Simon Burnton's match report
Going to bed smiling after that gung-ho hit-a-long from West Indies, even if it didn’t take them over the line. England pocket the win and the series sits prettily at 1-1 with three to play. That’s it for today, thanks for all the messages, sorry about those I couldn’t get to. Please join us on Wednesday for the next game. Good night!
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Eoin Morgan: “I think trying to establish the rhythm of the game out here on wickets in Barbados is important, to come back from yesterday, we adapted really well and countered what the West Indies had to offer. Death bowling, we need to find better ways of going about it. Execution was nowhere near what we would like, the majority of our plan today was to bowl yorkers but we missed.”
Don’t hold back Eoin!
Kieron Pollard: “The way the guys fought their way back in, and the confidence that Akeal has with the bat... but a word for Shepherd as well who put his hand up and showed responsiblity. We will overcome it [spin in the middle overs] we’re working diligently to overcome it. Our biggest disappointment today was our fielding display, which is the fine line between winning and losing.”
A very chirpy losing captain.
The player of the match is Moeen Ali! “ I was fortunate when I batted. We actually thought we got a really good score, we paced it a bit better, I thought we started well and then CJ at the end did well. Obviously (bowling) is a lot clearer now without playing red ball, but their batters are so dangerous you’ve never quite won the game but I thought myself and Rash bowled quite well in the middle stages. “
England bowling at the death across their last three men's T20Is:
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) January 23, 2022
18 balls, 57 runs (vs NZ)
7 balls, 13 runs (vs WI)
24 balls, 67 runs (vs WI)
49 balls, 137 runs overall😬
A rousing come-back there from West Indies, and Hosein will be rueing that non-given wide in the last over. Bit of a dogs-breakfast of death bowling at the end, and some slippery fielding, but, praise be, ENGLAND HAVE WON A GAME!
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ENGLAND win by one run!
20th over West Indies 170-8 (Shepherd 44, Hosein 44) Mahmood starts with a wide, but gets away with a second stretching the definition. Pongo four, from Hosein with a swing of the raquet and another straight back over Mahmood’s head. SIX slogged over Jason Roy, SIX MORE over deep midwicket, flying into the delighted crowd. Hosein’s had a ball but he needs 8 from the last ball, he gets SIX! Beautiful hitting from Hosein, and a mini-trial for Mahmood whose over goes for 28!!!
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19th over West Indies 142-8 (Shepherd 44, Hosein 18) West Indies can’t keep the momentum going - it was a tough ask - and Topley is excellent. A one-handed four finishes the over but West Indies need 30 from the final set of six, which will be bowled by Mahmood.
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18th over West Indies 134-8 (Shepherd 37, Hosein 17) Now then! Hosein slams Jordan over cover for six. Morgan then drops his second of the night, the ball peeping out his leaping fingers at cover. Six more! And again! as Shepherd pummels over deep midwicket and then into the party-beach stand. Topley saves a four - I wouldn’t be diving for anything if I was him. Shepherd keeps the strike and west Indies need 38 from 12. Impossible?
When I worked in Dorothy Perkins buying office in the 80s, C&A was our nemesis @tjaldred We could never compete on price as their margins were so keen.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) January 23, 2022
It was the smart place to shop.
RIP Dotty Ps and C&A.
17th over West Indies 111-8 (Shepherd 22, Hosein 10) Shepherd declines a couple of singles before acquiescing, whereupon Hosein immediately slides Mahmood through backward point for four.
16th over West Indies 103-8 (Shepherd 21, Hosein 3) Five runs off Jordan’s wicket-taking over as this threatens to dribble to a finish.
“Have you been selected for an English win?” asks Tone White. “Félicitations!”
Well when you put it like that, thank you very much!
WICKET! Allen c Banton b Jordan 12 (West Indies 98-8)
Off the legs and into Banton’s hands, the good ship West Indies is tilting dangerously now
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15th over West Indies 98-7 (Shepherd 14, Allen 11) Six more! This time Rashid gets powered by Shepherd high and mighty over long off. West Indies need an unlikely, but possible, 74 from 30
14th over West Indies 89-7 (Shepherd 14, Allen 11) These two aren’t going to go meekly into the Caribbean night. Allen takes a courtly bow onto one knee and rockets Moeen over mid-wicket for six.
13th over West Indies 78-7 (Shepherd 13, Allen 1) Shepherd smears Dawson for two huge sixes - and why not? We catch a glimpse of Sir Garry Sobers watching from his eponymous stand (I think), looking fragile in a pale blue shirt.
For all those who’ve asked for a scorecard link - apologies, hopefully we’ll get one up for you asap.
12th over West Indies 65-7 (Shepherd 1, Allen 0 )Two wickets for Moeen, thanks very much, as West Indies lose their nerve and England hold theirs. The night is now raisin black and the floodlights blaze away.
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WICKET! Smith c Vince b Moeen Ali 7 (West Indies 65-7)
Smith goes for broke, shooting the ball up and away, but it is not long enough, and Vince calmly collects down on one-knee and about eight foot in front of the rope.
WICKET! Holder c and b Moeen Ali 1 (West Indies 57-6)
Holder eyes up Moeen, has a go, but Moeen holds on with both hands leaning back, as the umpire ducks behind him in anticipation. West Indies are midway between the stumble and the fall.
11th over West Indies 57-5 (Holder 1, Shepherd 0 ) Gorgeous from Rashid - fat leg breaks, chubby googly: perfection.
WICKET! Bravo lbw Rashid 23 (West Indies 55-5)
Poor old umpire Duguid isn’t having his best evening. England review the first ball after the break and the review shows the ball sliding onto the pad and would have kissed leg stump.
10th over West Indies 55-4 (Bravo 23, Holder 1) Moeen, beige arms/bodysuit under his shirt, flows in. Just three from the over as they take DRINKS. At the same stage in their innings, England were 64-2: not much in it runs wise but West Indies have fewer springs left in the box.
9th over West Indies 53-4 (Bravo 22, Holder 1) The spinners closing the down for England.
WICKET! Pollard lbw Rashid 1 (West Indies 50-4)
Not given out on the field, but England review as Pollard has a go but is pinned on the back leg.
8th over West Indies 49-3 (Bravo 19, Pollard 1) Morgan turns to Moeen Ali, and it works straight away. A match up made in heaven - etc etc. Just a dib-dab for the rest of the over and West Indies need a bit of a regroup here. Both batters now helmet less.
“Good evening Tanya.” Hello Colum Fordham.
“Dreaming of being able to go out to a place like Barbados to watch the cricket live and enjoy the odd snorkel à la Simon Burnton.
In the meantime, content to be in Naples on a Sunday night enjoying watching England’s openers. Just wondering whether they have the makings of test bowlers. I know Mahmood has been in the reckoning for a test call-up but England also need a left-arm fast bowler to vary things up given Sam Curran has been left out. Reading about him on Wikipedia, it would seem that Reece Topley would have the makings of a test quick were it not for his injury-prone career. At least he’s put England in with a shout today.”
Topley feels too fragile for Test cricket, unfortunately, but Saqib is a shoe-in I think, especially with all those warm words of wisdom in his ear from James Anderson. Curran Sam is still recovering from injury I think.
WICKET! Pooran c Vince b Moeen 24 (West Indies 47-3)
Beaut of a catch by James Vince, sprinting in and diving flat onto his belly to scoop up at deep midwicket
7th over West Indies 46-2 (Pooran 24, Bravo 17) Morgan turns to his magician but Pooran steps aside and tucks into a wide one and sends it scurrying over the rope. One-handed six anyone? Bravo obliges, belting Rashid over Chris Jordan and into the Barbados night.
“Isn’t Simon a Watford fan? asks Austin Baird. “Surely in this wide world we should cut him some slack for that heavy weight.”
6th over West Indies 33-2 (Pooran 19, Bravo 9) Jordan with his first over - and Pooran is dropped again! This time by Morgan in the covers. And he makes England pay almost immediately, smoking Jordan for six over midwicket -hold that stance! - then a thick edge over the rope. Game on!
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5th over West Indies 20-2 (Pooran 8, Bravo 7) Pooran gets a life after top-edging Topley into the stratsophere, where it bounces off the moon, then Dawson’s chest as it bobbles from his hands and onto the ground. He’d nearly toppled Bravo with a violent straight boundary the ball before.
4th over West Indies 13-2 (Pooran 2, Bravo 6) Bravo off the mark with a smudge to third man, and the first boundary of the innings comes with a rather lovely wristy cut square of the wicket off Mahmood.
“It’s worth reminding the smug gits snorkelling that the Caribbean is crawling with sharks* types Tim Maitland with hard fingers. “There are bull sharks, hammerheads, black tips, great whites and, worst of all, the highly aggressive tiger shark.
“And if they don’t get you, there are always the venomous jellyfish. That should give them something to think about, shouldn’t it?
*Actually and unsurprisingly in sharp decline because of habitat loss and commercial fishing, but accuracy is not the point here. “
I’d like to make it clear here that I am NOT calling Simon a smug git!
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3rd over West Indies 6-2 (Pooran 1, Bravo 0) Turns out Topley deprived himself of another mark in the wickets column as Hawk-eye shows the ball thudded into Hope’s toe and would have been lbw if he hadn’t been run out. Another deeply impressive over and West Indies in danger of doing an England here.
WICKET! Hope run out (Topley) 2 (West Indies 6-2)
An inswinging yorker stabbed away, Hope goes for the single and Topley throws himself to the ground and flicks the ball onto the stumps. Brilliant work!
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2nd over West Indies 5-1 (Hope 0, Pooran 0) Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood accelerates to the crease, he’s such a well-oiled machine, not an awkward moving part or ungainly twinge to be seen. And West Indies can only manage two runs, as he hits his straps straight away.
Ah, apparently only fully vaccinated fans are allowed entry at Bridgetown.
1st over West Indies 3-1 (Hope 0, Pooran 0) What a return to IT20 cricket from Topley who looks thrilled to be back. Can anyone decipher the tattoos on the inside of his arm?
WICKET! King lbw Topley 0 (West Indies 3-1)
What a ball from the oak tree Topley! Shimmies into King’s back pad, and it is umpire’s call. Topley punches the air - that’s his first T20 wicket since the 2016 World Cup!
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“C and A trainers” writes Tom V d Gucht, “Ah... Brings back painful memories of the trauma involved in non-uniform days at school. It was kind of like a Key Note conference speech in that it was your only chance to showcase the real you to your peers. Sadly, this led to be being black-balled by my school grunge community ome year when I wore a Lenny Kravitz Let Love Rule T-shirt over the top of my long-sleeved Faith No More base layer and the time somebody pointed out the jeans I got from Keighley Market were Levvi’s rather than Levi’s...”
The unforgiving cruelty of year 8s. And here come the players again..
Now this is more like it: a competitive total with a booming brass background. No-one blasted into the stratosphere for England but handy contributions from Roy, Mooen, Banton and Jordan. If you’re retiring for an early Sunday night, thanks for your company, otherwise see you back here in five minutes or so.
West Indies need 172 to win
20th over: England 171-8 (Rashid 2, Mahmood 7) Mahmood biffs Holder like an old pro, through square leg and smirked over the rope for four. They can only manage a single off the last ball but I think England will be happy with that on a surface that isn’t singing.
WICKET! Dawson c Allen b Holder 4 (England 166-8)
Straight to the man at deep mid-wicket!
19th over: England 163-7 (Dawson 4, Rashid 1) I take back what I said about Jordan being too high - that was an innings of glorious strokes and great gumption - he’s hit the ground running this tournament.
WICKET! Jordan c Holder b Cottrell 27 (England 162-7)
Another juicy flourish from Jordan but this time it can’t escape the long arms of Jason Holder at long off.
18th over: England 153-6 (Jordan 19, Dawson 4) Holder throws out his long arms in bewilderment as Dawson pulls his last ball and it flies over Pooran’s head at deep square leg. Bit sloppy from West Indies in the field today.
WICKET! Morgan c King b Holder 13 (England 147-8)
Taken with backwards hands and bent knee at long on as Morgan has a fruitless swing looking for the short boundary.
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17th over: England 146-5 (Jordan 17, Morgan 13) A nice little swivel-sweep by Jordan who sends Shepherd past short-fine leg for four. And, wow, a whack-a-mole glorious whallop over extra cover against the wind, soaring over the long-boundary for six. A common or garden four from Morgan and that’s a tasty 18 from the over.
16th over: England 128-5 (Jordan 4, Morgan 9) Pollard it is with his slow-jo doughnuts as England attempt to rebuild. Morgan edges him between slip and keeper and England snaffle ten runs from it with a a bit of this and that.
@tjaldred Good call on the C&A baseball boots - best fallback when you couldn't afford the Rucanor Kansas. Converse? I'd never even seen a pair.
— Zed Lipid (@ZedLipid) January 23, 2022
Why, thank you.
15th over: England 118-5 (Jordan 1, Morgan 3) England are suffering a malfunction. The television commentators blame a longing for the short boundary. Who doesn’t like an easy life? Jordan the next man in, a touch high at No. 7..
WICKET! Billings c Cottrell b Hosein 5 (England 116-5)
Dirty top-edged sweep snaffled by Cottrell at short fine leg
14th over: England 115-4 ( Billings 5, Morgan 1) The ball after a six rolled over the short boundary, Moeen must depart. Smart catch by Cottrell.
WICKET! Moeen c Cottrell b Pollard 31 (England 114-4)
The soft signal is out but they go for a review for a bump ball - Moeen isn’t sure -but the cameras are. And another England player goes without quite making hay, opening the face to a full one and sending it to a delighted Pollard
13th over: England 101-3 (Moeen 24, Billings 4) Shepherd, barrell chested, charges in and Roy is furious with himself for a slightly indolent slog. Billings cuffs a lofted square drive for four to get off the mark.
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WICKET! Roy c Pollard b Shepherd 45 ( 101-3)
Just as he’d got going, Roy has a carefree flog at a wide slower ball and is picked up at long on.
12th over: England 97-2 (Roy 41, Moeen 24) The fifty partnership arrives as Moeen dispatches a full toss straight back, one bounce, over the rope and into the palm trees. The next is top edged past the diving wicket-keeper. Through the living-room wall I can hear the ping-pong of a table-tennis match in the kitchen and this is rather how England have approached their cricket since drinks.
11th over: England 88-2 (Roy 41, Moeen 16) Jason Roy time! That all happened rather quickly as I was refilling my coffee cup but Allen got stuffed: four behind point, a bent-knee slog for six, another up and away over long on and a couple more disdainful fours.
“Hi Tanya,” Hi Austin Baird!”
“I hope you’re talking about Converse All Stars?”
I don’t want to stain my reputation for utter coolness, but I think they were C and A. But how I loved them.
10th over: England 64-2 (Roy 17, Moeen 16) And Moeen gets another life as Pooran manages to drop a sitter at deep midwicket, the ball bypassing his hands and hitting him in the chest. Two wides in the over from Pollard and it’s all got a bit sloppy from the West Indies at the moment. They pause for DRINKS at the half way stage with Roy yet to catch fire and Moeen free to make the most of his let-offs.
Em Jackson is pondering “Listening in the distinctly un-Barbados-like tonight, Newcastle but there might be as many tshirts in town tonight as the Kensington Oval but more to the point:
“Is this the key that’ll see England unlocked? Put them into bat first no matter what?”
I’ll let you know in an hour and a bit!
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9th over: England 56-2 (Roy 16, Moeen 11) Moeen gets a life after tipping Allen into the air on the leg side but the swirling wind or the glaring sun are against Bravo and he doesn’t even get close. A low full toss is then sent on its way straight down the ground for four. Moeen is in those lovely red shoes again, (happy memories of my first pair of baseball boots).
8th over: England 48-2 (Roy 15, Moeen 4) The captain, with a beard very like Richard from Guess Who? takes his first over of the innings. Pollard bowls, according to Mark Butcher, a lot less than he used to. Ooof, Roy nearly plays on as he tries to cut away to the boundary. This is very much a trundle to the wicket and pace-off kind of over.
We have a quick squizz at the latest tT0 standings: England are first, West Indies tenth.
7th over: England 44-2 (Roy 13, Moeen 2) Tip and run to Akeal Hosein.
6th over: England 40-2 (Roy 11, Moeen 0) At the end of power play, England have served up a plain omelette and chips but no pudding.
WICKET! Vince b Allen 4 (England 40-2)
Vince momentarily can’t believe what has happened, but, yes, he has been bowled by one that zipped near his toes and into the stumps. The umpires go to the review but Vince is already trudging off before the third umpire makes his decision.
WICKET! Banton c and b Allen 25 (England 36-1)
A snorter of a caught and bowled as Banton powers the ball into Allen’s midrift and he holds on.
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5th over: England 32-0 (Roy 11, Banton 21) Cottrell again, in the long-sleeved Windies kit which is purple on the back and beach-sand yellow on the front, like a bruise progressing from the back. Roy clangs him over mid-on for four before he’s whalloped on the helmet with the final ball of the over. A concussion test is dutifully carried out but he looks fine.
Simon McMahon emails sniffily: “Snorkelling in Barbados before watching West Indies v England at the Kensington Oval as the Guardian’s paradise correspondent. Where did it all go wrong, Simon?”
4th over: England 25-0 (Roy 7, Banton 18) Fabian Allen it is, and England say thanks very much for coming, with both batters reversing him for four.
3rd over: England 15-0 (Roy 2, Banton 13) Hosein takes over with his slow left arm, bowling in steely-blue sunglass lenses. A strangled lbw appeal then, hi-ho-silver, Banton sweeps him up and into the crowd for six where a gent in a back-to-front baseball cap takes an awesome catch
“Is there any insight into what became of England’s batting yesterday? asks Andrew Benton. “Imagine its easier to stage a comeback a day later rather than in a Test match with many days of failure to grind into the minds and affect morale. Thus I think it was sympathetic loss to boost the morale of the test team and England will now bounce back immediately. Hopes.....”
My guess from an ocean away is an element of rustiness and unpreparedness for the up and down wicket. So far so good for your prediction Andrew!
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2nd over: England 7-0 (Roy 1, Banton 6) Banton tries to ramp the second ball from Holder - show the Barbados king a little respect Tom - but gets nowhere. A magnificent six ball - just one run from them - a mix of slower ball, yorkers and just general allround awkwardness.
1st over: England 6-0 (Roy 1, Banton 5) Sheldon Cottrell takes the first over, the sun now fully out and warming the back of Banton’s neck. He shuffle hip-flicks Cottrell to the boundary for the first four of the game and England are up and running.
An email comes in from our correspondent in paradise, Simon Burnton.
“Apparently it rained pretty hard for half an hour this morning, but sadly I must have been asleep or unaware. I did get a bit of drizzle before my matchday snorkel, and clouds were worryingly thick at that point, but they’ve long since burned away. I’ve only been in Barbados for three days - one bank holiday and then the weekend - but Sunday seems to have a very different and more celebratory vibe to it, and there are a few more locals in the ground this evening. I’ve not been anywhere near the pitch but even from my press box seat it’s clear that there’s a lot less greenery on it. It’s next to the one on which England had a run-crazed warm-up, so fingers crossed it shares to pitch DNA with its neighbour.”
And while we wait for the player to march out, some ICC awards:
Tammy Beaumont and Mohammad Rizwan are the men’s and women’s ICC T20 Cricketers of the year, Pakistan’s Fatina Sana and South Africa’s Janneman Malan the emerging cricketers of the year.
“It’s this or The Great Pottery Thrown down and the pottery show will have less crying” writes Peter Gibbs.
I’m afraid I must plead ignorance of the Great Pottery Throw Down - but my school experiences of the kiln were one great disappointment.
This will be Reece Topley’s first T20 for England since March 2016. Here are some recent BBL stats.
Reece Topley comes in for Mills, in the recent BBL he produced figures of:
— James McCaghrey (@McLovinstatto) January 23, 2022
Powerplay: 2 wickets at 34, ER of 6.18
Middle: 3 wickets at 28.33, ER of 9.44
Death: 4 wickets at 17.25, ER of 11.82
He will be hoping England can set a defendable target today.
It’s been raining in Barbados all morning but seems well dried off by the afternoon heat. We’ve got a new pitch today - and after an hour with the heavy roller, its got, in Mark Butcher’s words, “a heavy sheen.” Expect less up and down movement and more runs.
West Indies XI (unchanged)
Shai Hope, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Odean Smith, Romario Shepher, Akeal Hosein, Sheldon Cottrell.
England XI
Jason Roy, Tom Banton, James Vince, Moeen Ali, Eoin Morgan, Sam Billings, Chris Jordan, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Reece Topley.
One change: Topley for Tymal Mills. Liam Livingstone is still unavailable with illness.
West Indies win the toss and will field!
So far, so like yesterday. It looks quite windy with plenty of cloud cover.
Matt Smith is back in his hibernation studio where he has Tom Curran (channeling Draco Malfoy) and Luke Wright on the sofa.
Preamble
Hello! Oh Brave New World ..
Welcome to the second T20 of England’s tour of West Indies. Back in the coloured pyjamas, back to the white ball, back under the wise old eye of Eoin Morgan and back to ...a stonking great nine-wicket defeat in the first game at the Kensington Oval.
At 49-7 England were faring even worse than during the 68 all out debacle at Melbourne until Adil Rashid and Chris Jordan had a long-handled biff to sneak England past three figures. Rashid also took the only wicket to fall as Brandon King (52) escorted West Indies to victory with 17 balls to spare. Man of the Match Jason Holder recorded his best figures of four for seven in less than four overs and the West Indies, who recently lost to Ireland, were cock-a-hoop.
Read (and weep) Simon Burnton’s report here:
then ponder his commute to work.
Not a lot of traffic on the commute to work this morning #Barbados #Cricket pic.twitter.com/kZhVl9WonS
— Simon Burnton (@Simon_Burnton) January 21, 2022
We await Morgan’s “fresh gameplan” for match two. Same stadium, a twist of personnel, with the action starting at 8pm GMT.
