Key events
4th over: West Indies 44-0 (Lewis 11, Hope 27) Mahmood retorts straight away by hitting Lewis high on the thigh/into the bread basket. Saqib, thick black towelling wristband on his left forearm, chats to Jofra ARcher on the boundary as Lewis is attended to. But what is this? Hope picks up four leg byes and then four more, struck with feeling over backward point. Then four more from a bottom out-fancy table-tennis dab which sings away to the rope. Game on?
3rd over: West Indies 30-0 (Lewis 11, Hope 18) Lewis picks up Turner at hip level on the legside and swings for a meaty six. IS that the jump-leads this innings needs? Perhaps! Hope joins in with four screamed through the covers for four and an inside edge that squeezes past the stumps and down to the rope. Followed by SIX swung mightily over long on and four whipped up into the off side. That’s the most expensive over England have had during the power play this series – 25 from it.
2nd over: West Indies 5-0 (Lewis 4, Hope 0) Saqib Mahmood at the other end – who has been such a joy to watch this white-ball series. While both dog and human snooze next to me on the sofa, Hope is bamboozled. We are told that the West Indies top five have all averaged under 12 this series – and as if to prove a point Hope swings wildly and misses. An immaculate maiden from Mahmood.
West Indies innings
1st over: West Indies 5-0 (Lewis 4, Hope 0) Debutant Turner starts with a wide but is soon hitting his straps, 85mph and upwards. Hope flies at the final delivery and collects a boundary up and over the slips
That was a pretty huge performance by England after losing the toss. A tasty pitch but some huge hitting.
“What we do know now is that West Indies didn’t bowl particularly well but there is very little margin for error for the bowlers.” says Alastair Cook “West Indies are so reliant on the spinners to do the holding role and we saw today how easy it was to hit through the line of it.”
“Bethell in particular I though was great – his ability to clear the ropes, he’s got the ability – its not just destructive power but intelligent power.”
“He was very smart with his innings,” agrees Jason Roy. “For a twenty year old to do that is very impressive.”
WICKET! Curran run out 24 (England 218-5) West Indies need 219 to win
20th over: England 218-5 (Bethell 62) McCoy keeps things quiet for the first five balls, then Curran opes the car boot and throws everything at a short ball which sails over long on for six. Curran is run-out scampering for a second off the last ball and England will be very happy with that!
And England have equalled the record T20 score here in St Lucia.
19th over: England 206-4 ( Bethell 59, Curran 16) Joseph’s first ball is a low full toss yee-hahed for six by Curran – he and Bethell are very similar looking at the crease – slight but full of flamboyance. Joseph polishes things off with a couple of yorkers.
18th over: England 194-4 ( Bethell 59, Curran 6) Left-armer McCoy returns in his spray-on trousers. He varies his pace cleverly and third-ball wide apart it is a miserly over until the final ball which Bethell sprays high and long for six over midwicket.
Fifty for Jacob Bethell!
17th over: England 183-4 ( Bethell 51, Curran 4) A long-hop from Chase is hoiked for six by Bethell. A repeat next ball. His 50 (off 22 balls) arrives from the third six in a row – this time smashed down the ground. Chase’s four overs go for a chastening 47. Bethell is shining brightly.
16th over: England 164-4 ( Bethell 32, Curran 4) Joseph returns. Bethell angles him, postcard through the letterbox, between the slips. But that’s the only boundary of the over – a relatively respectable nine from it.
WICKET! Livingstone c Hetmyer b Motie 4 (England
15th over: England 155-4 ( Bethell 27, Curran 0) The Bethell bus is accelerating: four straight, six on one knee, front knee flying off the ground in the moment. Livi is itching to join in but it isn’t his day, he miscues a full-toss and the catch is calmly taken by Hetmyer.
14th over: England 142-3 ( Bethell 16, Livingstone 2) Chase, with a skip and a spring. A first four for the baby-faced Bethell who sends him through third man, and a second with the most delicate of flicks through fine leg.
13th over: England 131-3 ( Bethell 6, Livingstone 1) Can West Indies haul this back?
WICKET! Buttler c Chase b Motie 38 (England 129-3)
Time for one more six before Buttler reverse-sweeps straight to short third who collapses in a heap while taking the catch. He departs with a rueful smile, but opens a promising window for Livingstone.
12th over: England 123-2 ( Buttler 32, Bethell 5) The shadows are now stretching horizontally over the pitch as the clock moves to five pm St Lucian time. Bethell sweeps but only behind his head, but the next ball Buttler spatulates for six then scoops the next for four.
11th over: England 110-2 ( Buttler 20, Bethell 4) Motie returns, and actually manages to maintain composed control over England. Just five from the over as the horns blare at the ground.
10th over: England 105-2 ( Buttler 18, Bethell 2) Bethell the next man in – one of the coming men and getting rave reviews for his fielding as well as his other skills.
WICKET! Salt c Pooran b Chase 55 (England 102-2)
From nowhere, Salt is suddenly hauling his boots of the field after getting out to an unlikely long-hop which he snitches round to the keeper. A fabulous 55 off just 35 balls – five fours, four sixes. And they take DRINKS.
9th over: England 101-1 (Salt 55, Buttler 16) Hosein again, with his Mr Whippy hair. Nearly gets his man as Salt flays and McCoy at long off dives with purpose, but not quite with the ball. Time for a seasoning of Buttler: he leans back deeply and drives Hosein up and over extra cover for four, and next ball punches him brutally over long-on for six. West Indies looking a bit forlorn here.
Fifty for Phil Salt!
8th over: England 88-1 (Salt 54, Buttler 4 ) Choo-choo! All aboard the Phil Salt train – he celebrates yet another fifty with an unshowy waft of the bat. Powell the man to suffer this over as Salt kisses him straight for four, and then shimmies him through backward point for four more.
7th over: England 77-1 (Salt 45, Buttler 2 ) Carnage! Time for Motie to get the treatment. The ball belted way over long on and long off for two huge sixes – Salt on the money, Buttler content to hand him the glory.
I’ve just noticed that my email address is wrong on the link above. Will change but I’m on tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com if you have something to say.
6th over: England 63-1 (Salt 32, Buttler 1 ) Hosein is switched back into action, and things go more calmly than the first over until the penultimat ball – which Salt griddle-pans for six over long off.
WICKET! Jacks c Pooran b Joseph 25 (England 54-1)
5th over: England 54-1 (Salt 24) Joseph returns, after an impressive first over, but initally even he can’t slow the train. Jacks immediately lofts another six, 89 metres, bouncing off a plastic seat and nuzzling to a halt amongst the crowd. A no ball, brings a free hit… and no runs. Rovman Powell, say the commentators, is experimenting with mixing it up in the power play – it hasn’t worked hugely well so far. But I speak too soon – Jacks goes at Joseph once too many times and is beaten for pace and aggression and top-edges – Pooran runs gently round to collect. Fifty still elusive for Jacks.
4th over: England 43-0 (Salt 23, Jacks 16) McCoy has switched ends, but still finds himself dispatched. Jacks eyes up a wide one and lofts him over extra-cover like a man who knows he is going to get extra gravy. England continue to gather runs with ease.
3rd over: England 33-0 (Salt 21, Jacks 8) McCoy is removed for now and replaced by Hosein – but Salt is in hungry mood and unfortunately Hosein isn’t yet on point. His second ball is a warm and welcoming pie which Salt sends through the covers for four, the next is dragged down and Salt tucks in with six. Jacks finishes the over by dancing down and pinging another six – to make it 18 from the over.
2nd over: England 15-0 (Salt 10, Jacks 1) The poker-faced Joseph at the other end, aiming very straight and leaking just three runs – one of them from a terrible bit of lackadaisical fielding. Not huge numbers of spectators in yet on a perfect November afternoon.
1st over: England 12-0 (Salt 8, Jacks 0) Obed McCoy, built like a mighty mountain, with the first over. Salt rockets his second ball through midwicket for four. An early fielding mishap as Rutherford, in a moment of madness, flings a dead ball above the wicket-keeper and it rolls merrily over the rope for four overthrows. Another delivery gets blasted straight back into the blue, blue, St Lucian sky for four more. In betweeen all that, McCoy beats Salt twice.
The players are out – let’s see what West Indies can do in the power play.
Pitch report
We get up close and personal with the St Lucia pitch alongside Carlos Brathwaite. Looks pretty tasty. Dry, dry, dry with the wind blowing across the ground.
If you spot Jos Buttler, Jamie Overton and Marcus Trescothick in black armbands and wonder why, it is in memory of long-time Somerset supporter and fundraiser Mary Elworthy, who died yesterday aged 90. RIP Mary.
I’ve heard that Mary Elworthy, a name known to most Somerset supporters, passed away at the age of 90 on Friday. Condolences to her family and gratitude from many of the supporting public for her service in and around the club for more years than many can claim. RIP Mary 🙏
— Grockles (@SomersetGrockle) November 16, 2024
West Indies XI
West Indies: Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy.
Rutherford and McCoy replace Shepherd and Hinds.
England XI
England XI: Phil Salt (wk), Will Jacks, Jos Buttler (c), Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Dan Mousley, Rehan Ahmed, Saqib Mahamood, John Turner.
Turner for Archer.
John Turner makes his T20 debut
Jos Buttler says it will be a different challenge today – let’s see if they can win batting first. Turner replaces Jofra Archer to make his T20 debut.
West Indies win the toss and will field!
At last! Powell grins. “We know how important it is to bowl and get that good start. From a personal standpoint players have to stand up and be counted, the players are ready and upbeat for the challenge today. I think the guys can’t keep losing wickets in clusters, we need to show good technical skills, this provides and opportunity for guys to show that.”
Jason Roy is the new face in the TNT studio and, in his cuddly blue jumper, picks out Liam Livingstone as his man of the series. Alastair Cook is his foil ,with a box-fresh white T-shirt under his quarter zip.
West Indies have one obvious failure to fix from the last match, where they crucially dropped Liam Livingstone three times. As Rovman Powell put it bluntly afterwards: “Guys have to take more catches.”
England, footloose and fancy free ( even if they didn’t exactly cruise past West Indies’ 145) may take the opportunity to make a few team tweaks.
And an interview with media-shy outgoing Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley:
While we wait, this was the Guardian’s editorial eye on the future of cricket:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/15/the-guardian-view-on-testing-times-crickets-traditions-are-being-clean-bowled-by-cash
Preamble
Hello! While pert geraniums wither in the frost back home, England have been having a fine old time in the Caribbean.
ODI woes forgotten, England have already won the five-match T20 series, last weekend’s two victories topped off by a three-wicket victory yesterday in St Lucia. It is England’s first series win away from home since October 2022, and only their second series victory in the last six series played.
Today they return to the same pitch they played on yesterday, with the weather dreamy hot and the winds strong. The toss is due in about 20 minutes.
