnage continued as the fifth delivery, a slower ball, was dispatched over deep square leg with a pull for another six and the last ball, a juicy full toss was sent sailing over mid-off to complete the 30-run over.
It was the West Indies' first loss of the tournament and their first defeat in eight Twenty20 internationals.
The West Indies made 180/4 batting first on the same pitch on which they made 218/5 against Afghanistan in the final match of the group stage on Monday.
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