Salt's century gives England an eight-wicket win over the West Indies in the first T20 Twenty20

On Thursday, Phil Salt turned down an invitation to a party with Rihanna in favor of an early evening. On Saturday, his third T20I century gave England an eight-wicket win against the West Indies.

From a personal perspective it is a decision he may live to regret, but from a professional perspective it is not, as he added to his remarkable T20 record against West Indies. In his last five games against this opponent, he has made three centuries and scored 456 runs at an average of 228 and a strike rate of 193.

“Rihanna’s parties can wait,” Salt joked after the game.

Salt was ably supported by Jacob Bethell, who built his maiden T20I half-century, while the two English Bajan boys took care of business in their hometown with plenty of friends and family in the stands. Both played their school cricket for nearby Harrison College and Salt says Kensington Oval was the ground where he saw the most cricket. The emotions of the occasion were clear to see as he celebrated in three figures.

“There was a turning point in the chase where we both felt the crowd had turned and was now supporting us,” Salt said of his partnership with Bethell.

“It was really special,” he added of reaching his century. “I don't get very emotional on the cricket field but I think this is as close as I've come to it for so many reasons. That’s number one for me.”

Salt scored his first fifty in 25 balls and his second in 28. At one point he hit Shamar Joseph on the boundaries five times in a row.

For all the nuances of Test and one-day international cricket, there are few sporting events more fun than a T20 at Kensington Oval on a Saturday night. An even mix of tourists and locals in the crowd, you sip a rum and then dodge a six as it flies past you. A new way to combine pleasure and pain.

On the surface, England's victory might look routine, but it was the result of a game played at full throttle from start to finish. In the first four overs, Saqib Mahmood had reduced the West Indies to 18 for three, only for the home side to engage in carnage and claw their way out of trouble.

For every six hit, a wicket fell. This mentality was best demonstrated by the home team's No. 10, Gudakesh Motie, who arrived at the crease at 117 for eight with more than five overs to go, hitting his first two balls for six.

Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein were all back for the home side, with Russell at one point hurling a ball across the pavilion and onto the road as a thrilling first innings unfolded dramatically in both teams' favour.

The fireworks weren't just reserved for the field either. There had been torrential rain for much of the previous 24 hours in Barbados and it came again midway through Reece Topley's third over but did not stop play.

Topley, who has a long history of serious injuries, threw another ball, slipped and fell. As he lay on the ground in pain, the blankets were finally pulled over him. After the restart he threw a single shot which was missed for six and immediately left the pitch in obvious discomfort. As he walked up the stairs to the locker room, he grabbed a nearby plastic chair and slammed it over the railing in frustration.

Such was Salt's dominance that Jos Buttler's golden duck on his return became meaningless. Buttler, who was experimenting with batting at No. 3, was caught fantastically at third man by Motie, who reached out and took a flying one-handed catch over his head.

It was Buttler's first innings in almost five months, but like everyone else watching the game, all he could do was smile.