Rutherford, spinners fire West Indies to commanding win

It was a trial by spin for England as West Indies pipped them by 30 runs, led by Gudakesh Motie's brilliant 3 for 33, to top the Group C standings with two wins in as many games. Sherfane Rutherford's well-paced 76 not out carried West Indies through a period of consolidation and helped them post a commanding 196, before the spinners applied the stranglehold through the middle overs to deny England.

Rutherford's career-best innings, supported by handy cameos, guided West Indies' recovery after they were reduced to 8/2 just seven balls into the match. Jofra Archer and Sam Curran struck in their respective first overs, at either end, to remove both Caribbean openers in the space of three deliveries.

The recovery began with a spirited, albeit brief, counterattack from Shimron Hetmyer and Roston Chase. Hetmyer got going with a boundary off Archer before hammering a six and a four off Curran to force England into a double bowling change. Chase welcomed Will Jacks' offspin with a hat-trick of boundaries, and Hetmyer closed out the over with a slog-sweep for six to plunder 19 from it. However, his enterprising innings was cut short by Jamie Overton, who had the destructive left-hander top-edge an attempted pull.

Rutherford arrived to rebuild again and was on 8 off 10 when he lost the well-set Chase, trapped lbw by an Adil Rashid wrong'un for his 400th T20 wicket. At the halfway mark, West Indies were in a spot of bother at 79/4 before Rutherford stepped on the gas.

His consecutive sixes off Jacks breathed life back into the innings. Rashid had a tough chance to dismiss him at the boundary in the next over, but Rutherford survived and cashed in with another maximum. He found an able ally in Rovman Powell, who helped take down the returning Archer. Rashid, however, exerted immense pressure in his spell, conceding just 16 for two and keeping the scoring in check with his variations. Powell eventually mistimed one from the legspinner to fall right after the drinks break.

The complexion of the game changed entirely in the final five overs as West Indies unleashed their trademark power. Rutherford then found good company in Jason Holder to launch yet another counterattack. Overton was welcomed back with a four and a six as Rutherford marched to a 29-ball fifty, while Holder tore into Curran in the next over with three towering sixes to race to 21 off just nine.

England's pacers wavered under pressure in the death overs. Rutherford brought up the half-century of his brisk stand with Holder with his sixth maximum of the night, and by the time the final over arrived, the momentum had shifted completely. Both batters deposited Overton into the stands, as West Indies plundered 66 in the last five overs to finish on a competitive 196 - a total that had looked far-fetched at one stage.

Holder then got a taste of his own medicine when Phil Salt took him apart in a 24-run over. West Indies made an early change, and Romario Shepherd struck with his second ball to send back the ominous-looking opener for a 14-ball 30. Jacob Bethell then launched a flurry of boundaries to get England moving.

At 67/1 at the end of the PowerPlay, England seemed to have recovered well, but the introduction of spin proved decisive. Chase was pulled over deep backward square by Jos Buttler, but the batter fell off the very next delivery to a change of angle from the offspinner. At the other end, Motie conceded a six off a low full toss to Bethell but removed Tom Banton cheaply to strike in his first over.

Motie went on to pick up three crucial wickets in his four-over spell. Bethell then saw his off stump knocked back after contributing 23-ball 33. In his final over, Motie dealt England another blow by having Harry Brook caught off his own bowling, reducing them to 131/5 at the end of the 14th and finishing with impressive figures of 3/33.

With Motie bowled out, England sought to accelerate but lost another wicket in the following over. Chase burned a review against Curran, and Jacks soon followed by wasting one after being trapped in front.

With 62 required off 30, England still had a set Curran at the crease and some lower-order firepower. But a smart relay catch from Powell handed Akeal Hosein a wicket in his final over and left England at 141/7 at the end of the 16th. A couple of run-outs thereafter dented their remaining hopes. Archer was caught short, and an over later Liam Dawson failed to turn back in time for a second. Curran eventually ran out of partners when Chase pulled off a sharp low catch in the deep on the last ball of the penultimate over to hand Rashid a golden duck and bowl England out for 166.

Brief scores: West Indies 196/6 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 76*, Roston Chase 34, Jason Holder 33, Adil Rashid 2-16) beat England 166 all out in 19 overs (Sam Curran 43*, Jacob Bethell 33; Gudakesh Motie 3-33, Roston Chase 2-29) by 30 runs