ENG vs WI 2025, 1st T20I Review: Buttler, Dawson give England winning start in three-match series

England began their T20I leg against the West Indies by securing a clinical 21-run win in the opening game of the three-game series at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on Friday. Veteran batter Jos Buttler's 59-ball 96 and Liam Dawson’s brilliance with the ball (4 for 20) never let the visitors make a comeback in the game.

Following their ODI series whitewash, the English side carried their same form into the shorter format, under Harry Brook. Opting to bat first after winning the toss, the home team had an explosive start, reaching 78/1 in six overs. Phil Salt, who was unavailable due to paternity leave, made way for Jamie Smith to open the innings alongside Ben Duckett.

Smith smashed 38 off 20, while Duckett fell early for 1, bringing Buttler early to the crease. The duo took on the Windies, hitting 22 and 23 runs off consecutive overs from Andre Russell and Alzarri Joseph, respectively. While Smith perished soon after the powerplay, Buttler steadied the innings.

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Despite a middle order collapse with Brook (6), Tom Banton (3), and Will Jacks (9) falling early, the senior Englishmen held one end strongly. His knock, laced with six fours and four sixes, took England to 188/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Notably, Buttler fell just seven runs short of a second T20I century.

In reply, the West Indies began on a positive note. Evin Lewis (39 off 23), Johnson Charles (18 off 15), and Roston Chase (24 off 20) managed to take the score to 44/2 in their powerplay. Furthermore, after a few quite overs, Jacob Bethell’s 10th over went for 24 runs, getting the visitors back in the game. However, Dawson, returning to the national side after a two-year gap, dismantled the Caribbean batting lineup. He removed Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Chase, and Rovman Powell in his four-over quota. Eventually, the West Indies' side fell well short of the target at 167/9.