The match report has landed courtesy of Cameron Ponsonby which is my cue to go and party with Rihanna. Oh, sorry, I meant go to bed. Not with Rihanna. Oh forget it. Thanks for joining us, we’ll be back same time same place for match number two tomorrow. Goodnight.
On Thursday, Phil Salt turned down an invitation to party with Rihanna in favour of an early night. On Saturday, he blitzed England to an eight-wicket win against the West Indies.”
Phil Salt loves batting in the Caribbean and bags the Player of the Match award:
I think it’s probably the place I’m happiest - I enjoy batting here, I’ve grown up batting on these surfaces.”
He then describes this ton as his favourite of the three he’s notched up in England’s T20 colours.
On Jacob Bethell:
He’s a huge talent! Some of the shots he played there... he’s a 21-year-old lad but if you didn’t know how old he was you’d think he’d played 100 games.
Just a brilliant career summary tbf. pic.twitter.com/WsSVAhxNi0
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) November 10, 2024
Phil Salt has now hit three T20I hundreds. Only three men, across all countries, have more.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 10, 2024
A gun innings to seal England victory in the first T20I.#WIvENG https://t.co/bAFAla89zu
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England win by 8 wickets (with 19 balls remaining)
Phil Salt has barely had time to let his century sink in before Jacob Bethell lofts a six over cover and then flicks the winning runs! A superb chase by England, the highest in the format at the Kensington Oval. Bethell and Salt put on a hundred partnership in just 60 balls and cruised to victory. England go 1-0 up in the five matches series and in some style.
Just made it look too easy 💪
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 10, 2024
Phil Salt, that was spectacular! 🧊
🌴 #WIvENG 🏴 | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/ttVDE6wWTb
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Phil Salt goes to 100 (off 53 balls)
A brilliant knock from Salt, his third T20I century and all three have come in the Caribbean. He has timed everything out there this evening. He removes his helmet and lets out a guttural roar of pleasure.
16th over: England 170-2 (Salt 98, Bethell 50) Shamar Joseph has conceded 31 runs from his two overs so far this evening and his third doesn’t stop the rot. Bethell swivels on a short ball and pulls with panache for SIX to move to 49. Bethell then goes to his first T20I half century in a the place where he spent his formative years. A lovely moment for him and a fine innings supporting Salt in what looks like a certain England win, they need 13 runs from 24 balls.
15th over: England 156-2 (Salt 94, Bethell 42) The umpires change the ball after the previous was deemed to have got too soggy with all the moisture on the outfield. Motie bowls his final over but can’t find the breakthrough. Bethell gets a meaty edge wide of the keeper for four and eleven runs are easily collected off the over for England.
14th over: England 145-2 (Salt 93, Bethell 32) Bethell picks up four over cover and then Salt moves into the nineties with a slap into the leg side that bursts through the hands of Shepherd on the square leg boundary. A hard chance but the fielder didn’t put in the best effort to take the catch or try to palm back and save the six. England need 38 from 36 balls.
13th over: England 130-2 (Salt 86, Bethell 24) West Indies in desperate need of a wicket, ideally that of Phil Salt. They nearly pick up Jacob Bethell as the youngster yorks himself on the charge and looks set to be stumped only for a desperate jab at the last that then squirts away for four. All going England’s way at the moment.
12th over: England 124-2 (Salt 85, Bethell 19) Andre Russell drops a clanger by serving up a juicy hip high full toss to Phil Salt that is dispatched fine for SIX. Gah! Russell then sends down a half volley on leg stump that Salt does not miss out on, whipping past the man on the ‘45 for four more. 14 runs in all off the over, England need 59 off 48 balls.
11th over: England 110-2 (Salt 74, Bethell 16) Quiet over after drinks, four singles worked off Hosein’s final over. He finishes with 0-20 as England look to target the rest.
10th over: England 106-2 (Salt 72, Bethell 14) Bethell shows he has power of his own and bunts Romario Shepherd down the ground for four. England go past the hundred mark and a section of the crowd are in good voice with a bit of Hi Ho Silver Lining being belted out. Shot! Bethell shows his touch too, opening the face and running the ball in the vacant space at third for four more. Time for a drink.
9th over: England 93-2 (Salt 69, Bethell 5) Man of the moment Motie back with the ball in hand. Salt gets under a full ball and flicks over midwicket for four. This has been a commanding innings. England need 90 from 66 balls. I reckon this game has got a moment or two left in it yet.
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8th over: England 84-2 (Salt 62, Bethell 3) Things calm down a little with three singles off Shamar Joseph before Salt shows his touch and glides a four past point with velveteen hands.
7th over: England 77-2 (Salt 57, Bethell 1) Jacob Bethell, the local boy, replaces his captain and cuts to point to get off the mark. This has been an breathless game. Both sides refusing to back down, every over an event.
WICKET! Buttler c Motie b Shepherd 56 (England 76-2)
Gudakesh Motie has just pulled off an eye-popping sinew straining catch to get rid of Jos Buttler! What a catch. Buttler ran the ball off the face down the deep third where Motie back pedalled at speed, stuck up a mitt and the ball went right in. Jubilant scenes and Buttler can’t resist a second look and a rueful smile as he walks off. A golden duck on his comeback but a part in an electric bit of cricket too.
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Salt drives powerfully into the off side and comes back for a second run that sees him bring up 1,000 T20i runs oh but hang on a minute!
6th over: England 73-1 (Salt 54, Buttler) Here comes Jos Buttler!
WICKET! Will Jacks b Motie 17 (England 73-1)
Will Jacks drives Motie over long on for SIX but then falls to the last ball of the PowerPlay trying to sweep and missing, the ball skidding on and skittling the stumps. Jacks is gutted but he’s played a smaller role in a brilliant opening stand.
Salt clears the front leg and hammers Motie’s first ball down the ground for SIX and then plays an absolutely phenomenal shot to bring up his FIFTY in 25 balls, shimmying down and slamming the spinner into the digital scorecard. England and Salt are having a stonking PowerPlay.
5th over: England 54-0 (Salt 41, Jacks 11) Akeal Hosein for his third over on the bounce. Some sharp fielding in the ring frustrates Salt, Evin Lewis throwing himself to his right and then his left to stop consecutive boundaries and create two much needed dot balls. Salt very nearly then chips a simple catch to cover but fortunately for him it falls short by a few inches. Would have been a soft dismissal. Just two runs off the over in the end. Gudakesh Motie is coming on to bowl fresh off his batting cameo.
4th over: England 52-0 (Salt 40, Jacks 10) Shamar Joseph replaces Russell. Get his first ball wrong with a leg side wide and then drags down, allowing Salt to free his hands and hit a SIX fine over the leg side. Salt then lashes two boundaries in a row square of the wicket and then plays a beautiful drive on the up down the ground for four! Oh my days, and another – Joseph goes short and Salt spots it, backing away and carving for four more into the off side. 24 runs off the over!
3rd over: England 28-0 (Salt 18, Jacks 9) Hosein with his second over, he does well to keep Jacks and Salt tied down to a single each. One ball to go, can he get out of the over cheaply? Nope! Salt hangs back in his crease and pans away over long on for SIX. Don’t go anywhere.
2nd over: England 20-0 (Salt 11, Jacks 8) Andre Russell trundles in with the new ball, slip in place. Salt gets a leading edge but the ball lands safe, the batters scampering three runs. SHOT! Will Jacks shows his class with a lofted drive over cover for SIX. Expensive over from Russell, England ticking.
1st over: England 6-0 (Salt 5, Jacks 1) Akeal Hosein starts with his left-arm twirl. Customarily accurate, Phil Salt manages a biff down the ground for four. Salt and Jacks run well to pick off two further singles.
West Indies were 117-8 off 14.4 overs in Barbados - the sort of position that would have led other teams to consolidate. Not this side.
— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) November 9, 2024
West Indies scored 65 from the last 5.2 overs: some high-risk hitting, but their intent was completely vindicated.
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Here come Salt and Jacks. Here come West Indies with a spring in their step.
West Indies finish on 182-9
England need to chase 183 runs to win! They had West Indies on the rack at 69-5 and 110-7 but a thrilling comeback courtesy of Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd sees West Indies set an imposing total. Curran’s final over goes for 16 runs as Shepherd flicked a full ball off his toes for a sublime six behind square and followed up with scorching drive over cover and into the crowd. Shepherd finishes unbeaten on 35 off 22 balls. Not long for England to lick their wounds, their chase will get underway in a little over five minutes time.
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19th over: West Indies 166-9 (Shepherd 17, Shamar Joseph) West Indies are right back in this game. Sam Curran is coming on to bowl the last over.
WICKET! Motie c Mousley b Mahmood 33 (West Indies 166-9)
Gudakesh’s Motie’s highly entertaining and extremely crucial cameo comes to a close and it is just reward for Saqib Mahmood who finishes with 4-34 off his four overs. Mahmood mixed up his lengths to keep the batters guessing and eventually snared Motie off his ball, a cutter into the pitch that was flicked to Mousley on the midwicket fence.
18th over: West Indies 162-8 (Shepherd 17, Motie 32) Welcome to the death overs, Jamie Overton. Motie gets lucky with a cuff past the keeper for four but there’s nothing spawny about Shepherd who clips full ball off his pads with a flourish to add four more through midwicket.
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17th over: West Indies 141-8 (Shepherd 12, Motie 27) Sam Curran can’t stop the Motie flow. Eleven runs off the over as Motie flays consecutive drives through the covers for four. Pre-meditated and expertly executed, Motie is seeing it like a beachball in Barbados.
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16th over: West Indies 141-8 (Shepherd 11, Motie 18) Anything you can do Gudakesh… Romario Shepherd pongoes Livingstone through cover for four. Runs flowing for West Indies just when England might’ve been dreaming of a low target. Motie gets four in the same area a couple of balls later, what a cameo this is from him!
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15th over: West Indies 129-8 (Shepherd 6, Motie 12) Hello gruesome! Gudakesh Motie arrives at the crease and spanks his first ball over long on for SIX. Cripes! Motie means business, the next ball is hit like a tracer bullet back down the ground for SIX more! Rashid picked up the wicket and then immediately crashed back down to earth with two lusty blows to end the over.
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WICKET! Hosein lbw b Rashid 2 (West Indies 117-8)
A tale of two reviews! Rashid has Hosein guessing and grasping, sliding a leg-break onto the pads, the umpire deciding it is hitting and raising the digit of doom. Hosein reviews and the ball is actually adjudged to be sliding down past the leg stump. Not out! That one is though – Rashid sends down a carbon copy that is crucially a tad straighter. Given out on the field and this time the DRS doesn’t come to West Indies rescue.
14th over: West Indies 117-7 (Shepherd 6, Hosein 2) Shepherd pulls Overton for four behind square to keep West Indies ticking. Akeal Hosein joins him in the middle to try and blunt England’s surge.
WICKET! Pooran c Buttler b Overton 38 (West Indies 110-7)
Another stonkingly good catch by Buttler, who needs the gloves eh? Overton hits the middle of the pitch and Pooran tries to flay away off the back foot but can’t control it, a top edge looks to be looping over Buttler but a well-timed leap sees the returning captain pull off another excellent diving catch. Windies in trouble now with the set man on his way back to the hutch.
13th over: West Indies 109-6 (Pooran 38, Shepherd 1) Romario Shepherd joins Pooran and nurdles a single to get off the mark.
WICKET! Russell c Mousley b Livingstone 30 (West Indies 108-6)
Livingstone has the last laugh as Russell tries to clear the fence once more but splats it straight to Mousley on the cover boundary rope. Big wicket that one in more ways than one.
England’s seventh bowler of the evening is Liam Livingstone. He nearly gets a wicket with his first ball as Russell miscues going for huge swipe but the ball somehow falls safely between three converging fielders in the deep. THAT IS OUTTA THE GROUND! Russell smashes Livingstone and the ball flies clean out of the stadium. Box office stuff.
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12th over: West Indies 100-5 (Pooran 38, Russell 22) Curran goes full and sends down some cutters with the pace off. Eeeesht! A surprise bouncer from Curran whistles past Russell’s nose and Curran finishes an excellent over with a wel executed yorker that nearly knocks the big man Dre Russ off his feet. The hundred comes up for West Indies with eight overs to go.
11th over: West Indies 96-5 (Pooran 35, Russell 21) Andre Russell opens up his gargantuan shoulders and smokes Rashid for consecutive sixes over over the leg side! Fifteen runs off the over as West Indies punch back, England won’t breather easy while these two dangerous shot makers are out there. Time for some Sam Curran.
10th over: West Indies 81-5 (Pooran 34, Russell 8) Jamie Overton into the attack, he slams the ball into the deck and has Pooran and Russell on the back foot, still the batters do well to work for singles. Slammed but this time for SIX! Overton is lined up, another short ball is sent absolutely miles off the bat of Russell who gives zero reaction. Time to take on board some electrolytes (them) and pizza (me). Drinks.
9th over: West Indies 71-5 (Pooran 32, Russell 2) Andre Russell joins Pooran in the middle, West Indies need someone to stick with Pooran. A couple of watchful singles to end the over.
WICKET! Rutherford c Buttler b Rashid 2 (West Indies 69-5)
Whadda grab by Jos Buttler! That’ll bring a smile to his face. Electric reflexes at slip to pouch a thick edge from a back foot drive by Rurtherford. England take another and Rashid has two wickets in no time at all.
8th over: West Indies 68-4 (Pooran 30, Rutherford 2) Debutant Dan Mousley is given a bowl, he scuds down rapid off spin… the first ball of which is a horrible full toss that is duly moosed away into the crowd by Pooran for SIX. Settle down, son. Mousley does, finds his length and Pooran can only nurdle a solitary single off the rest of the over.
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7th over: West Indies 61-4 (Pooran 23, Rutherford 2) Sherfane Rutherford is the new batter, he works Rashid off his pads for two runs. Three runs and the wicket off Rashid’s first over, he’s so often England’s saviour with the white ball in hand.
WICKET! Rovman Powell c Overton b Rashid 18 (West Indies 59-4)
Adil Rashid called for and gets the breakthrough! Powell tries to go big again and would have had six if it wasn’t for the towering figure of Jamie Overton leaping at mid on to pluck the ball out of the air. Brilliant catch, England continue to pick up wickets.
6th over: West Indies 58-3 (Pooran 22, Powell 18) Pooran joins the party, slamming Mahmood for SIX off the back foot, the ball sailing high into the stands. Clever batting from Pooran who runs the ball off the face and in the gap wide of third for four. Frustration for England. HUGE! Pooran spanks another SIX over midwicket. “Carnage by Nicky P” says Carlos Braithwaite on commentary. Spoken by a man who knows.
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5th over: West Indies 39-3 (Pooran 5, Powell 17) Reece Topley is out there, all eyes on him for the next few balls. What a shot! Rovman Powell pings the first ball back over mid on for SIX. Holds the pose and why not, that was liquid batting. Oh no. Topley cuts a disconsolate figure and leaves the pitch after that one ball, there’s something clearly not right with him. That’s bad news for England and a personal disaster for Topley.
Shut your face Wallace, here come the players and the sun is shining. We’ll have play imminently!
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The official re-start if given as 5pm local time, ten minutes away. However, there’s been some sort of super sopper spillage on the outfield which has left some unsightly skid m… hang about don’t say that in The Guardian mate, stains on the outfield. Stay tuned as this turns into the inevitable time and soul sapping farce.
Sandy Lane comes to the Kensington Oval #WIvENG pic.twitter.com/iWTfnTiDyi
— David Charlesworth (@charlie_4444) November 9, 2024
Nothing to see here, whaddya mean it looks like a lot of sand? Can’t have enough of the stuff. It’s the Caribbean doofus!
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WEATHER WATCH: I maybe spoke too soon, there’s some grey and ‘orrible stuff lurking at the back of the ground apparently. What is wrong with you Barbados?!
Rain stops play - West Indies 33-3
Now then, the players have gone off the field but for what looks like only a short delay as the sun is still shining. There’s some concern about Reece Topley who slipped sending down a short ball that was scythed for SIX off the top edge by Powell. The big bowler hitting the deck hard and then walking off the field very gingerly afterwards. He’s had such bad luck in his career with things like this, fingers crossed it is isn’t anything serious.
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4th over: West Indies 33-1 (Pooran 5, Powell 1) Phew. What an over from Mahmood, pocketing Lewis and Hetmyer with back to back deliveries. The ball to see the back of Hetmyer was a beauty - shaping away on a good length outside off stump and the new batter could not resist a fiddle at it. West Indies in trouble as Captain Powell joins Pooran in the middle and all of a sudden it starts to belt it down with rain…
WICKET! Shimron Hetmyer c †Salt b Mahmood 0 (West Indies 18-3)
Mahmood on a hat-trick! Hetmyer gone first ball! Exclamation mark!
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WICKET! Evin Lewis c Bethell b Mahmood 13 (West Indies 18-2)
Heaved away and caught in the deep! Mahmood strikes again and good diving catch inches above the turf by Jacob Bethell at mid-wicket.
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3rd over: West Indies 17-1 (Lewis 13, Pooran 1) Topley mixes up his lengths well, Pooran tries to get after him but can’t connect, a gloved single off a short ball brings Lewis on strike and he duly pumps a ball in his arc down through mid on for four. Easy as that. Six runs off the over.
2nd over: West Indies 11-1 (Lewis 8, Pooran 0) Nicholas Pooran is the new batter and he blocks his first ball and the last of the over. A successful one for Mahmood and England.
I fell asleep in the cinema earlier. Woke up with popcorn stuck all over me and walked out looking like I was about to film a CGI movie a la Andy Serkis. Go on then, how’s your Saturday?
Sorry are you saying you're having a better Saturday night pic.twitter.com/E018Tv37Od
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) November 9, 2024
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WICKET! Brandon King c Overton b Mahmood 3 (West Indies 11-1)
Full. Too full from Mahmood. Southpaw Lewis gets on the front foot and drives away handsomely for four. Lewis looks in fine fettle, he cracked 94 against England a week or so ago and notched a century against Sri Lanka in Pallekele just a few days before that.
The openers exchange singles. Lewis on strike and GONE! Advancing down the track and losing his shape, a splat straight to Jamie Overton at short cover. England get an early one.
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1st over: West Indies 4-0 (King 2, Lewis 2) Singles are the order of the day in the first over, something that Ian Bishop on the tv commentary is enthused by, he reckons it is an area for improvement for this side who can be a bit boundary or nowt. “Good length, well played, single” the big man purrs. Decent start for Topley, Mahmood is going to start from the other end.
The players are headed out onto the field, it looks a breezy day in Bridgetown, maroon and red shirts billowing. Reece Topley is going to open up with the new white ball. Brandon King and Evin Lewis will open for West Indies. England need some early wickets, the home side’s batting line up is one to drool over and be cowed by.
After his level eleventy meltdown on the field the other day, Alzarri Joseph has had his knuckles rapped with a two match suspension.
“I recognize that my passion got the best of me” said Joseph after the event. Words that simply wouldn’t wash at my gaff.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Announces Suspension of Alzarri Joseph for Two Matches
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) November 7, 2024
Read More 🔽 https://t.co/9GWNkD2nnA
What do you mean you’ve got plans on a Saturday night? Too good for the OBO now are we? Do get in touch if you are tuning in, the email link is loitering on the left flank of this page. You can fling me a tweet too but I probably won’t read it. #EliteHonesty
Cricket Never Sleeps https://t.co/UUBXps2jLw
— James Wallace (@Jimbo_Cricket) November 9, 2024
Confirmed Teams:
West Indies: 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Rovman Powell (c), 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Andre Russell, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Shamar Joseph
England: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Will Jacks, 3 Jos Buttler (c), 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jacob Bethell, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Dan Mousley, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Saqib Mahmood, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley
Buttler will bat at number three, he’s only done that a handful of times before and he’s also relinquished the gloves to Phil Salt. He wants to focus on his batting and giving his all to leading the side.
England win the toss and choose to BOWL!
Buttler’s first act upon returning to the fold is to win the toss under sunny skies in Barbados. He says that England, in modern parlance, will prefer to chase.
“There was a bit of rain yesterday so there might be some moisture.” Buttler tells Ian Bishop. “I’m excited to get back in the middle. Jofra is missing, Overton, Topley, Mahmood play, and it’s the usual top seven.”
Windies captain Rovman Powell admits he would have done the same had he won the toss. “We’ve got to keep on improving” Powell says from behind Judge Dredd style shades. “In years gone by we were just trying to compete, now we’re trying to beat them.”
Jos Buttler in for his first game in 137 days ➡️
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 9, 2024
Mahmood and Topley lead our attack 🚀
We have won the toss and will bowl first 💪
🌴 #WIvENG 🏴 | @IGcom pic.twitter.com/v9VqUO8dfF
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Preamble
They called Leonard Cohen ‘The Godfather of Gloom’ and ‘The High Priest of Pathos’. Pithy nicknames but both misnomers, really. Behind the molasses and tobacco baritone and faltering flamenco Cohen was far from a miserabilist, his words often appearing as if drenched in the Hydra sun - warm, fruity, smutty, sensual.
This is about cricket you plank, what are you crapping on about? Well, bear with me for just a line or two more. I’m bringing us on to Jos Buttler.
You might know him as England’s greatest ever white ball batter, all whip-crack wrists and ice-veined composure. A player of such class and confidence he was made England’s white ball captain after Eoin Morgan hung up his armband. And yet, the F*** It famously scrawled on Buttler’s bat handle offers a glimpse into his own fragility.
As England’s results have soured and curdled so too did Buttler’s on pitch performances and off pitch demeanour. A taciturn and tetchy Buttler became the norm, his watery blue eyes darting, seeking out perceived slights, his jaw perma-clenched readying for a scrap. Any boyish charm had been lost to a sort of bristling insecurity. Captaincy and professional cricket in general can do that to you.
The discrepancy between Buttler at his shimmering, primal and pyrotechnic best and the insecure, slumped shouldered Eeyore in a Cinch branded baseball cap of recent months became quite stark. The guy looked like he needed a break and he ended up getting one, albeit because he got injured.
A calf injury has kept Buttler on the sidelines for five months, in that time Matthew Mott was given his cards and Brendon McCullum the reins - to the white ball squads in addition to the Test one. ‘Baz’ duly noted that his priority task in the role was to shake Buttler out of his “miserable” (McCullum’s word, not mine) stupor and bring back the joy. To reinvigorate Sad Eyed Jossy of The Low Scores, take a sad song and make it better, prise open a crack and let some f***** light in.
McCullum lies in wait but Jos Buttler returns to action today in Bridgetown in the first of five T20 matches against West Indies. Play begins in just over half an hour at 8PM GMT and the toss is imminent…
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