Rutherford, spinners fire West Indies to commanding win

West Indies defeated England by 30 runs to top Group C with two wins in as many games. Sherfane Rutherford's unbeaten 76 guided the hosts to a total of 196, before the spinners applied a stranglehold through the middle overs to secure victory.

England's seamers made early inroads, reducing West Indies to 8/2 within seven balls. Jofra Archer and Sam Curran removed both openers in quick succession.

A brief counterattack from Shimron Hetmyer and Roston Chase, including a 19-run over off Will Jacks, provided momentum. However, Hetmyer fell for 22, and Chase was later trapped lbw by Adil Rashid for 34, giving the leg-spinner his 400th T20 wicket.

At 79/4 at the halfway mark, Rutherford accelerated. He hit consecutive sixes off Jacks and found an ally in Rovman Powell. Rashid maintained pressure with figures of 2-16, but the game shifted in the final five overs.

Partnering with Jason Holder, Rutherford launched a brutal assault. He reached a 29-ball fifty, while Holder smashed three sixes in an over off Curran. The pair added 66 runs in the last five overs, with Rutherford finishing on a career-best 76*.

In reply, Phil Salt attacked aggressively, scoring 30 off 14 balls before falling to Romario Shepherd. England reached 67/1 in the PowerPlay, but the introduction of spin turned the tide.

Off-spinner Roston Chase removed Jos Buttler, and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie proved decisive. Motie took three crucial wickets, including Jacob Bethell (33) and Harry Brook, finishing with 3-33 from his four overs.

England's chase faltered further with a series of poor reviews and run-outs. Sam Curran remained unbeaten on 43, but the innings ended at 166 in the 19th over, handing West Indies a comprehensive win.

Brief scores: West Indies 196/6 (Rutherford 76*, Chase 34, Holder 33; Rashid 2-16) beat England 166 (Curran 43*, Bethell 33; Motie 3-33, Chase 2-29) by 30 runs.