Morgan and Wright lash out but West Indies triumph

The weather played havoc with the home reply to 191-5 yesterday.

But a storming start before rain first intervened at the Guyana National Stadium took the West Indies to 30 without loss, and they eventually returned to achieve a revised target of 60 in six overs with eight wickets and one ball to spare.

Chris Gayle's team are therefore already through to the next stage after back-to-back Group D victories.

Victory for either of their victims England and Ireland will take them through too today, while a washout would mean Paul Collingwood's men progress on a far superior net run rate.

Eoin Morgan and Luke Wright had shared a brutal stand of 95 as England set West Indies their target.

The fifth-wicket pair, who came together at 88 in the 10th over after a clutch of twentysomethings at the top of the England order, smashed seven sixes between them.

They took a little necessary time to re-establish in mid-innings, and then laid into Ravi Rampaul in particular – three overs for 52 – as 76 runs came from the last five overs.

Morgan's share was 55 from 35 balls, and Wright's an unbeaten 45 from 27, in an England total which boasted the most sixes they have hit in Twenty20 cricket and equalled the highest score in this tournament so far.

Openers Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter gave England the start they have been picked for until the left-hander toppled over trying to drive and was bowled by Chris Gayle.

He had hit Rampaul out of the attack by then, taking 16 off the seamer's solitary new-ball over, and the West Indies persisted instead with spin from both ends.

Kevin Pietersen got under way with a cover-drive for four first ball off his old sparring partner Gayle and then had a minor scare on six at the other end, Nikita Miller unable to cling on to a tough return chance away to his left.

Kieswetter announced himself with twin sixes over long-off, from Miller and then the returning Rampaul, England having raced past 50 in five overs.

By the end of the 10th, though, two big wickets in one over from Darren Sammy had stalled England's momentum.

Kieswetter was already gone, lbw to one that turned and hit his back leg from Miller and then Paul Collingwood was bowled hitting across the line and Pietersen holed out in the leg-side deep, having hit the previous ball in a similar direction for six.

Wright and Morgan had been set a significant task but rose to it with good sense and even better talent as the early ones and twos soon gave way to towering sixes and boundaries to all parts.