Windies End 25 Years of Disappointment
Battle in rain-affected Barbados results in Caribbean team’s historic ODI home series win over England
The Windies ended a quarter-of-a-century wait to register a remarkable ODI home series success over England, after securing a 2-1 victory in Barbados on Saturday.
Having shared the spoils in the opening two ODIs in Antigua, the pressure reached boiling point in Barbados for two teams that are arguably in the doldrums.
The Windies’ inconsistent results meant that they missed the recent ODI World Cup for the first time in their history, and out-of-sorts England exited at the group stages in the World Cup finals.
This deciding ODI match was affected by rain in Bridgetown and surely got the nerves tingling for both sides. Following a two-hour delay, 21-year Bajan Matthew Forde snatched three wickets on his international debut to leave England in trouble at 45-3.
Things got better for the hosts with Harry Brook and Jos Buttler back in the pavilion for a combined total of only one run with England stuttering at 49-5.
Ben Duckett (71) and Liam Livingstone (45) came to the rescue and, following a further downpour, England finished on a creditable 206-9 off 40 overs. Alzarri Joseph also grabbed a three-wicket haul.
Another rain delay meant that the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) Method was used, with the Windies set a new target of 188 off 34 overs at Kensington Oval.
With Jamaica’s Brandon King back in the pavilion for one, it was left to opener Alick Athanaz (45) and Keacy Carty (50) to pick up the pieces. Their 77-run second-wicket partnership put the Windies in cruise control.
Yet with the pitch suiting the spinners, unlike Antigua, Will Jacks grabbed three wickets to hand England a lifeline. The momentum changed when a poor over from Gus Atkinson proved costly, this gift put the hosts in the ascendency.
Romario Shepherd was in firm control at the crease, reeling off an unbeaten 41 from 28 deliveries. Alongside Forde (13no) the pair scored 60 runs from six overs to secure an historic win with 14 balls to spare.
Having impressed with a four-wicket triumph in the high-scoring opening ODI in Antigua, the Windies allowed things to slip badly in the 2nd ODI. On the same pitch they suffered a humiliating six-wicket reversal. But the Windies battled their way to an impressive win in Barbados to seal the ODI series 2-1 and give Caribbean cricket fans something to celebrate.
Yet it was England who set the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound alight with an explosive start to their tour in back-to-back opening ODIs.
Phil Salt and Jacks made a solid start to reel off 77 before Alzarri Joseph made the breakthrough in the ninth over. Although none of the bowlers made much impact, team effort had helped whittle out England courtesy of two run outs. Brook’s brisk 71 helped the tourists amass 325 all out off 50 overs in the 1st ODI.
The Windies made an impact at the crease in their response, with King (35) clean bowled by Livingstone to end the opening wicket partnership with Athanaz (66) at 104.
With 106 required for victory from the final 10 overs, and only five wickets remaining, captain/wicketkeeper Shai Hope turned on the style. Supported by Romario Shepherd’s 48 from 28 balls, Hope scored an unbeaten 109 not out from 83 deliveries, which included a trio of sixes in the 49th over to clinch a six-wicket success.
It was Hope, as brilliant at the crease as he was behind the stumps, who was the saviour in the 2nd ODI.
The Caribbean team struggled at 23-4 before Hope’s solid knock of 68 helped save the blushes. Bowled out for just 202 in the 40th over, England were in fine fettle with Jacks (73), Buttler (58no) and Brook (43no) in the runs as the tourists soared to victory with more than 17 overs to spare.
This morale-boosting triumph in Barbados nicely sets up the West Indies for their five-match T20 series. Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval will play host on Tuesday, followed by a pair of matches in Grenada and two games in Trinidad & Tobago.
ODI Series | West Indies beat England 2-1
1st ODI (3 December)
WI won by 4 wickets
England 325 all out (50 overs)
WI 326-6 (48.8 overs)
2nd ODI (6 December)
England won by 6 wickets
WI 202 all out (39.4 overs)
England 206-4 (32.5 overs)
3rd ODI (9 December)
WI won by 4 wickets (DLS Method)
England 206-9 (40 overs)
WI 191-6 (31.4 overs)
T20I Series | West Indies v England
1st ODI (12 December) | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
2nd ODI (14 December) | National Cricket Stadium, St. George’s, Grenada
3rd ODI (16 December) | National Cricket Stadium, St. George’s, Grenada
4th ODI (19 December) | Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad & Tobago
5th ODI (21 December) | Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad & Tobago
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