Buttler, Dawson star as England brush aside West Indies in opening T20I

Brimming with confidence after their clean sweep of the ODI series, England kickstarted the three-match T20I series against West Indies with an emphatic 21-run win. While a belligerent 59-ball 96 from Jos Buttler laid the platform for an above-par total of 188/6 on a slow pitch, Liam Dawson’s 4-20, orchestrated through smart variations of pace and optimal use of the helpful conditions, broke the back of the West Indies’ batting order.

England won the toss and opted to bat first on a gloomy evening at Chester-le-Street in Durham. Jamie Smith, continuing to bat at the top of the order in the absence of Phil Salt who is honoring parental obligations, began with an elegant straight drive. On a surface that wasn’t tailor-made for strokeplay, Smith rolled the dice and peeled off another two boundaries in the first over. Ben Duckett was the first to fall victim to the tackiness of the strip as he chipped a ball straight up in the air.

Smith and Buttler, who walked out to bat at number three, bid their time to get used to the pace of the deck before gathering steam in the fifth over bowled by Andre Russell. Having collected 22 runs in that over, the English duo butchered the following over as well, from Alzarri Joseph, for 23 – ushering England to 78/1 after the PowerPlay.

The rest of the innings saw the West Indies bowlers declining pace on the ball and hammering it into the wicket, having been a little slow on the uptake. The cutters worked like a charm as three quick wickets ensued in the form of the set Jamie Smith (38 off 20), Harry Brook (6 off 5) and Tom Banton (3 off 4), who was handed an opportunity in the middle order.

While Jacob Bethell couldn’t quite move to second gear, Buttler kept the scoreboard ticking with some daredevilish strokeplay. Unfortunately, the former skipper missed out on a second T20I hundred as he was trapped LBW in the 19th over. The innings witnessed a meek end with just a single boundary coming off the last over as England finished with 188/6, with Will Jacks being run-out off the final delivery.

How does he make something so difficult look so easy? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/OwYXliF7SV

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 6, 2025

The West Indies started on a promising note, being quick to cash in on deliveries that were seam-up and loose. However, when the pace was taken off the ball, it was a different story altogether. Dawson bagged his first wicket, Charles (18 off 15), with an impressive sequence of variations in speed. Shai Hope (3 off 7) fell early but Roston Chase (24 off 20), who blazed off the blocks via a flick over midwicket for six, and Evin Lewis (39 off 23) kept West Indies in the hunt.

Bethell, bringing up the 10th over, leaked 24 but he had the last laugh as Lewis holed out off the ultimate delivery. At 91/3 at the halfway stage, the West Indies were still very much in the content if not ahead, but Dawson’s double whammy in the 12th over tilted the scale appreciably towards England.

None of the following batters managed to cross 20 as the English spinners ruled the roost in the second half. The game was beyond West Indies’ clutches by the time a profligate 20th over from Potts transpired, albeit culminating in the wicket of Romario Shepherd.

Brief Scores: England 188/6 in 20 overs (Buttler 96, Jamie Smith 38; Shepherd 2-33) beat West Indies 167/9 in 20 overs (Lewis 39, Chase 24; Dawson 4-20, Bethell 2-27) by 21 runs.