Salt century helps England chase 223 to beat WI

Phil Salt finished unbeaten on 109 off 56 balls

Phil Salt's stunning century helped England pull off their third-highest T20 international chase as they beat West Indies by seven wickets in the third T20 in Grenada.

Nicholas Pooran's 45-ball 82 led West Indies to 222-6 as Adil Rashid finished the pick of the England attack by taking 2-32.

England are 2-1 down in the five-match series with two left to play.

Salt and Buttler both passed fifty as they put on 115 for the first wicket to give England hope, with Salt, who hit nine sixes and four fours, continuing the brutal hitting after his captain was out for 51.

England needed 31 to win off the final two overs but Joseph held his nerve in the penultimate over as he conceded only 10 to give the hosts the upper hand.

But Brook, who was seven from two balls faced heading into the final over, calmly hit a four and two sixes off the experienced Andre Russell's first three balls to put England on the brink of victory.

He and Salt then ran two before Brook flashed at a wide one from Russell and it flew over the boundary at deep third.

The fourth T20 is in Trinidad on Tuesday.

Stunning Salt assault

Challenged to chase down the highest T20 international score made at the Grenada National Cricket Stadium - and to keep the series alive - brought a clarity of thought and approach in England's batters.

Buttler, steely determination in his eyes, signalled his intent with two sixes off the first over. When he reverse swept Hosein and Gudakesh Motie for fours some of his sparkle started to return. He fell after a superb relay catch on the boundary, with Akeal Hosein having the presence of mind to toss the ball to Joseph knowing he would have crossed the rope.

Salt, whose previous best T20 international score was 88 not out, showed great composure as his shot selection remained largely conventional, with West Indies' bowlers unable to prevent him from accessing his favoured areas down the ground.

The Lancashire batter even had the game awareness to realise perhaps Brook - fresher and a genuine 360 batter - might have been better placed to see England over the line at the death.

"We have been talking in the group about someone standing up being a matchwinner, and realising how much time you have," Salt said at the post-match presentation after he was named player of the match.

"There's a way to do it. You can't get 40 off 20 balls then take 10 off 10. It's about playing my game and doing it my way.

If he continues to perform like this, Salt looks nailed on for a place at the top of the order at next year's T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States, having been unfortunate to miss out when England won the trophy last year.

Tough day for England's attack

For all the excitement of a thrilling chase, this was a chastening day to be an England bowler.

Rashid and Topley managed to keep their economy to 8.00 per over and were tellingly the only ones to bowl their full allocation.

But even they suffered at the hands of a dangerous West Indies line-up - Topley was hit for 18 off the final over of the innings, with Jason Holder providing the late fireworks.

Apart from the first couple of overs when Topley found some swing - dismissing the left-handed Kyle Mayers with a beautiful delivery which that nipped to take the edge - there was precious little encouragement offered by the pitch.

Tymal Mills felt the heat the most as he was brutally dismantled by Pooran, who walloped six sixes and six fours to lead his side's recovery from 8-2.

Mills' two overs cost 36 runs, while Gus Atkinson returned 0-32 from the same number. The majority of England's seam attack struggled with their lengths on the pitch while spin bowling all-rounder Liam Livingstone, 0-27 from two overs, lacked the necessary control. On a day when 34 sixes were struck - the second most in a T20 international - they will at least be heartened to be on the winning side.

And in a more positive sense this was also useful learning curve for the more inexperienced members of the attack on what to expect, and what they must do to adapt, in the Caribbean next year.