West Indies vs England 5th T20I Match Commentary: England tour of West Indies, 2024

4.09am  Time for the presentation ceremony...

3.48am  Summarizing whatever play we had – Jos Buttler won his fourth toss of the series, and as has been the trend, he opted to chase. Shai Hope and Evin Lewis showed intent from the very first over, with Lewis, in particular, taking on Archer and Turner. However, the surface didn’t quite allow the free-flowing shot-making we saw in the fourth T20I. Just as the two openers were starting to get into a groove, the rain arrived, and unfortunately, we never got back onto the park. Stay tuned for the presentation ceremony.

3.46am  UPDATE - 10.16 pm GMT - IT'S OFFICIAL! THE MATCH HAS BEEN ABANDONED DUE TO RAIN! Persistent rain has had the final say in this fifth and final game of the T20I series, with England winning the series 3-1. Despite it being a dead rubber, there was a lot of interest and buzz around the game, especially considering the amount of entertainment the fourth T20I offered. We thought we were in for more fireworks, but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.

3.41am  UPDATE - 10.11 pm GMT - With the rain showing no signs of easing and considering the puddles forming in the outfield and standing water on top of the covers, even the most optimistic outlook suggests that a resumption seems unlikely. Although we still have time left before the cut-off for a potential 5-over blitz, it seems more likely that common sense will prevail, and the match officials may call it off early. No official word has been given yet, but we will keep you posted. Stay tuned.

3.18am  UPDATE - 9.48 pm GMT - The rain continues to hammer down at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium. Nikhil Uttamchandani informs that steady rain has been falling for the last 90 minutes, and he adds that this has been a recurring pattern across the Caribbean islands over the past month. Nikhil also mentions that 11.48 pm GMT is the latest time England's 5-over chase could resume. He further notes that this is the heaviest rain he has seen this season. While there is still time, it would require a drastic improvement in the weather conditions to get back on the field. Stick around for more news.

3.03am  UPDATE - 9.33 pm GMT - Well, just to break it down for you all, we have already started to lose overs as the 60 minutes of buffer time has passed. Also, if the match is reduced to a 5-over blitz, as per our estimation, the DLS target for England will be 69. Let's hope that the rain subsides soon. However, the threateningly dark clouds over Gros Islet and the rain now coming down even harder tell an otherwise story. Fingers crossed. Stay tuned for further updates.

2.39am  UPDATE - 9.09 pm GMT - The rain continues to fall heavily, and the situation remains grim. The ominous signs above and on the ground persist, with areas near the fence soaking wet and significant water pooling on the covers. The skies in the distance remain a threatening shade of grey. Fingers crossed that the situation improves soon.

2.26am  UPDATE - 8.56 pm GMT - Not much has changed since the last update as it continues to rain. We have a buffer of 60 minutes before overs start being deducted, and approximately 30 minutes of that buffer has already elapsed. With the current outlook, it seems increasingly probable that if and when play resumes, it will be a shortened game.

2.03am  UPDATE - 8.33 pm GMT - It is still raining steadily as the ground staff work diligently to ensure the areas near the boundary cushions are well-covered. Ian Bishop points out that if the rain doesn’t ease soon, it could jeopardize the game, as the outfield is already struggling with saturation. He highlights that the areas near the fence are particularly concerning, which is why the ground staff are focusing their efforts there.

1.52am  UPDATE - 8.22 pm GMT - Evin Lewis has copped a nasty blow and the physio has made his way out for the concussion check. Oh no, the rain has picked up and the umpires are taking the players off the field. On a positive note, the wind is blowing across, which might help clear the rain soon. It is absolutely pelting down now as more covers are being brought on. Stay tuned for further updates.