West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite revealed his side were worried about the possibility of "career-threatening injuries" and discussed a possible abandonment before sealing their latest Twenty20 victory over England on a damp outfield in Durham.
The Windies closed out a 21-run victory, their 11th in 15 T20 games against the English after Brathwaite approached the umpires early in the second innings and was ready to press to call the game off.
None of the Windies' team were involved in the recent Test series and have instead travelled directly from the Caribbean Premier League to the harsher conditions of northern England in mid-September.
But discomfort turned to serious concern after rain left the outfield greasy at Emirates Riverside and wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton slipped while fielding a ball, jarring his knee.
"I had a chat with a few of the boys in a huddle while Chadwick was getting treatment and most of them said it was unsafe," Brathwaite said.
"I told the umpires the boys had some concerns. In the first three or four overs we had two big slips, Chadwick and one other, and that was a worry.
"For that to happen it be a career-threatening injury (next). We always wanted to play but safety is a major concern and it was always in the back of our minds.
"We kind of gave it an ultimatum...we got the outfield roped and we were in agreement that if it continued to be unsafe or if anything dramatic or drastic happened we'd call it quits."
Chris Gayle (40) and Evin Lewis (51) - a well-known tormentor and his heir apparent - scored 91 boundary-laden runs between them in just 49 deliveries to set the foundation for a winning score of 9-176.
England were dismissed for 155 in reply, with Brathwaite taking 3-20, including the final wicket of Liam Plunkett (18).
The host's disappointment at the result will be mitigated somewhat by the isolated nature of this stand-alone T20 match, and may file their frustrations away until February, when they next compete in the format.
Their main priority for now is to pick up their performance levels for the five-match one-day series which begins at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
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