On Thursday, Phil Salt turned down an invitation to party with Rihanna and had an early night. On Saturday, he led England to an eight-wicket win against the West Indies.
It's a decision he may regret for the rest of his life from a personal point of view, but it's not a decision he made as a professional who improved his T20 record and led England to victory against the West Indies. In the last five matches against this opponent, he has made three centuries and scored 456 runs at an average of 228.
There are many nuances to Test and one-day international cricket, but few sporting events are more entertaining than Saturday night's T20 at Kensington Oval. Sip rum in a crowd of tourists and locals alike, dodging sixes as they pass over your head. A new way to combine pleasure and pain.
England's victory may seem mundane at first glance, but it was the result of a game played at full throttle from start to finish. Saqib Mahmood reduced the Windies to 18 for 3 in the first four overs, but the home side turned their backs on the carnage.
For every six hit, one wicket falls. It was a mentality best exemplified by home No. 10 Gudakesh Motier, who reached the crease at 117 for eight with over five overs remaining, hitting sixes off his first two balls.
Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran and Akeel Hossain all returned for the home team, and as a thrilling first innings unfolded dramatically in each team's favor, Russell at one stage sent the ball over the pavilion and into the road. I flew it to.
Fireworks weren't just for the pitch either. Heavy rain had fallen in Barbados for much of the past 24 hours, and rain returned midway through Reece Topley's third over, but play was not interrupted.
Topley, who had been seriously injured for a long time, bowled one more ball and slipped and fell. As he lay on the ground in pain, the covers finally came up. After the restart, he bowled a single delivery and was hit for a six, but quickly left the pitch in obvious discomfort. As I walked up the stairs to the locker room, I got irritated and grabbed a nearby plastic chair and slammed it against the railing.
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Salt was ably supported by Jacob Bethell, who scored his first T20i in half a century, as the two England Bajan boys went about their business in the stands with a host of local friends and family. They both played cricket at Harrison College, and Salt says Kensington Oval is the ground where he has watched the most cricket. The emotion was palpable as he celebrated triple digits.
Salt's first 50 came on 25 pitches, and his second on 28. At one stage he hit Shamar Joseph with five balls in a row. Such was Salt's dominance that Jos Buttler's golden duck after his return became insignificant. Buttler, who was trying to bat at number three, was caught by Moti at third man, who jumped out with his hand and took a diving catch over his head with one hand. It was Butler's first inning in nearly five months, and like everyone else watching the game, all he could do was smile.
