Saqib Mahmood claimed England-best figures of four for 34 but the West Indies’ jaw-dropping firepower got them to 182 for nine in the first T20 against England in Barbados.
England kept chipping away at their opponents after asking them to bat first, with Mahmood snaring Brandon King, Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer to leave the Windies on 18 for three.
But while other sides might have consolidated, the dangerous Nicholas Pooran (38 off 29 balls) and Rovman Powell (18 off 10) put on 41 off just 17 balls, as the Windies refused to take a backward step.
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Adil Rashid calmed things down after the powerplay then accounted for Powell, who thumped straight to Jamie Overton while Jos Buttler, playing in his first match in four months, took an outstanding one-handed grab at slip to dismiss Sherfane Rutherford.
Andre Russell was put down on eight and belted four sixes in an enterprising 30 off 17 deliveries before taking one risk too many off Livingstone before Buttler took another stunning catch in the ring to see off Pooran.
If England thought they had snuffed out the threat they were wrong as Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie put on 49 off just 26 balls for the ninth wicket.
Motie thumped four fours and two sixes in making 33 off just 14 balls before Mahmood’s pace-off delivery was hoicked to deep midwicket in a terrific penultimate over costing just four.
Reece Topley left the action through injury (Ricardo Mazalan/AP)
But Shepherd (35 not out off 22) thumped the Windies’ 12th and 13th sixes of the innings in the final over as the home side finished with a flourish.
England were unable to call upon Reece Topley at the death as the left-armer jarred his right knee after an awkward tumble in his delivery stride just before a half-hour rain delay.
After bowling one more ball upon the resumption, thumped for six by Powell, Topley angrily strode off and England confirmed he would not return to the field.