England's Super 8 campaign in the T20 World Cup began with a bang. They thrashed West Indies by 8 wickets at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St. Lucia.
What happened in the Super 8 match between England and West Indies?
The hero of the match was Phil Salt, who smashed an unbeaten 87 runs to take the game away from the hosts. Jonny Bairstow provided valuable support with an unbeaten 48 runs. Their partnership got England to comfortably chase down the target of 180 runs. Salt's knock was even more important after the early dismissals of Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali.
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What is Phil Salt's connection with the Caribbean islands?
Many might not know that Phil Salt has a deep connection with the Caribbean islands. He grew up in Barbados and even played cricket for West Indies at the youth level. This familiarity with the Caribbean conditions might have played a part in his performance against West Indies.
Salt's love for the Caribbean continued with this match-winning knock. He started his innings aggressively, just like he did in the IPL while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders. He even smashed a six off his KKR teammate Andre Russell. After a slight slowdown in the middle overs, Salt played aggressively, finishing the game in style.
Where does England stand on title defence?
This win will surely boost England's confidence as they look to defend their T20 World Cup title. Their next challenge is against South Africa on June 21st. Can Salt continue his Caribbean love affair and lead England to another victory?