BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) — Phil Salt raced to a century from 53 balls as England completed a record run chase Saturday to beat the West Indies by eight wickets in the first Twenty20 international. Salt finished 103 not out as England passed the West Indies' total of 182-9 with 19 balls to spare. In a match of extraordinary ball-striking which saw 23 sixes, England eclipsed the previous highest successful T20 run chase at the Kensington Oval of 172.
Salt hit six of those sixes along with nine fours. He now has three centuries in T20 internationals, all of them compiled against the West Indies in the Caribbean. The 28-year-old previously made 109 not out at St Georges and 119 at Tarouba in matches against the West Indies in 2023.
He was supported Sunday by Jacob Bethell who made 58 not out from 36 balls with five fours and two sixes. “I think (the Caribbean) is the place where I'm happiest,” Salt said. “I enjoy batting here.
I've grown up on these surfaces.” Salt had scores of 18, 59 and 74 in the three-match one-day series against the West Indies which just concluded and has carried that form into the five-match T20 series. “I really enjoy playing the 50 over cricket and getting into a rhythm with that but coming out here tonight you have to adjust quickly,” he said.
“It's only one training session to change to a completely different tempo of game.” Though its target was formidable, England always seemed on course thanks to Salt. England reached 50 in just f.