WI Vs ENG, 2nd T20I: West Indies Fall Short By A Run Despite Akeal Hosein’s Final Over Heroics

West Indies went down fighting after smashing England for 28 in the final over and losing the second T20 international by just one run to leave the five-match series level at 1-1 in Bridgetown. (More Cricket News)

England, which followed up its 4-0 Ashes defeat with a nine-wicket loss to West Indies in the T20 opener on Saturday, appeared on course for an easy victory. 

After losing the toss, England scored 171-8, including 45 for opener Jason Roy off 31 balls, before reducing West Indies to 78-7 after 13 overs. 
At 111-8, West Indies still needed 60 runs off the last three overs to match England's total before letting rip to finish agonizingly short on 170-8.

West Indies’ No. 10, Akeal Hosein, hit Saqib Mahmood for three straight sixes off the last three balls of the game, finishing on 44 not out off 16 balls with three fours and four sixes. 

Allrounder Romario Shepherd was also 44 not out in 28 deliveries, with one four and five sixes. Shepherd and Hosein shared an unbroken 72-run stand from just 29 balls.

The equation came down to 30 from the last over and, while England ensured its total could not be overhauled without a no-ball or wide before the climax, Hosein closed the show in style with his trio of sixes.

Moeen Ali was the outstanding bowler for England, returning 3-24 off four overs. Adil Rashid (2-24) earlier snared Kieron Pollard and Darren Bravo as the hosts crumbled from 47-2 to 65-7 before giving England a huge scare at the end.

Roy top-scored for England with more than half his runs coming from one over from Fabian Allen (2-50), while Ali added a sketchy 31 and Chris Jordan a cameo 27 on the ground where he spent a lot of his childhood. The third T20 international is on Wednesday.