Chronicle EditorLONDON. — West Indies laid down a significant marker ahead of the ODI cricket series as they comfortably beat England by 21 runs in their sole Twenty20 fixture at Chester-le-Street on Saturday.
West Indies got off to a quick-fire start and were 106-1 midway through their innings before Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid took three wickets apiece to restrict the tourists to 176-9.
In response Alex Hales struck a blistering 43 as England started strongly but the hosts fell to 68-4 and were all out for 155. Led by openers Chris Gayle (40) and Evin Lewis (51), West Indies got off to a ferocious start with the destructive Gayle bludgeoning four sixes before he was run out.
Lewis made an impressive 28-ball fifty but his dismissal signalled the start of a collapse with Plunkett also accounting for Marlon Samuels (10), and Kieron Pollard (six) in a quick three-wicket burst. — Reuters
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