Key events
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.