Key events
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.
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.
