5 days ago
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It had threatened to happen all series, but on the eighth and final match of England’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean, the weather had the last laugh.
The fifth T20 of the series was abandoned after five overs, with West Indies 44 for none.
It is still rainy season in St Lucia, and it has been a borderline miracle that this was the first match to succumb to the weather.
Over the last three weeks, rain had fallen either just before, or after England played, but on this occasion the heavens opened shortly after play began and there was never any chance of returning to the field. The result means England secured a three-one T20 victory in a series that has led to the winner of the toss winning every match.
The 4pm start times led to a double disadvantage to the team batting first, as the wicket has been at its trickiest under the afternoon sun. Dew settling in the evening has made the pitch good for batting and the ball slippery for bowling.
Nevertheless, it was a good result for England and captain Jos Buttler, as they claimed their first away T20 series win in over two years and secured a positive start to the latest new era of white-ball cricket. In particular, the fast bowler Saqib Mahmood impressed with nine wickets in four matches.
“Really pleased,” Buttler said. “I think everyone’s put in a lot to the team behind the scenes and getting the results on the field as well was really pleasing to see.
“A lot of different players have stood up at different moments throughout the series which is absolutely what you need in T20 cricket. Saqib Mahmood back in an England shirt and player of the series is an incredible effort.”
Meanwhile, Brendon McCullum has cleared the way for England’s backroom staff to begin spanning formats after it was announced the white-ball coaches Richard Dawson and Carl Hopkinson are leaving the setup.
Hopkinson has been with the team since 2019, while Dawson joined shortly before the 2022 T20 World Cup.
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“They’ve had absolutely huge contributions,” Butter said of the pair. “I know I speak on behalf of all the players, to say how grateful we are for all the hard work that they’ve put in.”
McCullum, whose Test side travelled to New Zealand over the weekend, is due to start his overarching role as England’s all-format head coach on the white-ball tour of India in January.
Former England batter Marcus Trescothick has been serving as the men’s white-ball interim head coach during the West Indies tour.
