England vs West Indies 1st T20 predictions: Local knowledge should help Carse
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- England completed a 3-0 ODI series sweep over West Indies on Tuesday
- West Indies beat England by 21 runs in 2017 on their only previous T20 visit to Durham
- Recommended bet: Brydon Carse to be England's top wicket-taker
Harry Brook enjoyed the perfect start to his career as England's white-ball captain, leading his side to a 3-0 ODI series victory over West Indies.
Brook aims to extend that winning start in the first of three T20 internationals against the Windies, which takes place at Chester-le-Street on Friday.
His unbeaten 43 off 27 balls helped England win their last T20 at the venue, against New Zealand in 2023, but the West Indies have a powerful and experienced 20-over team.
Team news
England's Jamie Smith has replaced Phil Salt, who is on paternity leave, but Joe Root, the leading runscorer in the ODI series, is not in the T20 squad.
Experienced spinning all-rounder Liam Dawson has been recalled but Jamie Overton is sidelined due to a finger injury.
The West Indies' T20 squad includes batters Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford and all-rounders Andre Russell and Romario Shepherd, all of whom played in this season's IPL.
The stats
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England have won only one of their last five home T20 series.
Jos Buttler's 68 was England's highest score in January's five-match T20 series in India.
West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd smashed 53 not out off just 14 balls in the IPL last month.
The Windies have lost eight of their last nine T20 internationals.
Despite losing last year's home series against England 3-1, the West Indies hit 40 sixes to the tourists' 38.
Prediction
England won last year's T20 series in the Caribbean by a 3-1 scoreline and they are favourites to beat the West Indies in Friday's opening game in Chester-le-Street.
A cool, cloudy weather forecast should encourage fast bowlers in both camps and Durham paceman Brydon Carse can shine for England on his home ground.
Carse has impressed the selectors in all three formats and he was player of the match in the last T20 international at the Riverside Ground, claiming 3-23 in four overs on his debut against New Zealand.
A toe injury meant he was unable to feature for Sunrisers Hyderabad in this season's IPL but he played all three ODIs against the West Indies, dismissing the dangerous Evin Lewis and Sherfane Rutherford at The Oval on Tuesday.
Carse had a superb T20 series in India at the start of the year, recording figures of 3-29, 2-28, 1-39 and 3-38 in four appearances.
England's Jacob Bethell cracked an unbeaten 62 not out off 32 balls in his last T20 outing against the West Indies and struck 82 off 53 in the first ODI at Edgbaston.
IPL winner Phil Salt, who has scored all three of his T20 centuries against the Windies, is unavailable so Tom Banton may get a chance at the top of the order for England.
Salt's unbeaten 87 powered England to an eight-wicket victory when these teams met at last year's T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
That result helped knock out the Windies in the Super Eight stage but England's campaign also ended in disappointment as they suffered a 68-run semi-final drubbing against champions India.
