England’s struggles against spin are not unique to this latest side. They go back generations.
If fans hoped this iteration had found a successful method when in Sri Lanka before this tournament, this result – under the pressure that comes with a World Cup chase – suggests otherwise.
When the ball was hard and with pace to face, England, who were beaten by West Indies in the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, had no issues.
Phil Salt took 24 from the second over, bowled by Holder, and West Indies’ total looked 15 runs below par.
However, the game changed when Buttler miscued Chase to long-on for 21.
It opened the door to Motie, who impressively mixed wrist and finger-spin to have Banton and Brook chipping catches either side of zipping one through Bethell’s defence and onto the stumps.
Curran was England’s hero with the ball in their final-over win against Nepal on Sunday but he never really looked like finding the boundaries needed when pace returned at the death.
It was a fine all-round performance from West Indies, who caught every chance in the field, and now top the group with two wins from two.
They face Nepal at this venue on Sunday, before playing Italy in Kolkata on Thursday, 19 February.
