Holder takes charge in Windies win

West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder created history to give his team a 3-2 win in their Twenty20 International series against England last night.

Holder became the first West Indian to claim four wickets in four balls in international cricket, joining Ireland's Curtis Campher, Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga, and Afghanistan's Rashid Khan as the only bowlers overall to achieve the feat.

The Windies defeated England by 17 runs at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

They first posted 179 for four in their allotted 20 overs,after which Holder conjured up a career-best five wickets to go along with Akeal Hosein, who also claimed career-best four wickets for 30 runs, to restrict England to 162 all out in 19 overs and a ball.

The home side brought back all-rounder Odean Smith in place of Dominic Drakes, and Fabian Allen for Darren Bravo, and when skipper Kieron Pollard won the toss for the fourth time, he decided to bat first, which in the end proved to be the right decision.

Another great start from the openers in the power play saw the hosts putting on 59 runs for the first wicket before Kyle Mayers fell in the deep for 31.

Romario Shepherd was promoted up the order, but that decision failed, as he made only six. Brandon King got to 34 before he also succumbed to spinner Liam Livingstone, to leave the home side on 89 for three.

Spin also proved the undoing of Nicholas Pooran who fell to Adil Rashid for 21, but Pollard and Rovman Powell gave the Windies innings some impetus towards the back end after another sluggish middle period to help them finish strong on 179 for four.

Pollard ended on 41 from 25 balls, with 1 four and two sixes, while Powell ended not out on 35 from 17 balls, with 1 four and four sixes.

Facing a run rate of nine runs per over, England looked to get off to a flyer, however, they lost the prolific Jason Roy for eight in the opening over. Tom Banton and James Vince looked to keep pace with the rate, and they took the score to 40 in just the fourth over, before Smith sent back Banton for 16.

After Holder had captain Moen Ali caught for 14, Pollard then went back to his spin ace Hosein, who immediately made his mark felt by sending back Livingstone (six), Vince (55) and Phil Salt (three), to leave the visitors in trouble at 119 for six in the 16th over.

Although Sam Billings (41) and Chris Jordan (seven) took 20 runs off Smith in the 18th over, England needed 20 runs off the final over bowled by the Player- of-the-match Holder. The Barbadian used his knowledge of the home conditions to perfection to pick up four straight wickets in the over, as the English batters tried to reach for the fences.

Holder finished with career-best figures of five for 27 in two overs and five balls to seal the win and the series.

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES

B King c Jordan b Livingstone 34

K Mayers c Salt b Rashid 31

R Shepherd c Mahmood b Livingstone 6

+N Pooran b Rashid 21

*K Pollard not out 41

R Powell not out 35

Extras (lb3, w7, nb1) 11

TOTAL (4 wkts, 20 overs) 179

Did not bat: J Holder, F Allen, O Smith, A Hosein, S Cottrell.

Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Mayers), 2-67 (Shepherd), 3-89 (King), 4-105 (Pooran)

Bowling: Topley 4-0-43-0 (w1), Saqib 2-0-27-0 (w1, nb1), Moeen 3-0-20-0 (w1), Jordan 4-0-52-0 (w1), Rashid 4-0-17-2, Livingstone 3-0-17-2 (w2).

ENGLAND

J Roy c wkp Pooran b Hosein 8

T Banton c Holder b Smith 16

J Vince c Allen b Hosein 55

*Moeen Ali c Mayers b Holder 14

L Livingstone c Smith b Hosein 6

+S Billings c sub (H Walsh) b Holder 41

P Salt st Pooran b Hosein 3

C Jordan c sub (H Walsh) b Holder 7

A Rashid c Smith b Holder 0

Saqib Mahmood b Holder 0

R Topley not out 0

Extras (lb4, w6, nb2) 12

TOTAL (all out, 19.5 overs) 162

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Roy), 2-40 (Banton), 3-86 (Moeen), 4-95 (Livingstone), 5-112 (Vince), 6-119 (Salt), 7-162 (Jordan), 8-162 (Billings), 9-162 (Rashid), 10-162 (Saqib)

Bowling: Hosein 4-0-30-4, Holder 2.5-0-27-5 (nb1), Cottrell 3-0-21-0 (nb1), Smith 4-0-41-1 (w3), Pollard 2-0-15-0 (w2), Shepherd 1-0-7-0 (w1), Allen 3-0-17-0.

Result: West Indies won by 17 runs.

Series: West Indies won five-match series 3-2.

Man-of-the-Match: Jason Holder.

Man-of-the-Series: Jason Holder.

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: Gregory Brathwaite, Nigel Duguid; TV - Patrick Gustard.