Sam Curran redeemed himself after his weekend drubbing and England captain Jos Buttler rediscovered his Midas touch in his side’s series-levelling victory over the West Indies in Antigua.
Chasing 203, Will Jacks put England into the ascendancy with a sparkling 73 off 72 balls, including four sixes and six fours, but his downfall left the tourists wobbling on 116 for four in the 20th over.
Buttler, who had been averaging 14.1 since the start of a miserable World Cup for himself and his team, gradually bloomed and his unbeaten 58 off 45 deliveries – his first fifty in 14 ODIs – sealed England’s six-wicket win.
Harry Brook finished on 43 not out as England prevailed with 17.1 overs to spare although the architect of them ensuring a decider in Barbados on Saturday was Curran, who took three for 33 in seven overs.
Having recorded the most expensive figures by an England bowler in Sunday’s four-wicket defeat, leaking 98 runs in 9.5 overs, the left-arm seamer snared top-order trio Keacy Carty, Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer.
After the Windies lurched to 23 for four, captain Shai Hope did his bit for nominative determinism, following up his match-winning ton a few days ago with a run-a-ball 68 and rookie Sherfane Rutherford chipped in with 63 before the pair were dismissed by Liam Livingstone, who took three for 39.
Curran was initially wayward again and belted for three fours by King but an opening stand that put on 104 on Sunday was snuffed out for 15 here after Gus Atkinson scythed through Alick Athanaze, with England’s review for caught behind showing a big snick on UltraEdge.
Curran’s fortunes shifted as angled deliveries took the edges of Carty and King to Zak Crawley before Hetmyer was rapped on the back pad by a fuller ball. The not-out verdict was overturned after Ben Duckett seemed to persuade Buttler into sending the decision upstairs.
Curran’s three wickets in eight balls left Hope and Rutherford, in his second ODI, with a mountainous rebuild. A 129-run stand followed as smoke from the barbecue vendors beyond the stands occasionally drifted across the ground, Hope settling with three straight driven fours in an Atkinson over.
Brydon Carse was taken the distance by Hope as the partnership grew, with both Windies batters going past fifties, Rutherford doing so with a mighty heave off the otherwise parsimonious Rehan Ahmed.
Having been held back until the 26th over, Livingstone broke the union when Rutherford drove loosely to Phil Salt in the ring while Yannic Cariah was castled through the gate by a floaty off-spinner.
Livingstone had the big fish with a precision piece of bowling, his leg-spinner leaving Hope in two minds, missing an indeterminate prod and his off-stump as a consequence.
Livingstone’s figures were dented by Romario Shepherd’s four fours in an over but the Windies subsided after he holed out to Rehan, whose figures of 10-1-40-2 were identical to what he recorded on Sunday.
Despite tricky conditions, Salt and Jacks were authoritative from the off, evoking the spirit of predecessors Jason Roy and first Alex Hales then Jonny Bairstow.
The pair rode their luck, edging wide of slip off Alzarri Joseph before Salt’s luck ran out on 21, bowled by Shepherd, after a 50-run stand.
The early battle between Joseph and Jacks was worth the entry fee alone. A rising snorter took Jacks’ glove and ballooned over Hope but the opener responded by hammering over backward square-leg and then repeated the trick off Shepherd. Jacks then smeared Oshane Thomas over backward point for a third six.
Crawley chopped on off Gudakesh Motie, who found the glove when Duckett went for a customary sweep before Brook edged agonisingly short of slip from his first ball as tension crept in.
Nerves may have been jangling when Jacks was lbw to one that kept low from Rutherford, bringing out Buttler, who had been dismissed for single figures in five of his previous eight innings.
He made a cagey start and was beaten twice on the outside edge by leg-spinner Cariah but he steadily grew in confidence alongside Brook.
A whipped four off Joseph was followed by a skip down the track and thump for back-to-back sixes off Cariah as Buttler started to find some rhythm.
The second of those monstrous blows was measured at 94 metres before another mighty mow off Thomas brought up a 43-ball half-century. Buttler took 16 off that Thomas over to level the scores.
It was left to Brook to get over the line and he did so by sweeping Motie behind square for four in the 33rd over.
Andrew, Hinds, Springer earn maiden call-ups as Windies squads for white ball tour of Sri Lanka named
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the squads selected for the eagerly anticipated West Indies Senior Men’s T20 International (T20I) and One Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka. The teams are set to compete in three (3) T20Is and three (3) ODIs from 10 to 27 October 2024.
T20I Squad
The T20I squad will take on Sri Lanka from 10 to 17 October 2024. After a resounding 3-0 series sweep against South Africa earlier this year, the West Indies have climbed the rankings, moving to fourth place, and established themselves as serious contenders on the world stage. Several senior players, including Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein and Shimron Hetmyer have opted out of the tour for personal reasons, opening the door for newer faces and returning players. Captain Rovman Powell will lead the side, with Roston Chase continuing in his role as Vice-Captain.
Head Coach Daren Sammy, who now leads on selection under the revamped selection system, noted the importance of this series in evaluating players for key roles and understanding the conditions ahead of future ICC Tournaments.
On the T20 squad, Coach Sammy said, “the tour of Sri Lanka gives us a chance to test our depth and assess players in different situations, especially with several senior players missing out for various reasons, including a need for rest and rehabilitation from injury. We are confident in the squad’s ability to compete strongly.”
West Indies T20I Squad:
The series will begin on 13 October 2024, with the first match at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, followed by two more matches on 15 and 17 October.
ODI Squad
The ODI squad is set to face Sri Lanka in a three-match series from 20 to 27 October 2024. Shai Hope will continue as Captain, with Vice-Captain support from Alzarri Joseph. This series provides an opportunity for CWI to focus on building its ODI team ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
A notable inclusion is Jewel Andrew, the young Antiguan wicketkeeper-batsman who has impressed and earned his place in the squad. The squad also sees the return of several key players, including Brandon King and Sherfane Rutherford.
Head Coach Sammy, remarked on the ODI squad’s balance and potential for growth: “As we continue to build our ODI team, this tour offers a valuable opportunity to evaluate strategies and give opportunities to emerging talent. We are excited to see young players like Jewel Andrew, who has earned his place as an exciting prospect for the future.”
West Indies ODI Squad:
Team Management:
Team management remains the same across both squads.
The ODI series will start on 20 October 2024, with the first match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, followed by matches on 23 and 26 October.
Tour Schedule:
T20I Series:
All matches 7:00pm local time/9:30am Eastern Caribbean/8:30am Jamaica Caribbean fans can catch the action on Rush Sports, the Bluu App and Sports Max App.
ODI Series:
All matches 2:30pm local time/5:00am Eastern Caribbean/4:00am Jamaica
Caribbean fans can catch the action on Rush Sports, the Bluu App and Sports Max App.
South Africa seal ODI series win against Ireland
South Africa claimed an emphatic 174-run victory to seal an ODI series triumph over Ireland ahead of the final game on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
Having cruised to a 139-run victory in the opening encounter, the Proteas continued to avenge their shock T20I defeat against the same opponents last week with another commanding display.
South Africa made a strong start with the bat before Ryan Rickelton (40) fell in the 13th over, with Temba Bavuma (35) retiring hurt from the contest soon after.
Rassie van der Dussen (35) and Kyle Verreynne (67) also performed well, only for Tristan Stubbs to steal the show with 112 runs from 81 deliveries, handing the Proteas a strong grip on the encounter, with South Africa ending 343-4 from their 50 overs.
Ireland then made a dismal start to their run chase, losing five wickets in the opening 10 overs as Lizaad Williams and Lungi Ngidi ripped through their opening attack and had Ireland 50-5 early on.
Mark Adair (21) and Andy McBrine (10) momentarily halted the onslaught, but were soon sent on their way, with Gavin Hoey hitting 23 runs before he was bowled and caught by Ngidi (2-38).
Graham Hume and Craig Young's 52-run stand frustrated South Africa, only for the former to be bowled out by Bjorn Fortuin (2-36) with just under 20 overs remaining as Ireland ended all out for 169.
Data Debrief: Proteas on song
It was yet another strong display by South Africa, cruising to a comfortable victory in Abu Dhabi, with Stubbs and Williams starring with the bat and ball.
Stubbs' knock of 112 saw him record a maiden century in international cricket, ending with an impressive strike rate of 138.27.
Williams, meanwhile, continued where he left off from the first match, and now has seven wickets during the series so far.
Stokes a doubt for England's series opener against Pakistan
Ben Stokes is a doubt for England's three-match series in Pakistan, with Zak Crawley admitting they do not know if he will be fit to feature.
Stokes tore his hamstring playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred competition, forcing him to miss the side's last three matches against Sri Lanka, with England winning the series 2-1.
At the end of September, the captain underwent a planned scan which showed he was “on track” to feature in the series, although he was not expected to bowl at the start.
Stokes had been hoping to make his return in the series opener on Monday, but looked uncomfortable in England's first training session, and is yet to be given the green light.
"I think he's got to do a few more tests, but he's been doing some running and stuff," Crawley said.
"He seems to be going well, recovering well from his injury, [but] we don't know just yet. We feel ready, whatever team comes out, it will be a nice balance either way.
"We've got a really deep squad with plenty of options with the ball and with the bat as well."
If Stokes is available to play, they could have some selection headaches, as they would be forced to drop one of the top six batters with his inclusion to make way for an extra bowler.
If they do not drop a batter, they could rely on Joe Root, who could also make history as he has 12,402 runs for England in men's tests and is just 71 away from surpassing Alastair Cook (12,472) as the all-time leading run-scorer.
Crawley, meanwhile, has been cleared to feature after recovering from a broken finger that kept him out against Sri Lanka.
"I feel brand new. I'm looking forward to getting out there," Crawley added.
"I couldn't pick up a bat for five weeks. I've certainly missed it, so I can't wait to get out there again with the boys.
"It was a nasty break at the time, but I've recovered well, and I don't feel it at all while I'm batting.
"I won't go at slip, just from advice from the doctor, but I feel like I could. I'm trying to rest it, but I did a few catches, and it feels fine. I'm just trying to follow the professional advice."
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