Righto, Simon Burnton’s report is with us":
Which means that it from me. Thanks for your company; peace out.
We saw on Sunday that anyone can give anyone aggravation, but England ought to win their next two matches. More generally, though, they have to find a way of not getting slapped; I wonder if Rehan Ahmed will come into their thinking, or perhaps they look for more straight pace and give Josh Tongue a whirl.
Next for England: Scotland, at 9.30am on Saturday, then Italy at 9.30am on Monday – times GMT.
And…
Also going on:
Shai Hope is pleased, saying Chase gives them options on batting and bowling, coming in early to stabilise the innings. Rutherford has been exceptional recently, he says, and it’s good to see a batter put their hand up for the team.
He agrees with Brook that it wasn’t that dewy – the ball wasn’t that wet – and says Motie took his time off, out of the team, to elevate his game.
Brook is disappointed by praises West Indies who “played outstandingly” and, if you miss your lines by a fraction, you get whacked.
Otherwise, they felt they could chase the target but it didn’t “dew-up” and the ball didn’t skid on. He then praises Rashid, but doesn’t think he erred in not bowling out his other spinners, who he thinks missed their marks.
In terms of the batting, he says T20 is a “fickle game” and once the top order get going, it’ll be “madness”. He’s relieved they beat Nepal, and now they need to do their homework on Italy and Scotland.
It’s possible, of course, that Archer improves through the tournament – if he doesn’t it’ll take some seriously outrageous batting to take England to the semis and beyond – but for now, we’ve seen their attack escorted to Sketchley twice in two matches.
England need not despair – they were in the match and on another day, 197 is a total they chase down. They problem though, is they have only one reliable bowler and, as tonight proved, that’s not always going to be enough.
Sherfane Rutherford is awarded POTM and says West Indies’ biggest challenge was Rashid; he tried to take him for singles, then make it up elsewhere.
He’s been putting in a lot of work, so trusted his process, staying calm and knowing that once he’s in, he can score. He felt they were 10 runs short and hopes that, as a unit, the team can improve. On the big stage you want momentum, he feels they’ve added 10% to their game, and hopes they can continue.
For a while, that was close, but West Indies’ spinners turned the game with great support from their fielders – and from their captain, who managed the bowling really well. They’ve got the firepower to beat anyone and, on these tracks can, as we’ve just seen, defend a target that is no better than par.
West Indies beat England by 30 runs
A fantastic team effort from West Indies, who are, providing they avoid disaster, going through to the Super 8s; England must beat Italy and Scotland.
WICKET! Rashid c Chase b Joseph 0 (England 166 all out)
Rashid takes a mighty swing, and, running in off the deep square fence, Chase completes a fine evening’s work for him and West Indies, diving to slide fingers under ball. There’ll be a check, but I’m certain this is gawn.
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19th over: England 166-9 (Curran 43, Rashid 0) Target 197 Curran creams over cover for four, but England need more, not the single he gets.
WICKET! Dawson run out (Holder/Joseph) 1 (England 161-9)
Curran does up and over, down the ground, but doesn’t get enough of it, so Holder fields, them fumbles. So they try for a second run, the idea mainly to get Curran back on strike, Dawson is well short, and Joseph calmly removes the bails.
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19th over: England 161-8 (Curran 38, Dawson 1) Target 197 Joseph continues, Curran unable to get his first ball away. Then, when he sees Curran backing away, he hurls a full toss way outside off for a second dot.
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18th over: England 160-8 (Curran 37, Dawson 1) Target 197 Two more singles, not what England need, and this is fantastic work from Holder, but then when he overpitches, Curran stays on leg and whams him back over his head for six, great strike. A single follows, and England need 37 runs from 12 deliveries.
WICKET! Archer run out (Holder) 6 (England 151-8)
Trapped by a yorker, archer wanders out of his ground, Curran calls him through and, with three stumps at which to aim, Holder hurls them down at the non-striker’s, with venom, like it’s nothing. This is so over.
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18th over: England 151-7 (Curran 29, Archer 6) Target 197 Holder took a doing at the start, but this is a very different situation, and Curran can only force his loosener away for one.
17th over: England 150-7 (Curran 28, Archer 6) Target 197 Joseph returns, and though telly still think this is a live match, I just can’t see it. England need two gigantic overs and it just doesn’t look likely; as I type, three full balls yield just three singles, but then Archer decides there’s another coming, flicking over his shoulder for four to deep fine leg. Can he find the fence again, though? He cannot taking one, then Curran does likewise, and England need 47 runs from 18 deliveries.
WICKET! Overton c Powell b Hosein 5 (England 141-7)
Overton heaves down the ground and at cover, Powell balances on the fence to take the catch but, knowing he’s stepping over, tosses the ball up, steps back in, and pouches at his leisure. This is a blinder of an all-round performance from West Indies and a joy to behold.
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16th over: England 141-6 (Curran 25, Overton 5) Target 197 The quality of West Indies’ spinners has been the difference here, Motie and Chase doing what Rashid couldn’t on his own. And now Hosein returns, completing the overs of spin, but do England have enough batting left to get after the quicks? All those left in the hutch can hit the ball hard, but them doing so often enough, under pressure, feels a stretch. Hosein’s final over yields three singles and a two from four balls so, knowing Curran will have to attack, he tosses one wide, the ensuing swipe dropping just short of long off; fine bowling.
15th over: England 135-6 (Curran 23, Overton 1) Target 197 England just need too many for these two to have a chance of pulling it off; Overton takes a single off the final ball of the over and Chase finishes his spell with 2-29. England need 62 runs from 30 deliveries.
REVIEW! OUT!
Yup, trapped in front, hitting middle of middle, and even Sam Curran’s golden sense of timing won’t be able to resolve this.
WICKET! Jacks lbw b Chase 2 (England 134-6)
Jacks presses forward, misses the ball, it hits the pad and that looks not just plumb but plumbest; England review.
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15th over: England 134-5 (Curran 23, Jacks 2) Target 197 A single to Curran, then Jacks gets away with a drive through extra that adds two.
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REVIEW! NOT OUT!
Yup, he’s smashed that, cross-batted, into the pad.
15th over: England 131-5 (Curran 22, Jacks 0) Target 197 Chase will finish off and his first ball is into the pad, bang in front of the stumps, but was it bat first? Umpire says yes, the bowler says no, and West Indies review.
14th over: England 131-5 (Curran 22, Jacks 0) Target 197 After a quick drink – England could do with a stiff one – Motie completes a fantastic, potentially matchwinning spell of 3-33, with a dot. England need 66 runs from 36 deliveries.
WICKET! Brook c & b Motie 13 (England 131-5)
Motie is magic! Bravely, he dials down the pace, adds a bit of air, and when the ball drops and spins, all Brook can do, caught on the crease, is loop up a leading edge that’s well held, just above the ground, on the dive. Colossal wicket from a quality performer, and West Indies are strong favourites now.
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14th over: England 131-4 (Brook 17, Curran 22) Target 197 Motie is going to bowl out, and this is getting extremely tense. Brook takes one then, after a dot, a drag-down is given the treatment, Curran – who, as we said earlier, has the skill of timing – lashes it with extreme prejudice over the fence at cow corner for six.
13th over: England 123-4 (Brook 16, Curran 15) Target 197 Chase replaces Joseph and the batters swap singles, the rate creeping up above 11. A wide, fired flat, follows, and the next ball is very similar, but Brook opts against letting it by, cracking … straight to the fielder. Next, another wide, the bowler sending down an ankle-biter that Brook’s glance misses and they run two, then he misses out on a four-ball, forcing to cover; again, they run two then, after a single, Curran hauls a pull to the fence for four. England need 74 runs from 42 deliveries.
12th over: England 110-4 (Brook 12, Curran 10) Target 197 Motie diddles Brook with a bit of extra turn, an edge past the keeper earning two then, after a single to each batter Brook pierces a gap between long-on and midwicket, Rutherford diving, in vain, and hurting his wrist as he tumbles. He departs, and the final two deliveries of this third Motie over are taken for one and then two. England need 87 runs from 48 deliveries.
11th over: England 99-4 (Brook 4, Curran 7) Target 197 Joseph returns and hangs one outside off, so Curran crashes it through extra for four, then turns a single to mid-on. Another follows, Brook playing himself in on the basis that he still has time to turn it up – after 11 overs, West Indies were 83-4 – and two dots complete the over. England need 98 runs from 54 deliveries.
10th over: England 93-4 (Brook 3, Curran 2) Target 197 In comms, Eoin Morgan notes that Motie is bowling finger-spin to the right-hander and wrist-spin to the lefty, impressive behaviour as ever. He completes a terrific over by ceding three more singles, the last of them a real missed opportunity, a full toss sent straight to the man at wide long-on.
WICKET! Bethell b Motie 33 (England 90-4)
Motie emotes! Again, he’s full and straight, this one skids on, and Bethell, having gone back, can’t get his bat at it, nailed off the pad and through the gate! West Indies are bossing this now!
10th over: England 90-3 (Bethell 32, Brook 2) Target 197 Bethell down the ground for one, and will Brook just let Motie bowl? That seems unlikely, but the next delivery is full and straight, forced away for one.
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9th over: England 88-3 (Bethell 32, Brook 1) Target 197 This partnership is the one: if these two stay in, they can see England home from anywhere, but if it’s broken early, there’s a lot of work left to do for the hand-eye hitters. So Bethell is circumspect as Chase wheels away, playing away three dots before taking a single; two more follow.
WICKET! Banton c King b Motie 2 (England 85-3)
Motie finds a bit of turn, not loads but just enough, and Banton, forced to force, lobs a simple catch to short point. Massive moment in the match.
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8th over: England 85-2 (Bethell 30, Banton 2) Target 197 Motie into the attack, Bethell taking one, then Banton drives, a decent stop at cover meaning it’s one not four. A dot then a single follow, before a full toss has Bethell striding mightily, popping down on one leg, and lamping six over cover, a single then giving Banton a go.
7th over: England 76-2 (Bethell 22, Banton 1) Target 197 That was a huge wicket for West Indies – Buttler was purring. But the clean hitters keep coming, Banton away immediately with a single and Bethell adds another.
WICKET! Buttler c Powell b Chase 21 (England 74-2)
Chase backs his method, switching to around and again cramping Buttler, who again tries forcing him away this time to long-on. But he doesn’t get enough of the ball or enough elevation – either would suffice – picking out the man on the fence.
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7th over: England 74-1 (Buttler 21, Bethell 21) Target 197 Powerplay over, Hope introduces Chase, one verb to another, and his first ball cramps Bethell, who takes one, his second Buttler, who plays back a dot … then spins to haul the third over deep square for six.
6th over: England 67-1 (Buttler 15, Bethell 20) Target 197 Joseph into the attack for the final over of the powerplay, and might Buttler enjoy his pace? Not in the first instance, his first three deliveries yielding a single to each batter, then Bethell flaps a full toss that should be four straight to the man at deep point, one bounce; they run one. So Buttler steps away to leg, looking to open up the off-side, but Joseph’s ball is wide, meaning he can only stretch into a cross-batter which flies away off the toe, narrowly eluding the man at point; they run two. But the final delivery of the over is much more like it, Buttler moving far less, the ball send far closer to him, and he cracks to the point fence for four. This is shaping up.
5th over: England 58-1 (Buttler 8, Bethell 18) Target 197 I’d wondered if England might send Brook in ahead of Bethell, but I guess the target isn’t so imposing it needs immediate slogging. Back in the here and now, Buttler mishits a full toss, then Bethell laces another Proper Krikkit Shot, hopping away to earn four more through cover. And he goes again next ball, edges … and that’s four more, Shepherd charging after it, pulling the ball back, and hurtling into the fence as the ball runs into it anyway; three balls gone, nine runs scored, what does Hosein have to save himself? A dot comes next, but then Bethell sweeps, connects exactly as desired – he’s such a natural timer of the ball – adding a third four of the over, then a single to make it 14 runs in total/
4th over: England 44-1 (Buttler 7, Bethell 5) Target 197 Bethell drives to cover and a misfield allows him to get going right away, Buttler adds a single of his own, then the youngster leaps backwards to guide a lovely shot through cover for four.
Updated
WICKET! Salt c Rutherford b Shepherd 30 (England 38-1)
With men on the leg-side fence, Salt stots down the pitch, is cramped for room, slaps high, and is caught at long-off.
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4th over: England 38-0 (Salt 30, Buttler 6) Target 197 Shepherd, who took five including a hatty against Scotland, into the attack, and Salt misses his first swipe, then allows a wide to fly past.
3rd over: England 37-0 (Salt 30, Buttler 6) Target 197 Buttler, unlike Salt, tends to ease on to the gas, rather than stomping the pedal immediately, so he looks at a couple of balls, then reverses over third for a one-bounce four. He might leave the next delivery, as it’s going down, but instead follows it, turning away a single, followed by another that restores him to strike; Hosein responds by cramping him on the crease, and that’s a much better over for West Indies, six from it.
2nd over: England 31-0 (Salt 29, Buttler 1) Target 197 We said England like this pitch but, like cricket, might they love it? Salt’s eye is infinitely preferable to salt in the eye, and he leathers Holder’s short loosener over midwicket for six; cuts through point for four; edges wide of slip for four more. Check to you, Mr Bowler. A dot follows, but another short one is punished over midwicket, then Salt stands … and goodness me does he deliver, assaulting a cover-drive along the carpet and to the fence. Just the eight pints for me last night 24 off the over, and England are away.
1st over: England 7-0 (Salt 5, Buttler 1) Target 197 Context: both sides can wear a defeat, but lose here and a slip-up against Nepal, Scotland or Italy might be a problem. Anyhow, Salt has a look at Hosein – out of the hand and through the air – before lashing over mid-off for four; take that, boychik. Two singles and ley-bye follow, meaning a start both sides can tolerate.
Hosein has the ball, and off we go.
Our teams are out; this should be a lot of fun.
Righto, I’m going to grab a drink, then we’ll get on with the Roston.
Rashid says England would’ve taken this at the start, which tells us how good a pitch they think it is. They do, though, have plenty of batting, while West Indies aren’t known for their bowling. Someone will have to get after it in a serious manner, but the target isn’t so big they don’t have scope to take their time over going mad.
West Indies close on 196-6, setting England 197 to win
20th over: West Indies 197-6 (Rutherford 76, Shepherd 1) Shepherd goes hard, at deep backward point, Salt dives forward, catches … but the ball bounced just short of him. Which brings Rutherford back on to strike, he swings hard – or hardest – and that’s his seventh six of a majestically violent knock. This’ll take some chasing.
WICKET! Holder c Banton b Overton 33 (West Indies 189-6)
Holder goes over the top again but this time doesn’t get enough of it, picking out Banton at long-on.
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20th over: West Indies 189-5 (Rutherford 70, Holder 33) Yup, it’s Overton – for all the difference it makes. A single, then Holder dematerialises six back over the bowler’s head; a wide ball that isn’t a wide is a decent riposte.
19th over: West Indies 182-5 (Rutherford 69, Holder 27) It’s been another chastening innings for Archer and, after one to Rutherford, a low full toss is power-guided by Holder to deep point, Bethell unable to save the boundary despite an energetic dive. Another single follows, then Rutherford opens shoulders, hoisting high over midwicket, where Bethell dives over the rope and into the hoardings, head first; he leaves the field. The final two balls are taken for two and one respectively, meaning Archer returns 1-48, a spell that started badly, finished badly, and was poor in between, finally over. So will it be Curran or Overton to finish off? I’d go the latter, who’s been better today.
18th over: West Indies 167-5 (Rutherford 59, Holder 22) Brook has no choice but to restore Rashid to the attack and, after Rutherford takes one, he beats Holder twice. So, next ball, the batter flogs to midwicket and they run one, then Rutherford wallops towards Venus; Rashid calls for the catch but it’s a steepling, swirling brute and he spills it, shies, hits, and they take a buzzer. A single follows, and that’s five off the over, completing yet another fine spell of 2-16. But can his mates back him up?
17th over: West Indies 162-5 (Rutherford 55, Holder 21) Curran, who was so solid at the death against Nepal, returns to the attack and, after a dot, Holder strokes him for six down the ground, hold(er)ing the pose to rub in how taxing that wasn’t. So the bowler goes short and this time, Holder goes at it, baseball style, it’s in the air and is he going to be caught? No, it’s a second six in two deliveries, and I know a moment ago I said Curran was so solid; now I’m concerned he’s going for 21. He responds well, though, two singles coming from balls four and five, but have a look! Holder adjusts feet, presses forward, and violently carts a third six of the over flat to long-on! Incredible hitting, 20 from the over, and this is on a rolling boil now.
16th over: West Indies 142-5 (Rutherford 54, Holder 2) Yup, now Overton returns, and he bangs in, pace on, Rutherford pulls, top-edges … and earns four behind the wicket, in the process raising his fifty. So it’s a slower one next and this time it’s picked and launched, astonished over square leg for six. Ten from the first two deliveries meaning pressure for the bowler, as a reclining Ian Bishop, posing like he’s being painted, tells us there’s no dew situation. Meantime, Overton responds well, his final four balls yielding just two singles.
15th over: West Indies 130-5 (Rutherford 43, Holder 1) if Rashid could bowl every over, England would rinse this. He welcomes Holder to the crease with a beauty that turns past the edge, then two singles mean Rutherford retains strike as West Indies swing for home.
WICKET! Powell c Overton b Rashid 14 (West Indies 128-5)
A dead slow leg-spinner and Powell waits, then hurls everything at a ball that’s got no pace on it and is now crowding him, Overton waiting underneath it at long-off to pouch.
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15th over: West Indies 128-4 (Rutherford 42, Powell 14) England needed that break and after it, Rashid returns, his first ball guided to third for one.
14th over: West Indies 127-4 (Rutherford 41, Powell 14) Dawson tries a wide one, so Rutherford cuts nicely for four then, after a wide and dot, waits for one and gently swings six back overt the bowler’s head. Big pressure for England now, the partnership 46 off 25, and does Brook get Overton and Rashid on now, then deal with the last two overs nearer the time? Dawson does well to get out of this one with just a wide and a single ceded, but it’s still 13 in total, and that is drinks.
13th over: West Indies 114-4 (Rutherford 30, Powell 14) Archer returns and Rutherford takes one, then Powell flows expertly over extra for four. A single follows, then one’s carved over third man and, on the fence, Rashid is there. He flings himself sideways and holds a majestic grab in mid-air, the catch of his life, but, knowing he’s landing over the fence, he tosses the all away … and it hits the boundary cushion, which means six runs, which means another expensive Archer over. Gosh, and when a single brings Powell back on to strike, a ball on to the pAds is easily glanced to the fence for four. Seventeen off the over, and England’s gun bowler has a problem.
“It’s reading like England are playing like they’re already having a fight in a bar somewhere, post-match,” says Jeremy Boyce. “Lots of swagger and threatening looks, swinging some wild haymakers and luckily making three of them count. Meanwhile Windies are picking their punches, and given that they’ve got mates waiting to join them it could end badly for the English barflies. Especially as I can’t see the Windies bowlers going at it like they’re three sheets to the wind already.”
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12th over: West Indies 97-4 (Rutherford 22, Powell 2) Brook takes the latter option, bringing back Jacks, and Rutherford isn’t having him, a single to Powell offering him strike. He has a look, playing away a dot, then makes room to mass-murder a six over long on; a drag-down follows, so this time he plants feet like a boxer sitting down on his punches, flaying over midwicket for six more. Gosh, and the next delivery is well wide … but Rutherford doesn’t let it go, taking the wide, instead stretching to guide to the fielder at point. He’s not impressed with his behaviour, and when the final delivery of the over yields a leg-bye, the sense is that, despite the 14 that come from it, Jacks has got away with one.
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11th over: West Indies 83-4 (Rutherford 10, Powell 4) Or, indeed, like I read Tolstoy, considering I haven’t yet; apologies to the brick. Back in the middle, Dawson continues, four singles off his second over, and does Brook keep Rashid going to try and kick West Indies when they’re down, or sneak in a less good bowler while they consolidate and rebuild?
10th over: West Indies 79-4 (Rutherford 8, Powell 2) After a dodgy first game, this is fantastic stuff from Rashid – the wicket was his 400th in T20 cricket – and after a dot, Powell is beaten by a ripper, a leg-break spitting past his edge. A two follows, the new man off the mark, but he’s reading these deliveries like a brick reads Tolstoy.
But it’s still out, hitting the top of leg.
Chase reviews!
WICKET! Chase lbw b Rashid 33 (West Indies 77-3)
Oh this is art. Rashid tries the googly, it’s a beauty, and it fizzes past the bat and cracks the back pad. That is so dead it’s decomposing.
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10th over: West Indies 77-3 (Chase 33, Rutherford 8) A single to Chase, then Rashid looks to slant across Rutherford – so much so, it’s a wide – and a further single follows.
9th over: West Indies 74-3 (Chase 32, Rutherford 7) Dawson into the attack and, after a look at his first ball, Rutherford ushers his second to deep point and they run two. A single follows, then Chase goes down on one knee to help the ball over his and Burtler’s shoulder, a lovely deft caress that scuttles away for four. A single then restores Rutherford to the striker’s end, and he waits for one, soft hands paddling to deep backward point for two.
8th over: West Indies 64-3 (Chase 27, Rutherford 2) Chase larrups around the corner, the ball lands just short of midwicket, they run and Jacks shies, hitting … but he’s well in. A single follows but, offered one on the pads, Chase knows he can’t miss out, moving feet to pull four to deep backward square; Overton comes back well, with a dot.
7th over: West Indies 58-3 (Chase 21, Rutherford 1) As the contest is rousting, not rousting is what the contest entails. Anyroad up, Rashid is into the attack, and he might hold the key: four inexpensive overs, and West Indies will have go wild at the other end. The first two balls yield singles but the second of them spins big, Chase edging it as though stapled to the pitch, before a googly is too good for Rutherford and a dot completes an impressive over, three from iut.
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6th over: West Indies 55-3 (Chase 20, Rutherford 0) Phew, this is the stuff, people. Rutherford tries a run-down first ball, Brook dives to stop, very good work, and that’s a wicket maiden. There’s always the chance that England take too many wickets for this to be close, but for now, this is a rousting contest.
WICKET! Hetmyer c Curran b Overton 23 (West Indies 55-3)
Slower one from Overton, which stops a little in the pitch, Hetmyer is through the shot too early, sends the ball into orbit, and when he sees Curran underneath it, he knows he’s toast. I can’t think of anyone less likely to drop one he shouldn’t.
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6th over: West Indies 55-2 (Hetmyer 23, Chase 20) In a bid to stem the flow, Brook introduces Overton, and Chase checks a drive which drops just short of Archer at mid-on, but a decent pick-up means there’s a run out opportunity … and he misses the stumps. Still, this is better stuff from England, a leg-bye then a dot then a leg-bye for two slowing down the scoring.
5th over: West Indies 52-2 (Hetmyer 23, Chase 20) Jacks, hair dyed blonde presumably in tribute to Sick Boy, into the attack, coming around to the right-handed Chase, who has a look at his loosener, then makes room to slice over extra, before hauling a sweep for four, before lofting a drive over mid-off. Pressure for Jacks, and he’ll be relieved the next delivery only yields one .. er, but the final one of the over is punkt in the slot and Hetmyer doesn’t miss out, annihilating a slog-sweep over deep square for six making it 19 in total.
4th over: West Indies 33-2 (Hetmyer 17, Chase 7) Hetmyer stretches well out of the crease to flick a slower ball high into the air … scary hours as it drops … just short of the fielder. Then, served a sorter delivery, he gets absolutely all of it, the glorious knuck resounding and reverberating throughout the cosmos as he hammers a pull that starts flat and rises, over the fence at midwicket. Gosh, then given a ball on the pads, he turns it around the corner for four, and two singles complete a 14-run over. West Indies are into this now.
3rd over: West Indies 19-2 (Hetmyer 4, Chase 6) Cuttable ball from Archer, so Hetmyer waits, then clobbers through cover for four; a leg-bye follows. Chase then plays and misses, before Chase bends knees and presents the full face, flowing a gorgeous drive through cover fo fo mo. The over concludes with two more dots, so that’s nine off it, and this looks a really good track, offering a bit of help to everyone. This could be a really fun contest.
2nd over: West Indies 10-2 (Hetmyer 0, Chase 2) Chase drives to point for two, then edges a ball which doesn’t carry. An inswinger follows, contacting the pad, and Curran appeals but that was going down, impact probably outside the line. Two dots follow, and England will like this start, though it came about via error, not pressure.
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WICKET! King c Salt b Curran 1 (West Indies 8-2)
Another iffy delivery, outside off, so King unloads the suitcase, flaying high to deep backwards point, where Salt dives forward to hold a pretty routine catch. Trouble for West Indies.
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2nd over: West Indies 8-1 (King 1, Hetmyer 0) Liam Dawson was going to bowl this over, but with the left-handed Hetmyer at the wicket, Sam Curran will have a go instead.
1st over: West Indies 8-1 (King 1, Hetmyer 0) Hetmyer played nicely against Scotland, but he’s served a beauty first up, the final ball of Archer’s over – delivered from around – squaring him up and nipping past hisoutside edge as he presses forward.
WICKET! Hope c Banton b Archer 0 (West Indies 8-1)
Another poor delivery, short and wide, that Hope thwacks directly to cover. He’ll be feeling exceedingly poorly getting out to that.
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1st over: West Indies 8-0 (King 1, Hope 0) Archer – and Adil Rashid, England’s other banker – took some unexpected tap against Nepal. Both will need to do better today, but we begin with a leg-side wide; a dot follows, then King reaches to carve a wide one to deep square for a single. Then another dot, then a leaping ball dragged way outside off and, at slip, Overton can only impart a finger; it rushes to the fence for five wides. Gosh, another wide comes next, and this is more of the same form Archer so far – but he’ll be encouraged by a pitch that’s offering pace and bounce.
Alreet, out come Brandon King and Shai Hope, Jofra Archer has the ball, and we’re ready to go.
Our teams match out through a sponsor’s guard of honour, fireworks going, wannabe epic music playing; if you weren’t excited before, you’re definitely not excited now. Anthem time.
Email! “As exciting as the SA Afghanistan slobberknocker was,” begins Darrien Bold, “given it was a mere group game why couldn’t it have ended as a draw with none of those great mates going away empty-handed?”
I guess another aspect of T20’s character is that it offers a definitive outcome, which is, dare I say it, an Americanisation? US sport and perhaps society doesn’t brook draws or ambiguity. Rather, it reveres drama and dichotomy: winners and losers, red and blue, money and money.
Sky have just shown an interview with Sam Curran, who was on final-over duty against Nepal. He says that nailing line is much more important than nailing length, and knew that if it went badly, as sometimes it can – he didn’t hide that from himself – it’d be a massive story. He’s got serious ticker, him, and, as we’ve seen throughout his career, the skill of timing.
Teams
West Indies: King, Hope (c, wk), Hetmyer, Powell, Rutherford, Chase, Holder, Shepherd, Hosein, Motie, Jopseph.
England: Salt, Buttler (wk), Bethell, Banton, Brook (c), Curran, Jacks, Dawson, Overton, Archer, Rashid.
England, of course, sneaked by Nepal on Sunday; West Indies whacked Scotland on Saturday.
If there’s heavy dew, batting first is a big advantage because it makes the ball hard to grip. Both sides have serious batting firepower, but unreliable attacks, so we can expect runs.
England win the toss and will field
Did no one tell Hope that tails never fails? England are fielding as having looked at the stats, they think that’s the play at the Wankhede; Jamie Overton is in for Luke Wood.
West Indies would’ve batted too, and also make one chance, Matthew Frode out and Roston Chase in, a tactical move replacing a paceman with a spinner.
Updated
It’s time for the toss. There’s confusion of whether Brook or Hope toss, it’s Brook, and Hope calls heads.
In Colombo, Australia, 182-6, are giving Ireland, 115-9 off 16.4, a doing. Oh, and as I type, they taken the final wicket to secure a 67-run victory.
Here’s a report on that SA v Afghanistan slobberknocker.
England v West Indies is one of the classic T20 matchups, principally because of the 2016 edition of this competition.
Understandably, that final assault ruined Ben Stokes’ career; he was never the same after that.
I wrote the below first thing this morning, but the point was emphasised by what happened in the Afghanistan v South Africa match, one of the most ludicrously brilliant you could wish to see. If you don’t know how it went, catch yourself up here, immediately; promise promise.
I can’t think of a forfeit for myself, but anyone who doesn’t deem the above worth their time, come up with something and I’ll do it, that’s how confident I am.
Updated
Preamble
The principal reason T20 has been so successful is more lifestyle than sporting: before it, cricket took a long time, now it doesn’t and, as attention-spans shorten while the cost of living increases and relative wages decrease, it suits more of the people more of the time.
But there’s solid middle-based rationale too: T20 can be settled by one individual having a day out, or a few swinging hard and hitting well for the not very much time it takes to turn a contest. As India, England and Australia grow ever richer and ever more remote, this aspect is of increasing significance.
These formulae – OK, I’m flattering my logic by calling them that – almost caught England out against Nepal, and operate with greater weight against West Indies. Of course, the loser of this contest will still expect to qualify for the Super 8 by beating everyone else but, as per the above, in this format of the game anyone can beat anyone, so you never quite know.
Play: 1.30pm
