It’s very late so I’m going to wrap things up. We have the report for you now, and Jim will be here on Saturday evening for the first of five T20 internationals. Good morning!
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There were some positives for England, even in such a heavy defeat. The batting of Phil Salt and Dan Mousley stood out; as did a useful contribution with bat and ball by Jamie Overton, who may yet carve out a niche in this team. That said, they were still absolutely battered.
WEST INDIES WIN BY EIGHT WICKETS!
43rd over: West Indies 267-2 (Carty 128, Hope 4) Keacy Carty completes the greatest night of his career by pulling Topley for four to complete victory. He’s played a wonderful innings, 128 not out from 114 balls, and is warmly congratulated by all the England players. Carty looks almost sheepish as he walks off the field to the acclaim of the supporters and his teammates. If he keeps batting like that, he’ll have to get used to that.
West Indies have hammered England with 42 balls to take the ODI series 2-1.
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42nd over: West Indies 256-2 (Carty 119, Hope 4) Rashid ends with figures of 10-0-51-0. After a lovely start, West Indies’ batters slowly got on to pof him.
41st over: West Indies 253-2 (Carty 118, Hope 2) Tell you what, it’ll be a helluva story if England win from here. West Indies need 11 from 54 balls.
WICKET! West Indies 251-2 (King b Topley 102)
Blimey, a wicket. King misses, Reece Topley hits to end a superb knock – and an even better partnership with Keacy Carty. They added 209 in just 34 overs to settle the match and series.
40th over: West Indies 249-1 (King 102, Carty 117) A rank delivery from Rashid is dumped over short fine leg for four more by Carty. Not long now, just 15 to win.
39th over: West Indies 242-1 (King 101, Carty 111) Two centuries in as many overs! Brandon King, who was under a lot of pressure coming into this game, pulls Archer round the corner for four to reach his third ODI hundred: 113 balls, 13 fours, one six. It’s his first against a Test-playing nation. King turns 30 next month; this innings could give his international career a new lease of life.
The milestones keep coming. There’s the 200 partnership, only West Indies’ third in a home ODI.
38th over: West Indies 230-1 (King 96, Carty 104) That’ll do! Keacy Carty glides Bethell to the third man boundary to bring up a coruscating maiden century: 97 balls, 11 fours, two sixes. He started nervously against Rashid and Livingstone, and successfully reviewed an LBW decision on 13, but after that he played majestically.
He celebrates by punching the air with a mixture of joy and relief. It’s been a really lovely innings.
King should join him any minute now. He pulls Bethell for four and takes a single to move to 96.
37th over: West Indies 219-1 (King 90, Carty 99) Carty, on 99, fails to score score off the last three balls of Archer’s over and whacks his bat against his leg in frustration. Don’t give it away, lad.
36th over: West Indies 216-1 (King 89, Carty 98) Bethell is drying the ball between deliveries, another sign that this was an excellent toss to win. Even so, West Indies have been comfortably the better team and Keacy Carty has played beautifully. He edges Bethell for four then takes a single to move within two of his first century for West Indies in any form of the game.
35th over: West Indies 207-1 (King 88, Carty 90) King slaps Archer straight to extra cover, where Jordan Cox – normally a sensational fielder – allows the ball to burst through his hands. That has to be related to his poor form with the bat, and it’s a bit of a concern ahead of the Test tour to New Zealand.
34th over: West Indies 201-1 (King 85, Carty 87) Jacob Bethell, another England player returning to Barbados, has the dubious honour of coming into the attack. King skips down to ping a glorious drive between extra cover and mid-off for four.
England’s young side are being taken to the cleaners.
33rd over: West Indies 194-1 (King 80, Carty 86) King drives Rashid for a single to bring up a splendid, series-winning 150 partnership from 156 deliveries. Look, it’s hardly a hostage to fortune: West Indies need 70 from 102 balls and today isn’t 14 March 1996.
“That Carty six landed five rows in front of me,” writes Dave Forrest. “Would probably have broken my thumb dropping it. I’ve got fingers like Nasser!”
32nd over: West Indies 191-1 (King 78, Carty 85) Carty is playing some majestic strokes now. He pulls Topley ferociously for six, then chips gracefully down the ground for four. That takes him to 85 from 81 balls, which includes 53 from the last 35.
“Apparently Joe Root has been spotted on the island – but with his golf clubs!” writes my old friend Dave Forrest, who is out in Bridgetown for the cricket. “Glad they gave him a few weeks off, he must be knackered.”
31st over: West Indies 181-1 (King 78, Carty 75) King hits Rashid for four, then skips down the track to loft over extra cover. The ball lands in front of the substitute fielder Michael Pepper on the boundary.
30th over: West Indies 174-1 (King 73, Carty 73) I thought I told you to go to bed? Reece Topley returns to the attack and concedes four singles. He’s actually bowled quite well, better than figures of 6-0-30-0 suggest, but it’s a thankless task from hereon in.
29th over: West Indies 170-1 (King 71, Carty 71) King has made a couple of ODI centuries but not against a Test-playing nation. He joins Carty in the serene seventies by threading Livingstone superbly past extra cover for four.
28th over: West Indies 162-1 (King 65, Carty 69) Carty is rampaging towards what would be his first century in international cricket. Curran is panelled for successive boundaries, same as Livingstone in the previous over, and Carty’s last 37 runs have come off just 22 balls.
27th over: West Indies 152-1 (King 62, Carty 60) Carty started nervously against the leggies but he’s in complete control now. Livingstone is struck for successive boundaries, a classy lofted drive over extra cover and a deft lap round the corner.
Go to bed, this game is done.
26th over: West Indies 141-1 (King 62, Carty 51) Carty reaches an aggressive fifty from 61 balls, his second in five days and his fourth innings. King then tries to hit Curran off the island and inadvertently throws the bat over his left shoulder. It almost hits Phil Salt, who does a little comedy dance to avoid it.
25th over: West Indies 137-1 (King 60, Carty 49) This is King’s first ODI fifty since June 2023, when he made a century against Oman. Between that game and today he averaged less than 15 from 12 innings so this is a really important knock, maybe even a career-saver.
24th over: West Indies 134-1 (King 59, Carty 47) Liam Livingstone turns to a sixth bowler, Sam Curran. After a couple of sighters King runs down the track and smashes a boundary through extra cover.
West Indies are now officially livin’ on a prayer: they need 130 to win from 26 overs. It should be a formality.
23rd over: West Indies 125-1 (King 51, Carty 45) The required rate is barely five, which allows West Indies to sit on Archer in case he bowls another particularly loose. In theory, anyway; King launches into a wild, needless pull and is beaten.
22nd over: West Indies 122-1 (King 51, Carty 43) Rashid drifts outside leg stump and is swept very fine by Carty, who then dumps a slog-sweep over mid-on for six! That’s a cracking shot.
It feels like this is getting away from England. Rashid’s first three overs went for seven; the last three have cost 25.
21st over: West Indies 111-1 (King 50, Carty 32) Jofra Archer returns, and I’ve said all along he’s England best hope of winning this game. He starts with a good over that includes a couple of slower balls; three from it.
20th over: West Indies 108-1 (King 50, Carty 30) After five dot balls, King spanks a slog-sweep for four off Rashid to bring up an excellent half-century from 60 balls. He needed that after a bit of a drought in this form of the game. It’s been an innings full of eye-catching attacking strokes, even if he hasn’t always looked comfortable in defence against the leggies.
19th over: West Indies 103-1 (King 46, Carty 29) King is dropped, a sharp chance to Salt off the bowling of Livingstone. England aren’t out of this game but they can’t afford many more missed chances.
18th over: West Indies 99-1 (King 43, Carty 28) King breaks the shackles by belting Rashid for a straight six. He often struggles against legspin but that was a terrific shot. West Indies, despite a few scares, are well on course: they need 165 from 32 overs.
17th over: West Indies 91-1 (King 36, Carty 27) Carty continues to live dngerously against spin, top-edging a slog-sweep off Livingstone that plops in front of the fielder running back from midwicket. England have been unlucky since the Powerplay.
16th over: West Indies 86-1 (King 36, Carty 22) Rashid is bowling beautifully (3-0-7-0) and if the internet didn’t keep cutting out I’d give you chapter and verse. For now, it’s drinks.
15th over: West Indies 84-1 (King 35, Carty 21) Carty salts the wound with a couple of boundaries, one each side behind square.
REVIEW! West Indies 76-1 (Carty not out 13)
Livingstone thinks he has a first-ball wicket when Carty is hit in front and given out LBW. Alas, there was a slight under-edge as Carty tried to sweep and he reviewed the decision straight away.
14th over: West Indies 76-1 (King 35, Carty 13) Rashid’s into his work and starting to have fun. His hands go up in the air when King deflects a quicker ball off middle stump for a couple. Since the end of the Powerplay West Indies have scored nine from four overs.
13th over: West Indies 72-1 (King 32, Carty 12) This is a good spell from Overton, who concedes only a couple from his fourth over and now has figures of 4-0-17-1. Wickets are still the key for England but dot balls never hurt nobody.
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12th over: West Indies 70-1 (King 32, Carty 11) On comes Adil Rashid, who I’ve said all along is England’s best chance of winning this game. A-hem. Carty tries to cut and is beaten, then thick edges a googly towards midwicket. He has looked a bit uncomfortable against Rashid throughout this series.
11th over: West Indies 69-1 (King 31, Carty 11) Overton is settling into a decent spell, although it already feels a bit futile. I think something like 10 of the last 12 ODIs in the Caribbean have been won by the team that won the toss, and West Indies are already miles ahead on the comparison: 40 runs and -3 wickets. England’s worm looks about as healthy as Bruce Robertson’s.
10th over: West Indies 65-1 (King 30, Carty 8) Sorry, we’ve been having a few technical issues. England have problems of their own, chiefly that the last over of the Powerplay has just disappeared for 13. Carty steered Topley for four, then the impressive King pulled and drove a couple more boundaries.
England were 24 for 4 at this stage of their innings.
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9th over: West Indies 52-1 (King 22, Carty 3)
8th over: West Indies 49-1 (King 20, Carty 2) Carty is beaten by a good one from Topley, then thick edges a single. I hadn’t realised that this is Topley’s first ODI since he broke his finger at last year’s World Cup. How can that be 13 months ago?
And how can Brandon King’s painful 30 at Antigua be only a week ago? He looks in great touch and pulls Topley viciously for four to move into the twenties.
7th over: West Indies 44-1 (King 16, Carty 1) After all his injury problems that’s a really heartwarming moment for Jamie Overton – a man who, lest we forget, is going to finish with a Test batting average of 97.
WICKET! West Indies 42-1 (Lewis c Rashid b Overton 19)
Jamie Overton, fit to bowl for the first time in his England white-ball career, strikes in his first over! Lewis had already edged a cut for four when he tried to pull a heavy ball and clothed it gently to midwicket.
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6th over: West Indies 36-0 (King 15, Lewis 15) Bethell saves four with a spectacular goalkeeping stop at backward point. King then survives a run-out chance when Curran’s throw misses the stumps.
Topley is keeping it tight (3-0-8-0) but England have to find a wicket or five from somewhere.
5th over: West Indies 35-0 (King 14, Lewis 15) Archer tries to double bluff Lewis by setting a field for the short ball and then pitching one up. Lewis simply clears his front leg and carts it back over Archer’s head for a one-bounce four. Brutal. England are already in trouble.
4th over: West Indies 29-0 (King 14, Lewis 9) Topley has two slips for Lewis and a record against left-handers that justifies such a field. He starts with four dot balls before Lewis mishits a couple into the open spaces at midwicket. Excellent over from Topley.
“I’ll open the prediction bidding at 32 overs!” says Dean Kinsella.
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3rd over: West Indies 27-0 (King 13, Lewis 9) The hitherto quiet Evin Lewis slugs Archer down the ground for six. This is going well, then.
Archer has an LBW appeal turned down later in the over when King is late on a nipbacker. Slightly too high but very well bowled.
2nd over: West Indies 20-0 (King 13, Lewis 2) Reece Topley takes the new ball on his return to the side. England have had a stinker of a start with bat and ball. Topley bowls a couple of leg-side wides, one of which scuttles under Salt and runs to the boundary, then King slams a cut for four more. Salt also hurt his finger during that over and needs treatment; he’s okay to continue.
“So, that was interesting,” says Matt Dony. “The opposite of a collapse. I’m sure I remember someone enthusiastically claiming Archer might be England’s best-ever bowler, but that little cameo with the bat has possibly changed the complexion of this game. The Powerplay feels like ever such a long time ago.”
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1st over: West Indies 11-0 (King 9, Lewis 2) Never mind early wickets, Archer is a source of early boundaries for West Indies. Brandon King drives his first two balls beautifully through the covers for four, after which Archer pulls his length back. No movement to encourage England in that over.
Thanks Taha, hello everyone. When England were 24 for 4 I thought we’d all be in bed by midnight (BST, not together) but it’s better this way.
England have given themselves a chance, though they’ll need early wickets. Jofra Archer – back in Barbados, high on that breezy 17-ball 38 – is the likeliest source.
That’ll be all from me, with Rob Smyth taking over for the second half. This should be good fun!
England set target of 264
Oh dear, a misfield at wide long-off from Shimron Hetmyer – he runs past the ball – sees Jofra Archer collect four off Sherfane Rutherford. Archer then swings a very slow delivery over midwicket for six. England have taken full advantage of that injury to Romario Shepherd.
It then gets worse – a full toss over the waist is sent down the ground for four. Archer then pulls the subsequent free hit away for six more! The innings ends with Archer thumping down the ground for two – he seems to settle for one but Adil Rashid rightly tells him to get a move on and run for another.
That’s some recovery from England, having been 24 for four in the powerplay. Strong work from Phil Salt up top and then the middle to lower order of Sam Curran, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton and Archer.
WICKET! Overton c Lewis b Forde 32 (England 238-8)
Overton pulls away Forde for four … before a final swing to end the over sees him hole out at extra cover. A decent cameo from the Surrey all-rounder.
49th over: England 238-8 (Rashid 0, Archer 14)
48th over: England 233-7 (Overton 28, Archer 13) Rutherford, who’ll have to bowl the final over as well, fires down a couple of wides before Archer shimmies down the pitch to swing a cutter over long-on for six. Overton adds to the punishment with a leg-side flick for four, helped by fine leg being in the ring.
47th over: England 214-7 (Overton 23, Archer 2) Jofra Archer, back home, is the next man in. Joseph’s over is looking very good … until Overton swings hard outside off to find four with an edge.
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WICKET! Mousley c Lewis b Joseph 57 (England 207-7)
Mousley tries to find six over deep midwicket off Alzarri Joseph … but Evin Lewis is perfectly stationed on the rope to hold on. The quick successfully followed the batter, who jumped across to the leg side.
46th over: England 207-6 (Mousley 57, Overton 18) Dan Mousley loses control of his bat while running, trips over … but still makes his ground to complete a single. It feels like it’s his day. Forde bowls a fine over, a slower ball flummoxing Overton to close it.
45th over: England 202-6 (Mousley 55, Overton 15) Mousley survives a run-out when racing back for two. Joseph closes the over with a fine wide yorker.
Half-century for Dan Mousley!
Jamie Overton finds the sweet spot: he launches Alzarri Joseph down the ground for six, the ball not full enough to be a yorker. A single sees Mousley get the strike, and he hooks away to the fine-leg rope to celebrate his maiden international half-century. He’s helped England to a respectable total after a top-order collapse.
44th over: England 187-6 (Mousley 48, Overton 8) Mousley sees Rutherford drop short and swings hard to find four through midwicket. The medium pacer does well though, limiting damage elsewhere to concede just six off the over.
43rd over: England 181-6 (Mousley 43, Overton 7) Overton does well to come back for two off Alzarri Joseph. The plan here could just be to keep it simple off Joseph and Forde, and smack it to all parts against Rutherford.
42nd over: England 176-6 (Mousley 41, Overton 4) Having used only five bowlers in the innings so far, Shai Hope has to turn to Sherfane Rutherford’s very part-time medium pace. There’s not a great deal of punishment until Overton flicks down the leg side for four to close the over.
Oh, this could be trouble. This is trouble. Romario Shepherd hurts himself as he gets ready to release the ball, and he falls to the floor after letting go of a weak bouncer, swung over fine leg by Mousley for four. Shepherd is helped off the field, just one ball into his over.
41st over: England 164-6 (Mousley 36, Overton 0) That was a fine, uncharacteristically restrained knock from Phil Salt. Now it’s Jamie Overton’s turn.
WICKET! Salt c Joseph b Forde 74 (England 164-6)
What a catch! Phil Salt tries to swing Matthew Forde over deep midwicket and it seems to be heading for six … but Brandon King leaps by the rope, holds on before flicking to Alzarri Joseph, who is waiting close by to complete the relay grab. King doesn’t get on the scorecard for it but that’s all him.
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40th over: England 163-5 (Salt 74, Mousley 35) Mousley tries a couple of sweeps off Chase … and only makes contact with the air. A punch into the off side gets him off strike. He looks to have a fairly decent method against spin, capable of moving the ball to all parts of the ground.
39th over: England 160-5 (Salt 73, Mousley 33) Matthew Forde is back after his six-over burst with the new ball. There’s some hesitation from Salt when running between the wickets, but a wayward throw means he escapes any punishment at the non-striker’s end.
38th over: England 154-5 (Salt 70, Mousley 30) Phil Salt cuts Chase away for four and brings up 100 balls faced with it – a first for him in international cricket.
37th over: England 147-5 (Salt 64, Mousley 29) Dan Mousley would have dreamed for years about this: finding the ropes, building a strong partnership, all in an England shirt. He’s looking more and more confident, sweeping Motie away for another four. The left-armer’s work is done, returning figures of 0-48 from his 10 overs.
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36th over: England 143-5 (Salt 64, Mousley 25) Dan Mousley decides to read the OBO and spice up this contest – he skips down the pitch to Chase and slaps the ball over long-on for six.
35th over: England 134-5 (Salt 63, Mousley 17) It’s, I’ll level with you, all a bit dull at the moment. There you go, I said it. England probably won’t mind that. Two singles off Motie.
34th over: England 132-5 (Salt 62, Mousley 16) England haven’t really attacked Roston Chase – when they tried, Curran swiftly departed. He concedes four singles.
33rd over: England 128-5 (Salt 60, Mousley 14) Mousley conventionally sweeps Motie for a couple … then reverse-sweeps the next ball for four – a nice combo from the left-hander.
32nd over: England 120-5 (Salt 59, Mousley 7) Joseph continues to release serious pace, getting to 140kph against Salt, who does well to guide the ball behind point for one.
31st over: England 117-5 (Salt 57, Mousley 6) Motie skips through his over as Salt and Mousley run hard for five. Time for a drink. I reckon England will be pleased to get to 200.
30th over: England 112-5 (Salt 53, Mousley 5) Ooooh, I’m putting this down as a drop. Roston Chase can’t hold on low at backward point after Salt pokes at an Alzarri Joseph delivery. Mousley wants a quick single from the last ball of the over but Salt says no thanks.
Half-century for Phil Salt!
Salt punches to extra cover for one to bring up his half-century off 79 balls; it’s comfortably the slowest of his international career. He’s showing a different side to himself today, not just offering a quick hit in the powerplay. He wants more.
29th over: England 109-5 (Salt 51, Mousley 5)
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28th over: England 104-5 (Salt 48, Mousley 3) Lovely from Chase, who gets the ball to turn sharply past Mousley’s outside edge. A single brings Salt back on strike, and he cuts a drag-down away for four, moving England to three figures.
27th over: England 98-5 (Salt 43, Mousley 2) Mousley and Salt exchange singles to collect four off the returning Motie.
26th over: England 94-5 (Salt 41, Mousley 0) Dan Mousley of Warwickshire, 23, in his third international, joins Salt.
WICKET! Curran c Walsh (sub) b Chase 40 (England 94-5)
Curran finally tries to go after Chase … and gets it completely wrong. A false stroke sees the left-hander send the ball high and straight, with Hayden Walsh holding on in the mid-off region. England must rebuild once again.
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25th over: England 94-4 (Salt 41, Curran 40) Salt cuts Shepherd away for four before Curran times a delicious drive to end the over … but collects just one for it.
24th over: England 85-4 (Salt 36, Curran 36) Chase ties up Salt with five dots. This is the right-hander’s second longest innings in ODIs, only his 93-ball 122 against the Netherlands in 2022 trumping this effort.
23rd over: England 84-4 (Salt 36, Curran 35) It’s a binary game at the moment: just ones and dots. Shepherd is flicked around for five singles while I enviously crave some Barbados sunshine.
22nd over: England 79-4 (Salt 34, Curran 32) Salt and Curran don’t seem keen on doing anything too adventurous against Chase, again opting for four singles.
21st over: England 75-4 (Salt 32, Curran 30) Ignore my previous entry: Romario Shepherd’s pace returns and so does Phil Salt’s touch. The opener finds the middle of his bat with a whopping pull for six, bringing up the fifty partnership with Curran.
20th over: England 68-4 (Salt 25, Curran 30) We’re very much in the ODI middle-overs churn of spin from both ends. Four singles are collected off Chase’s off-spin.
19th over: England 64-4 (Salt 23, Curran 28) Sam Curran lets the arms flow against Motie, driving over mid-off for four. A recovery is beginning to take shape.
18th over: England 58-4 (Salt 22, Curran 23) Roston Chase is on and creates a chance with his first ball, a leading edge from Curran nearly prompting a return catch. Salt hoiks, unconvincingly, down the ground for one, still waiting to get properly going in this innings.
Krishnamoorthy v writes in:
Should England collapse dramatically, today is the day. The world is reeling from Trump’s victory
Everything else will be under the radar
17th over: England 54-4 (Salt 20, Curran 21) Curran and Salt knock around the ones off Motie, with a smattering of applause for England’s team fifty.
16th over: England 49-4 (Salt 18, Curran 18) Alzarri Joseph, whose thunderous delivery to dismiss Cox remains the highlight of the day, continues. The fast bowler fumes once again after a shy at the stumps from a fielder leads to an overthrow. Another overthrow follows later in the over; this time Joseph just opts for a shake of the head, perhaps tired of firing off the expletives.
The trials and tribulations of Alzarri Joseph...
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) November 6, 2024
3.1 overs: fuming at field placement
3.4 overs: bounces out Cox, doesn't celebrate
End of over: storms off in a huff 😅 pic.twitter.com/Qne366zs1a
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15th over: England 46-4 (Salt 17, Curran 16) There’s bit of rough for Motie to attack outside Curran’s off stump. The spinner concedes three singles to take us to drinks.
14th over: England 43-4 (Salt 15, Curran 15) Curran is looking more comfortable than Salt, who’s on 15 after his first 37 balls – I don’t think I’ve seen the opener bat this slowly before. Perhaps there’s a desire to stand up and take responsibility with a big one after seeing that early flurry of wickets.
13th over: England 41-4 (Salt 14, Curran 14) Time for tweak: Gudakesh Motie’s left-arm spin is called upon by Shai Hope. Curran, looking in decent touch after a half-century on Saturday, drives a fuller ball through extra cover for four.
Guy Hornsby writes in:
Evening Taha, what a day. What a day. Western democracy may be going to hell in a handcart but here we dedicated few are, with England in the thick stuff against the West Indies, 4 down already with Alzarri Joseph’s righteous anger being talked through by the dulcet tones of Ian Bishop. It’s definitely helping, as cricket often does at times like this.
12th over: England 35-4 (Salt 13, Curran 9) A calmer Alzarri Joseph has the ball again and he’s still bowling wheels. Curran plays the stroke of the innings, though, pulling hard to the ropes.
11th over: England 29-4 (Salt 12, Curran 4) Forde’s opening spell continues; it’s another quiet one until Sam Curran seizes upon some width to cut hard for four.
10th over: England 24-4 (Salt 11, Curran 0) An eventful powerplay comes to a close. England are having a miserable time; West Indies are – aside from Alzarri Joseph’s rage – lovin’ life.
WICKET! Livingstone c Hope b Shepherd 6 (England 24-4)
Liam Livingstone has a boundary at long last, driving a cutter from Shepherd through the covers for four. But he’s gone just moments later! Shepherd, bowling from wide on the crease, gets a ball to lift sharply outside off; Livingstone offers a loose, ambitious stroke, nicking behind to Hope, who keeps holding on with the gloves.
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9th over: England 19-3 (Salt 10, Livingstone 2) Finally, after 84 years, England score a run, Salt finding a single off Forde. But that’s the only damage from the over.
8th over: England 18-3 (Salt 9, Livingstone 2) West Indies are in control, thudding the ball in from back of a length to keep the dots flowing. Romario Shepherd produces a maiden, too.
7th over: England 18-3 (Salt 9, Livingstone 2) Forde continues and isn’t giving Salt room to thrash it – as the opener usually does in the powerplay – angling the ball in to the right-hander to produce five dots in a row. Make that a maiden, with Salt unable to find a gap in the off-side.
6th over: England 18-3 (Salt 9, Livingstone 2) Salt goes for a quick single towards mid-on, where the fielder picks up and nails a direct hit … replays show that Salt made his ground.
They’re just checking whether Chase grounded the ball after holding on … after a few replays it stays out. Liam Livingstone emerges to try sort out another mess.
WICKET! Bethell c Chase b Shepherd 0 (England 14-3)
Alzarri Joseph makes his way back on to the field … but it’s Romario Shepherd who will bowl. And he strikes first ball! Jacob Bethell has room to cut and does … but Roston Chase leaps at backward point to hold on. England are in all sorts.
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5th over: England 14-2 (Salt 8, Bethell 0) So there’s no substitute on for Joseph according to the commentators. This is really strange. Phil Salt sends Forde down the ground for four to give England a bit of a lift.
4th over: England 10-2 (Salt 4, Bethell 0) Alzarri Joseph is still fuming, it seems at Shai Hope, and after bowling the over he leaves the field! A bizarre few minutes.
WICKET! Cox c Hope b Joseph 1 (England 10-2)
Alzarri Joseph is ticking, for reasons unknown, perhaps not pleased with the field he’s been given. Anywho, he’s looking sharp, bowling in the late 80s (mph). And after three dots he gets Cox! It’s a stunning delivery, a bumper that nicks Cox’s gloves and carries to Hope. Cox doesn’t immediately walk, perhaps just in shock from how outrageous that delivery was. It was above 90mph.
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3rd over: England 10-1 (Salt 4, Cox 1) Jordan Cox, another up-and-comer in search of a score, makes his way out.
WICKET! Jacks c Hope b Forde 5 (England 9-1)
Jacks leans into a cover drive for four as Forde overpitches. But an outside edge follows the very next ball! Forde pulls back his length and has Jacks feathering a catch to Shai Hope behind the stumps. Jacks’ lean series is over.
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2nd over: England 5-0 (Salt 4, Jacks 1) Alzarri Joseph rocks up from the other end and Jacks offers a leave outside off before showing off a forward defence. That’s not very Bazball. Jacks steals a quick single with a leg-side dab to get off the mark.
1st over: England 3-0 (Salt 3, Jacks 0) Will Jacks and Phil Salt – both averaging 33 in this format – make their way out. Matthew Forde opens up, with Salt punching to point for a dot to kick things off. A misfield brings Salt three through the leg side, with Sherfane Rutherford hurting after a stop by the boundary. Jacks is nearly a goner first ball, flicking aerially towards Shimron Hetmyer at square leg, the ball just dropping short of the fielder.
Great tune, always.
The players are out there for the anthems. Not long now.
The teams
Both sides make two changes. Alzarri Joseph and Romario Shepard come in for Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales. England have left out Saqib Mahmood and John Turner, with Reece Topley and Jamie Overton in. Overton extends the batting but will he have a trundle, too?
West Indies: Evin Lewis, Brandon King, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (c & wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie
England: Phil Salt (wk), Will Jacks, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone (c), Sam Curran, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley.
West Indies win the toss and choose to field
Shai Hope wins it, isn’t exactly sure how the pitch will play and decides to bowl first. Liam Livingstone says England would’ve done the same.
Updated
This is a really great Spin from Peter Mason:
With more important things happening elsewhere, my mind goes back to Don McRae’s brilliant 2017 interview with Zafar Ansari, who retired from professional cricket aged 25, just months on from his Test debut for England. Here he speaks about playing against India while the 2016 US presidential election was taking place:
It was a very politically significant time. Trump was elected on the first day of our opening Test in India. I was batting at 10 and we weren’t allowed our phones in the dressing room. I was getting snippets of information from security but I felt so disconnected from something I would have been hyper-connected to here. The combination of playing very difficult cricket, while missing things that mattered so much, made me think more clearly about my future.
I heard the news about Trump at the end of that day’s play. We got our phones and it was a shocking moment. I expected [Hillary] Clinton to edge it and found it difficult to accept. I’ve since focused most on the policy – like changes to healthcare provision, the attempted Muslim ban, as well as the ramping up of immigration and deportations – rather than just thinking of Trump as the clown he often appears. It’s important to be less hysterical about the person but more hysterical about the political implications.”
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to a bit of jeopardy: a decider in this three-match ODI series between England and West Indies in Barbados. At 160 for four chasing an imposing 329, England were down and out in the second one-dayer before Liam Livingstone – dropped in the summer, now stand-in captain – swung his way to a maiden ODI century, nine sixes included in his 85-ball 124. Fuuuuun.
England haven’t won an ODI series since before last year’s horrendous showing at the World Cup, so, despite the experimental nature of their current setup, this game has genuine meaning to it. You don’t always get that nowadays with the white-ball stuff.
I’ll be here for the first half, with Rob Smyth braving the early hours for the finish. Drop me a line with all your thoughts, queries, political analysis, ways to heal the world, whatever you fancy.
