Cameron Ponsonby is in Antigua with the full report:
Liam Livingstone’s reaction
I guess we need to get the rhythm of 50-over cricket as quickly as possible. We know that somebody in the top six has to go on and unfortunately we couldn’t do that today.
I don’t think we adapted that well. West Indies bowled really well and we lost wickets at key stages. Disappointing day but we’ll come back on Sunday, Saturday, whenever it is!
I think everybody saw what JT [John Turner] is about. I thought he bowled really well and was unlucky not to get a wicket which might have changed the game. Hopefully more of the same for the rest of the series.
West Indies win by eight wickets with 55 balls to spare
25.5 overs: West Indies 159-2 (Carty 19, Hope 6) Hope turns Livingstone for two to complete a thumping victory for West Indies. They bowled cleverly to restrict England to an under-par 209; then, either side of a rain delay, Evin Lewis hit a coruscating 94 to take them to the cusp of victory.
25th over: West Indies 153-2 (Carty 18, Hope 3) Carty blooters Rashid over mid-off for four to move West Indies within a boundary of victory. It’s been a hammering.
24th over: West Indies 148-2 (Carty 14, Hope 2) Hope is dropped at extra cover by Rashid, a fairly simple chance off the bowling of Livingstone. Maybe he lost the flight of the ball because he barely got a hand on it.
23rd over: West Indies 146-2 (Carty 13, Hope 1) Eleven to win.
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WICKET! West Indies 144-2 (Lewis c Bethell b Rashid 94)
Evin Lewis dies by the sword. He tried to reach a century with his ninth six, didn’t quite get hold of the shot and was well caught at long off by Bethell.
Earlier in the over he’d pulled Rashid over midwicket for another six, then survived a desperate LBW review from a ball that pitched outside leg. No century but Lewis has won the game for his team with a truly brilliant innings: 94 from 69 balls with eight sixes.
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22nd over: West Indies 138-1 (Lewis 88, Carty 12) Lewis moves closer to three figures by dragging a sweep very fine for four. None of the England players were able to score at a strike rate of over 100; Lewis is going at 133.
21st over: West Indies 129-1 (Lewis 82, Carty 9) Rashid returns and concedes a couple from his fifth over. West Indies need 28, Lewis needs 18 for back-to-back ODI hundreds.
20th over: West Indies 127-1 (Lewis 81, Carty 8) The new batter Keacy Carty makes his intentions clear by sweeping Livingstone for three and spanking a one-bounce four down the ground. West Indies need 30 to win.
WICKET! West Indies 118-1 (King c Jacks b Livingstone 30)
King’s luck finally runs out when he hoicks Livingstone straight to Jacks at deep midwicket. Like everyone in this game apart from Lewis and Livingstone, he really struggled to time the ball on a two-paced pitch.
19th over: West Indies 118-0 (King 30, Lewis 80) Jacob Bethell comes on for Adil Rashid, who has somehow ended up with figures of 4-0-35-0, and is monstered over long-off for Lewis. That’s his seventh sixth.
For various reasons this is only Lewis’s second ODI since 2021; in the other, against Sri Lanka earlier in the week, he walloped 102 off 61 balls.
18th over: West Indies 106-0 (King 27, Lewis 69) There’s no doubt West Indies won a good toss; there’s also no doubt they have completely outplayed England, who have a bit to think about before the second game on this ground on Saturday.
17th over: West Indies 104-0 (King 27, Lewis 69) King, who has ridden his luck like Willie Shoemaker in this innings, edges Rashid past slip at catchable height for three more.
The rotation of strike works out just fine for West Indies. Lewis to pull Rashid for two boundaries in three balls before dumping a full toss over midwicket for six! In the context of a low-scoring game, this is some performance: 69 not out from 54 balls with three fours and six sixes.
16th over: West Indies 87-0 (King 24, Lewis 55) Evin Lewis clatters Livingstone’s final delivery wide of the man at long-off. He has played brilliantly on a pitch that has confounded everyone else.
REVIEW! West Indies 82-0 (King not out 23)
Brandon King successfully reviews after being given out LBW to Liam Livingstone. He missed a pull at a ball that skidded on to hit him in front, but it pitched just outside leg so King survives.
The players are back on the field and suddenly life has meaning again.
Play will restart at 1.10am and West Indies have a revised target of 157 in 35 overs. That means they need 76 from 120 balls to win. I mean you’ve got to say they’ve a chance.
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The covers are coming off and there unconfirmed reports of imminent cricket.
Rain stops play
Maybe England will dodge defeat after all. The rain has returned in Antigua and, though there is plenty of time to spare, West Indies need to bat 20 overs for DLS to come into play.
15th over: West Indies 81-0 (King 23, Lewis 51) England are facing a hammering here but they’ve bowled pretty well and had no luck. King edges Rashid past slip at catchable height, then survives an LBW review after failing to pick the googly. He was saved by the ball hitting him just outside the line of off stump.
14th over: West Indies 77-0 (King 20, Lewis 50) A terrific yorker from Curran is dug out well by Lewis, who was almost knocked off his feet. He works the next delivery off middle stump to fine leg for his first four, then takes a quick single to reach a punishing 46-ball fifty. It’s been a cracking innings.
13th over: West Indies 71-0 (King 19, Lewis 45) The required rate is below four, which means West Indies can sit on the dangerous Rashid.
Or they could hit him for a one-handed six, as Lewis has just done. He didn’t get hold of it properly but it had just enough to clear the rope at cow corner. That’s Lewis’s fifth boundary, all of them sixes.
12th over: West Indies 61-0 (King 18, Lewis 37) Sam Curran replaces John Turner, starts with three dot balls to Lewis and then sees his fourth smashed over midwicket for a huge six. Lewis has is dealing exclusively in sixes and singles right now.
11th over: West Indies 54-0 (King 18, Lewis 30) Adil Rashid usually comes on straight after the Powerplay and today is no exception. King’s charmed innings continues when a leading edge somehow loops over the head of extra cover. While he continues to ride his luck, Lewis looks in control and calmly drives singles off the three deliveries he faces.
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10th over: West Indies 49-0 (King 16, Lewis 27) After bowling a couple of wides to Lewis, Turner beats King outside off stump yet again. Just one run off the bat in that over. Turner has bowled much better than figures of 5-0-26-0 would suggest.
9th over: West Indies 46-0 (King 16, Lewis 26) England need to take wickets so Archer is given a fifth over. File under ‘one too many’: Lewis drives handsomely over mid-on for his third six before King rifles an even better drive between extra cover and mid-off for four. Thirteen from the over; this game is probably done.
8th over: West Indies 33-0 (King 12, Lewis 17) Lewis hasn’t middled many tonight, but when he does he’s deadly. An outswinger from Turner, starting on leg stump, is picked up spectacularly over midwicket for six. That’s a ridiculous shot.
Lewis has form for administering this kind of punishment: he smashed 176 not out, with seven sixes, against England at the Oval in 2017.
Turner recovers pretty well and ends the over by beating King for the umpteenth time.
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7th over: West Indies 24-0 (King 11, Lewis 11) The left-handed Lewis is beaten by a stunning delivery from Archer that swings past the outside edge and just misses off stump. England have bowled beautifully so far, Archer in particular, and it’s a travesty they haven’t taken at least one wicket. Another maiden from Archer, whose figures are 4-2-8-0.
“As usual, I’m flummoxed by ODI field settings,” says Gary Naylor. “Captains seem to post the same fields regardless of the target set. England need 10 wickets to win this match and the first few overs is the likeliest time, so three slips, catching midwicket and a short leg? No. Just the bog standard one slip, two out and the rest in the ring. Ben Stokes does more with a field in five overs than an ODI captain does in 50.”
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6th over: West Indies 24-0 (King 11, Lewis 11) Turner beats King with four successive deliveries, the second of which was a snorter that burst from a length. Early days but you can see why England are so interested in him. The bounce he gets is particularly exciting.
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5th over: West Indies 22-0 (King 10, Lewis 10) Archer’s having no luck against King, who has inside-edged as many deliveries as he has middle. The frustration continues when King puts a rare bad ball away for four before Lewis is beaten by a wide yorker.
4th over: West Indies 17-0 (King 6, Lewis 10) Turner’s run-up reminds me a little of Glenn McGrath, though his action is more chest-on. A previously excellent second over is ruined when Lewis swivel-pulls the last delivery round the corner for six.
England need wickets plural.
3rd over: West Indies 9-0 (King 6, Lewis 2) King gets a thick inside-edge to another textbook inswinger from Archer, who is bowling stump to stump, just full of a good length. A maiden.
“I love your optimism that this will still be a 50-over game rather than the Windies beating our T20 team in less than 20 overs in what should be an ODI...” writes Tom Van der Gucht. “Then again, Turner will be an unknown quantity an me could catch them cold and Archer and Rashid are still Archer and Rashid.”
I’m just dealing in facts; you can’t get cancelled for facts. I do think West Indies will win but I’m not sure they’ll romp to victory unless the ball starts to skid on under the lights.
2nd over: West Indies 9-0 (King 6, Lewis 2) The mysterious John Turner, finally making his England debut almost a year after he was first included in a white-ball squad, will share the new ball. He starts with a terrific lifter that hits a slightly startled King on the arm.
That sets the tone for a superb first over in which King edges at catchable height for four and also inside-edges a single on the leg side.
1st over: West Indies 4-0 (King 1, Lewis 2) Archer’s second ball is a beautiful inswinger that Brandon King inside-edges past leg stump for a single. That was very similar to the ball with which he dismissed Aaron Finch for a golden duck in the 2019 semi-final.
England need early wickets and will be encouraged by the swing that Archer is getting. Later in the over he tries a short ball that is cuffed for a couple by Evin Lewis. The outfield is painfully slow.
We’re back and Jofra Archer is about to bowl.
Play to restart at 11pm GMT!
And it’s still a 50-over game.
“I hope John Turner is a spinner,” writes Toby.
I’m afraid he’s not, and there’s bad news about Eddie Paynter as well.
The covers are back on. Tremendous.
“USA are currently 242 for 8 after 43 overs, chasing 318 to beat Scotland in the Cricket World Cup League 2 series in Grand Prairie,” writes Simon McMahon. “Brandon ‘Baz’ McMullen made 151 for Scotland, his third ODI hundred and the fifth highest score for Scotland in ODIs.”
It became pretty obvious during the T20 World Cup, particularly in the Australia game, that he is a seriously good player.
It sounds like the weather has improved in Antigua. No restart time as yet though.
“Murder On The Doorstep, eh?” sniffs Damian Clarke. “Tempting. But an early night sounds a better option. Can I have your permission to finish my jigsaw, my bottle of wine, and the futility of my day?”
Ah gowan. Murder on the Doorstep is actually pretty interesting; there’s a good BBC podcast series on it as well. Very strange story.
Weather update: it’s still raining
It doesn’t look as heavy as it was half an hour ago, although the view from Whitstable isn’t the best so I might be wrong. What we can say with certainty is that there will be no play for the forseeable; even if it stops raining, the clean-up operation will take a while.
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“If it’s anything like the downpour that we woke up to on Saba this morning, and which was apparently heading towards Antigua, play is well and truly over,” writes Chris. “But, oh boy, do we need the rain in these parts. Better had it been yesterday or tomorrow, though.”
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The rain should help the ball skid on when West Indies bat, which will make it even tougher for England to defend 209. You may wish to consider alternative entertainment; if you’re in the UK, Murder on the Doorstep is on Channel 5 at 10pm.
It’s hooning down
Raining in Antigua… 🌧️#WIvENG
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) October 31, 2024
pic.twitter.com/hzKAHTfHGu
In case you missed it, England announced their new central contracts list earlier today. There were no big surprises. But read this piece anyway.
It’s raining. Tremendous. Hopefully it’s just a passing shower.
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Thanks Tim, hello everyone. England’s total feels below-par, even on such a sluggish pitch, and you’d expect West Indies to get the job done. On the plus side – because there’s always a plus side – we’re finally going to see John Turner bowl for England. He averages less than 20 with the ball in all three forms, and if that statistic doesn’t get you excited I’m afraid you’re dead inside.
England kept half-getting going, then being pegged back. All their top six got to 15, and not one of them reached 50. Jacob Bethell and Jordan Cox offered a glimpse of star quality but only managed a pair of cameos. Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran showed their grit and nous by adding 68. But the innings belonged to West Indies – to Shai Hope for his astute captaincy, to Jayden Seales for his Curtly Ambrose impression, and above all to Gudakesh Motie for grabbing a four-for, including both the scalps that really mattered.
That’s my cue to go and see what’s in the fridge. Thanks for your company and correspondence, which made up in quality what it perhaps lacked in volume. Do stick around to see what West Indies can make of this target, and what Rob Smyth makes of them.
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WICKET! Rashid c Forde b Joseph 15 (England 209 all out)
Rash flicks to midwicket, and that’s it! Turner is left high and dry on 2.
45th over: England 209-9 (Rashid 15, Turner 2) As the lights get brighter, England hang in there and add to their collection of singles.
44th over: England 206-9 (Rashid 13, Turner 1) Archer got a huge top edge: as skyers go, that was the skyest. So Alzarri Joseph has a wicket at last and here is John Turner, the fast bowler who toured West Indies a year ago without getting a game. Some people have wondered whether he really exists, but if not, he’s quite a convincing deep-fake. He gets off the mark first ball, unlike poor old Jamie Overton, with a neat deflection into the leg side.
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WICKET! Archer c Hope b Joseph 7 (England 204-9)
And yes, it’s another skyer.
43rd over: England 200-8 (Rashid 12, Archer 3) If Adil Rashid hadn’t been a joy to watch for so long with his googlies, he would have been a joy to watch with the bat. Facing Forde, he whips through midwicket, all wrists and no effort, for a much-needed four. He likes it so much, he does it again, flicking a full ball over square leg. Up comes the 200 and there are still seven overs to go.
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42nd over: England 191-8 (Rashid 4, Archer 2) Alzarri Joseph produces a spicy bouncer which hits Jofra Archer somewhere near the collarbone. Archer doesn’t seem too bothered as he jogs a leg-bye, but Ian Bishop says “Brave man, bowling a bouncer to Archer.” Maybe Joseph has worked out that he’s unlikely to get a bat.
41st over: England 188-8 (Rashid 3, Archer 1) That was beautifully done by Motie, who gave the first ball of the over some flight, tempting Curran to go downtown. He did – straight to the man at long-on. He batted well but as he stomps off, he takes most of England’s hopes with him. Motie finishes with magnificent figures, 10-0-41-4.
WICKET!! Curran c Hetmyer b Motie 37 (England 187-8)
Curran holes out!
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40th over: England 187-7 (Curran 37, Rashid 3) A few more singles off Seales.
“Hello again.” Hello Tom van der Gucht. “Livingstone holds a strange place in my affections whereby I sort of want him to be amazing and achieve the potential that might be there, but also feel frustrated at being underwhelmed by him so many times in the past when he’s thrown it away when set. Yet, with Buttler’s grasp on the captaincy at its weakest in memory, could this be Livingstone’s chance to stake a claim (not just in the ODI team after being jettisoned) but as a mercurial talent who leads from the front with a swagger and cheeky grin? Just the sort of leader McCullum loves... “
39th over: England 181-7 (Curran 34, Rashid 1) So that was two wickets in two balls for Gudakesh Motie, and England have collapsed again, losing three wickets for 16. Mousley played a slog-sweep into the wind; Overton played a regular sweep at thin air.
On the plus side, Curran is still there. And Rash can bat. But 260 is looking almost impossible from here.
WICKET! Overton LBW b Motie 0 (England 179-7)
Jamie Overton’s ODI debut … and he’s out first ball! He misses a straight one that keeps low. Maybe Rod Tucker thinks it’s going under the stumps. Anyway, Hope reviews and he’s spot on.
WICKET! Mousley c Lewis b Motie 8 (England 179-6)
Yes, it’s another catch in the deep!
38th over: England 177-5 (Curran 33, Mousley 6) Seales keeps Curran honest with a sharp bouncer, well ducked, but the other five balls all go for singles. England are hanging in there.
37th over: England 172-5 (Curran 31, Mousley 3) A few singles off Motie. Carlos Brathwaite, on commentary, points out that Hope could do with Chase now as Mousley is a left-hander like Curran.
36th over: England 168-5 (Curran 29, Mousley 1) Hope brings back Seales, who set the tone at the top of the innings. He almost gets another wicket first ball as Curran sends a skyer to Carty, who can’t cling on at deep extra. Mousley gets off the mark with a single, shovelled into the covers, and unfurls a broad smile.
35th over: England 165-5 (Curran 27, Mousley 0) The spinners have been excellent, but that was the first wicket either of them had taken. Motie now has 7-0-32-1 and out comes Dan Mousley, on his international debut, with a job to do.
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WICKET!! Livingstone c&b Motie 48 (England 165-5)
Just when he’s taken charge of the game, England’s new captain scoops the ball back to the bowler. At least it wasn’t a skyer.
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34th over: England 160-4 (Livingstone 44, Curran 26) Hope keeps Chase on for his final over, and Livingstone says thanks very much. He hits another six, whipped over long-on, and then whips again for four. And then he’s dropped! At midwicket. It was low, but not so difficult.
And that’s drinks, with Livingstone now leading by example. He and Curran, two men for a crisis, have added 67.
33rd over: England 147-4 (Livingstone 33, Curran 24) Motie restores order with three dots and three singles.
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We have a fifty partnership!
32nd over: England 144-4 (Livingstone 32, Curran 22) Anything Curran can do, Livingstone can do bigger. He charges down the track and Chase, so economical up till now, finds himself launched for a great big six. That brings up the first fifty partnership of the day – 51 off 11.1 overs. Is this a recovery we see before us?
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31st over: England 137-4 (Livingstone 26, Curran 21) Shot! Sam Curran plays a lovely straight drive off Motie, pinpointing the gap behind the bowler and finding it with great precision.
30th over: England 130-4 (Livingstone 25, Curran 15) Chase, as usual, hands out only singles. If he was at home at Hallowe’en, it would be strictly Mars Celebrations, no actual bars of chocolate – not that I can talk.
And suddenly we’ve reached the 30-over mark. Back in the day, teams were expected to double their score from here. If England manage that, they’ll be doing well – but they’ll only have the standard first-innings score at this ground, 260, which is never enough.
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29th over: England 126-4 (Livingstone 23, Curran 13) Shai Hope, who has played his hand masterfully, brings back Motie. Livingstone responds by giving up on brute force and playing a delicate little lap for two. A caption reveals that England have now scored a century – of dot balls.
28th over: England 122-4 (Livingstone 20, Curran 12) Another over from Chase, another four singles.
This is nice from Rob Knap. “The ideal time for watching overseas matches came up in a recent liveblog I think (can’t remember if it was you manning the deck for that discussion or not!), but still... “ No it wasn’t me – I just enjoyed reading it.
“I’m pottering around with the cricket on in the background, the stresses of the day melting away a little, for now at least. Cricket matches have often felt like comfort blankets to me, and I think an ODI in the West Indies is just about the most reassuring of all: it’s on after work, the skies are usually blue, there’s an outcome by the end of the day, and compared to other formats the rhythms of the game just feel more relaxing. Or maybe it’s the importance I give to the format: I don’t mind so much how England do compared to watching them in Tests, whereas in T20s I don’t care enough.
“Having typed that out thoughtfully, Bethell gets out and I’m annoyed and cursing at the TV! Ah well...”
27th over: England 118-4 (Livingstone 18, Curran 10) Livingstone has some power in his arms and he uses it now to pull Joseph for four. That was pure village blacksmith.
Seven off the over, which is riches by England’s recent standards. Every member of their new-look top six has now reached double figures. Can somebody please make 30?
26th over: England 111-4 (Livingstone 12, Curran 9) Roston Chase doesn’t have any wickets yet, but he’s been taking them at the other end. His idea of a pricey over is going for four singles, as he does now.
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Halfway: England getting stuck
25th over: England 107-4 (Livingstone 10, Curran 7) Forde, who has improved his figures to 7-0-36-2, gives way to Joseph. He keeps the pressure on by conceding only a single, and that’s the halfway stage. The wicket is a bit sticky, but I’m not sure it’s as bad as England are making it look.
Here’s Tom van der Gucht. “I liked Guy Hornsby’s comment,” he says, “about this being a T20 team playing 50 overs. With so many big hitting not-quite all-rounders, it almost feels like a Hong Kong Sixes team. They’re just missing Ronnie Irani to round the team off and add some dibbly dobbler seam action.” Good line.
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24th over: England 106-4 (Livingstone 10, Curran 6) Curran, facing Chase, takes a kamikaze single and only gets away with it because the throw is too high. Another thrifty over for the Windies, two off it.
23rd over: England 104-4 (Livingstone 9, Curran 5) Forde, in this second spell, was threatening to turn into Seales. Livingstone tries to show him who’s boss by muscling a cut through the ring, but it brings only two. Curran does better, gliding square for four. That’s the first boundary for 55 balls. Old-school!
22nd over: England 97-4 (Livingstone 6, Curran 1) The bad news for Livingstone and Sam Curran is that they have a rebuilding job on their hands. The good news is that they both have plenty of time. Curran is often better at livening up the boring middle overs than he is at blasting at the death.
21st over: England 94-4 (Livingstone 4, Curran 0) Oh, England. Wherever they are in the world, whatever form of cricket they’re playing, they always have a collapse in them.
WICKET! Bethell c King b Forde 27 (England 93-4)
Just when Bethell was looking so good … he gets out to a skyer too! A short ball stops on him and his attempted pull loops to cover.
20th over: England 89-3 (Bethell 26, Livingstone 1) Liam Livingstone strides out for his first go at playing a captain’s innings for England. Roston Chase whizzes through another tidy over.
19th over: England 86-3 (Bethell 24, Livingstone 0) That was a fine over from Matthew Forde – one wicket, only one run – and an inspired move from Shai Hope to bring him back.
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WICKET! Cox c Carty b Forde 17 (England 86-3)
After looking so assured, Cox goes the same way as Salt and Jacks, caught off a skyer. Aiming for midwicket, he can only slice to third man, where Carty takes a cool calm catch.
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18th over: England 85-2 (Cox 17, Bethell 23) Chase continues and keeps it tight – two dots, then two singles, then two more dots. It’s a good battle.
17th over: England 83-2 (Cox 16, Bethell 22) Bethell, who may be just as confident as Cox, greets Motie’s next over with a neat little ramp for two. They’ve already put on 37 off 39 balls. Who needs experience?
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16th over: England 79-2 (Cox 15, Bethell 19) It’s spin at both ends as Roston Chase comes on with his offbreaks. He has a slip, so Hope reckons there’s some turn. Cox and Bethell work the ball around for five singles as if they’ve been doing this for years.
Drinks: honours even-ish
15th over: England 74-2 (Cox 13, Bethell 17) West Indies need to put the plug back in and Motie does the job, going for just two singles. And that’s drinks, with honours about even: Jayden Seales pegged England back, but now Jacob Bethell is threatening to grab the wheel.
An email comes in from Gary Naylor. “The dot,” says the subject line, like the title of a novel. “I’m on the way back from Stratford Upon Avon (Othello - it didn’t end well),” Gary says. “Shakey’s old stamping ground is tricky on trains, so I’m glad you’re here to help. I’m still a bit tempted by Google Maps’ crawling blue dot though, the only thing more depressing to watch than a one-sided ODI.” Ha.
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14th over: England 72-2 (Cox 12, Bethell 16) Jacob Bethell is on manoeuvres! Facing Joseph, he pulls for four, then does it again, with extra ferocity. And he adds a for four through the vacant slips. That’s 13 off the over and for the first time today, an England batter is going at a run a ball (16 off 13). Bethell looks so at home in the Caribbean, it’s almost as if he was born there.
13th over: England 59-2 (Cox 12, Bethell 3) Shai Hope decides it’s time for some spin and brings on Gudakesh Motie with his slow left-arm. Cox, still exuding confidence, finds him straying onto leg stump and sweeps for four.
12th over: England 52-2 (Cox 7, Bethell 1) Seales is only human after all: he produces a village misfield at third man and a cut off Joseph turns into Cox’s first ODI four. Bethell gets off the mark with a pull, meaty but mistimed.
11th over: England 46-2 (Cox 2, Bethell 0) To lose one opener to a skyer may be considered a misfortune. To lose two looks like carelessness, especially when Nos 3 and 4 have played only five ODIs between them. But credit to Jayden Seales: he’s been immense. He lured Jacks, like Salt, into a mishit down the ground, which Gudakesh Motie did well to catch with the wind swirling around him. Seales has the sort of figures Sir Curtly used to collect: 5-1-8-2.
WICKET! Jacks c Motie b Seales 19 (England 46-1)
One brings two! And again it’s a skyer.
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10th over: England 46-1 (Jacks 19, Cox 2) Joseph, so cool in the field just now, blots his copybook by giving away four leg-byes, but keeps it tight thereafter. The first Powerplay ends with West Indies the more satisfied of the two sides.
9th over: England 40-1 (Jacks 18, Cox 1) Seales is even better from the Curtly end at the Viv than he was from the Andy. It was his testing length that did for Salt, and it allows him to beat Jordan Cox too, outside off, as he flirts with a duck on ODI debut. Cox, who seems to have a superb temperament, isn’t bothered: he dabs the next ball for a single.
WICKET! Salt c Joseph b Seales 18 (England 39-1)
Seales was just changing ends. And it pays off as Salt skies a drive and Joseph, running back, takes a nonchalant catch.
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8th over: England 39-0 (Salt 18, Jacks 18) The first bowler to be taken off is the immaculate Seales. Interesting. Alzarri Joseph replaces him and it doesn’t go well. His first ball brings four overthrows as Lewis’s sharp shy at the stumps surprises the fielders on the other side of the wicket. His second is a no-ball. His third, a free hit, goes better as Jacks can only inside-edge it for a single. Nine off the over, 17 off the past two.
7th over: England 30-0 (Salt 17, Jacks 11) Hope risks a fourth over from Forde. Salt retorts with a flash past gully for four, and then a better shot, a casual cuff past extra cover for four more. He’s warming up.
6th over: England 22-0 (Salt 9, Jacks 11) Seales continues, bowling cross-seam. The lone slip has now slipped away. Another good over from Seales (3-0-7-0), yielding only a single to each batter. Mark Butcher reveals that, in the last five ODIs on this ground, the team batting first have made (on average) 261, and it’s never been enough. Can England break that mould?
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5th over: England 20-0 (Salt 8, Jacks 10) Most of the runs have come off Forde, but Hope still believes in him. He responds with a tighter over and nearly deceives Jacks with a slower ball, luring him into a loopy drive that lands just short of mid-off.
If this was Test cricket, England would have 40 by now.
4th over: England 19-0 (Salt 8, Jacks 9) Seales continues and Salt again clips for two to midwicket, but he can’t get after the other five balls.
“As a Warwickshire follower,” says Phil Russell, “it’s great to see Bethell and Mousley in the team, and hopefully Sam Hain will get more recognition before long too. Overall the line up does rather remind of the days of another Bears all-rounder, Dermot Reeve. Quite a lot of bits-and-pieces players for a 50 over game. A little concerned the batting will fizzle out and not go the distance.” That would be very on-brand.
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3rd over: England 17-0 (Salt 6, Jacks 9) Forde strays onto the pads, allowing Jacks to help himself to a cheap four. That gets Jacks going and when Forde goes wide of off, he launches into a fierce cover-drive, struck on the up. The trumpeter celebrates with a blast of Go West by the Village People – or, if you prefer, the Pet Shop Boys.
2nd over: England 8-0 (Salt 6, Jacks 1) The other end has a knighthood too: the Sir Andy Roberts End. Jayden Seales opens the bowling there and keeps Will Jacks quiet, restricting him to a leg glance. Salt adds a clip for two.
“Evening Tim,” says Guy Hornsby, “cricket is happening! This is quite the XI for England. It feels very like a T20 side needing to play 50 overs, though I guess many players don’t really play the format any more. I’ll admit I’m mystified by Overton as a non-bowling all-rounder (I know he’s injured). It was funky in T20s, but feels a luxury here, even through the Bazball lens.
“I know a few batters are home who must be wondering what they need to do. Penny for the excellent Sam Hain’s thoughts... Still, come on England/cricket/West Indies!”
Sam Hain may have something else on his mind tonight. Many thanks to Steven Lynch of Wisden for pointing this out.
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1st over: England 5-0 (Salt 4, Jacks 0) On a pitch like a biscuit, Forde makes a tidy start apart from one legside wide. Phil Salt plays himself in studiously for two balls, then bashes the third through the covers for four. “Some quite long grass out there,” says Mark Butcher. “Could be taking the aerial route.”
Matthew Forde has the new ball and is ready to steam in from the Sir Curtly Ambrose end. Ends, like stands and indeed stadiums, sound better without the knighthood, don’t they?
The teams line up, accompanied by some mildly baffled schoolchildren. West Indies are in maroon with a yellow trim, England in sky blue with navy trousers. The anthems ring out, one rather more lustily than the other. If it was a singing contest, West Indies would have won.
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Teams in full
West Indies make only one change, bringing back Shimron Hetmyer. Like England, they were in action on the other side of the world just a few days ago (in Sri Lanka); unlike England, they were playing this form of the game.
The broadcasters, TNT, have Phil Salt down as England’s wicketkeeper, but there’s been plenty of talk of Jordan Cox too, so I’m going with a question mark or two.
England 1 Phil Salt (wkt?), 2 Will Jacks, 3 Jordan Cox (wkt?), 4 Jacob Bethell, 5 Liam Livingstone (capt), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Dan Mousley, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 John Turner.
West Indies 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Brandon King, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Shai Hope (capt, wkt), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Roston Chase, 8 Gudakesh Motie, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Matthew Forde, 11 Jayden Seales.
Four debutants for England
“We would have bowled first as well,” says Liam Livingstone. “But it looks a good pitch.” Asked how he feels to be captain, he says “incredibly proud”. He reveals that his team includes four ODI debutants – Jordan Cox, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton and John Turner.
Toss: West Indies win and bowl
Shai Hope wins the toss and opts to bowl first, in case “it gets a bit wet” later on.
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Preamble
Evening everyone. Another week, another continent, as The Only Ones so nearly sang. Five days after collapsing in a heap in Pakistan, England now have the chance to do it again in a different format in the Caribbean. I was going to say a shorter format, but that is now debatable. They will be hoping to stay in a bit longer than the 37 overs they managed the other day. As Brian Johnston used to observe, it’s a funny game.
It was less than a year ago that West Indies and England last met in an ODI at the Viv. We should really have a prize for anyone who can remember what happened. A glance at the scorecard shows that England won, with Liam Livingstone and Rehan Ahmed taking the wickets and Will Jacks, Harry Brook and Jos Buttler knocking off the runs.
Buttler is now injured and Brook rested, but the others are in the squad and Livingstone is about to become England’s sixth captain of the calendar year, which should at least stop him moaning about being too low in the order.
England’s line-up may well be a hotch-potch. The selectors seem to have reacted to the absence of the usual suspects by refusing to include any specialist batters. The top order could be a curious blend of wicketkeepers and slow-bowling all-rounders, although the attack makes up for any lack of experience with Jofra Archer, Reece Topley, Sam Curran and the great Adil Rashid.
West Indies, by contrast, can field a settled side, captained by Shai Hope and starring the explosive Evin Lewis. Play starts at 6pm GMT, weather permitting – there’s a bit of thunder in the air. See you just after 5.30 with news of the toss and (I hope) the teams.
