That’s it from me this evening. England slip to a 2-0 defeat and have it all to do to get something out of this series. We’ll be back to OBO the third game on Saturday, Tim de Lisle will be your scribe for that one.
Simon’s report has landed over the wires from Grenada:
I’ll be back on the tools over the weekend to bring you the latest from the women’s Test match between India and England in Mumbai. Thanks for tuning in, goodbye!
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Before I pop off, you should definitely give Taha’s excellent interview with Shoaib Bashir a read. Bashir is the surprise spin pick in the England Test squad to face India early next year, there are some lovely lines in this from the young spinner.
When England’s Test head coach, Brendon McCullum, broke the news of Bashir’s selection to him over the phone, tears followed, as did an embrace with his uncle. “I actually ran into his room and hugged him, and he was like, ‘Why are you hugging me?’, and I was crying at the time and he was like, ‘Why are you crying?’. He sort of panicked and I told him. I’ve never seen him cry and let emotions out like he did and that made our whole family quite emotional.”
His uncle, Saj, has been the primary influence from early on, explains Bashir, who grew up in Woking. “He would take me when I was in my nappies with my brother and we would just sit and watch him play at a club called Guildford City, where he was wicketkeeper-batsman. He told me that I’m living his dream by playing cricket because he didn’t really have the support behind him. He dedicated his whole life to me. So to see me do well was his dream and I’m living his dream at the moment.”
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TNT sports have shown their hand by the way and done away with any post match presentations or analysis. Simon has an exclusive about next year’s T20I World Cup though:
New York to host India v Pakistan clash in 2024 T20 World Cup https://t.co/lOk0t7G9qH
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) December 14, 2023
“Hey, I’m cover drivin’ here!”
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The knives are being unsheathed and are glinting in the evening Grenada sun. England’s white ball doldrums continue and depending on how the rest of this series plays out then these sorts of comments are only going to increase.
England’s 10th defeat in 14 white-ball matches since start of World Cup. They’ve got worse longer Matthew Mott has been in charge. A change needs to be made now so England can regroup before the T20 WC. Enough is enough. Heard so many worrying things in India. He’s got to go
— Chris Stocks (@StocksC_cricket) December 14, 2023
Moeen turning down that single and not trusting Rehan sums up England’s white ball malaise. Needs a new broom
— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) December 14, 2023
You do fear for England’s chances of defending the T20 World Cup next summer. Their white-ball decline has been a case study in complacency.
— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) December 14, 2023
Spin proving England’s undoing once more:
England vs spin today: 33-3 from eight overs; three fours, no sixes.
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) December 14, 2023
West Indies vs spin today: 73-3 from 10 overs; five fours, five sixes.
England getting stuck against spin once more this winter.#WIvENG
West Indies win by ten runs!
Rehan Ahmed plays an incredible shot to get SIX off the penultimate ball – opening his stance and flogging over the rope at point. Rehan slogs four off the last but it isn’t enough for England who go down 2-0 in the five match series.
That should be that though, Moeen turns down a single and then misses a length ball in the slot. Gah!
Hang about – Moeen spanks the first ball down the ground for a huge SIX!
22 needed off 5…
19th over: England 146-6 (Ali 15, Rehan 1) Is that the match winning over from Jason Holder? He gets the wicket of Woakes and more importantly restricts England to just three runs.
Andre Russell is coming on to bowl the final over. England need 28 runs off six balls.
WICKET! Woakes c Hetmyer b Holder 2 (England 149-7)
The pressure tells! Well bowled Jason Holder, Woakes tries to find the fence but can’t clear Hetmyer who has been excellent in the field today.
28 needed from 7 balls…
Moeen missed out on a length ball in the slot from Jason Holder, plinking it for one rather than timing it to the fence. Holder keeps his nerve to find the blockhole and restrict England to singles and finding a dot ball. He’s snuffing out England’s chances…
18th over: England 146-6 (Ali 14, Woakes 1) Woakes joins Moeen in the middle. Brass tacks time, advantage West Indies. Shot! Moeen leans back and lasers Joseph through cover for four. ‘Ave it! Moeen goes even bigger next ball, sending a length ball over the ropes for a maximum. A single brings Woakes on strike and he can’t get the ball through the infield. Twelve off the over and the wicket.
England need 31 off 12.
WICKET! Curran c Hosein b Joseph 50 (England 134-6)
Gone! Curran can’t find the stands and won’t be able to see England home as he slices in the air to Hosein at deep point.
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17th over: England 134-5 (Curran 50, Ali 2) Andre Russell is given the nod. Pitched up. SIX! Curran gets under it and clears the ropes. Poor ball from Russell who sends down another misguided slower ball that is tickled off the hip very fine for four by Curran! A couple of singles see Curran bring up his first T20I half century, off just 33 balls too. He shipped plenty of runs with the ball but is making up for it with the bat.
England need 43 from 18.
16th over: England 121-5 (Curran 38, Ali 1) Sam Curran keeps England in the hunt, pan-handling a pull through wide long on for four and then smearing a length ball down the ground for an impressive SIX! Pressure on Alzarri Joseph who does well to stitch together a couple of dots. Curran gets a thick top edge off a short ball that lands between two fielders on the fence. A very long single is taken. Moeen misses out on a short and wide ball, wafting fresh air off the final delivery of the over.
England need 56 off 24. Clinging on.
WICKET! Brook c Joseph b Hosein 5 (England 108-5)
Brook falls driving aerially into the deep! Is that the game gone? Moeen is going to have to tee off. Curran too. Akeal Hosein has other ideas though, he restricts them to just five off the over to finish his work with 2-24 off his four overs. West Indies’ spinners have been magnificent.
England need 67 from 30. Humpty time.
15th over: England 11o-5 (Curran 27, Ali 1)
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14th over: England 105-4 (Curran 25, Brook 3) England need 78 from 42 balls but can’t find the fence. Jason Holder returns and its singles only. Six of ‘em.
WICKET! Livingstone c Powell b Motie 17 (England 97-4)
Big slog up in the air and well caught. Livingstone goes after some short lived pyro. Harry Brook is the new man and he nudges a single to open his account. Well bowled! Gudakesh Motie keeps England tied down, he finishes his four overs with the fiscally frugal figures of 1-9. Parsimonous.
13th over: England 99-4 (Curran 22, Brook 1)
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12th over: England 97-3 (Livingstone 17, Curran 21) Andre Russell returns and a short ball is pulled powerfully for four by Livingstone. Four more! Livingstone flays behind point, the son of Cumbria getting his eye in here. SIX! Livingtone pans Russell over square leg for SIX! Have another why dontcha! Curran gets a big piece of a length ball and slogs another into the stands behind midwicket. 22 runs off the over, England getting back into it.
11th over: England 75-3 (Livingstone 2, Curran 14) Motie gets through a warp speed over and keeps England shackled, just three singles off it.
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10th over: England 72-3 (Livingstone 12, Curran 1) Curran sweeps for four. Liam Livingstone is promoted up the order to try and give England a shot in the arm.
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WICKET! Jacks c Holder b Joseph 24 (England 65-3)
Caught in the deep! England spluttering here.
8th over: England 58-2 (Jacks 23, Curran 1) Sam Curran replaces Salt, he’ll feel like he owes his side some runs after being leathered for 30 runs off one of his overs earlier in the piece. Alzarri Joseph starts well, just four runs and the wicket off his first over.
Tom Wellman is getting a touch of the nostalgic feels… “RE. over 4; I haven’t thought of Mal Loye in such a long time. Thank you.”
He’s in the mind palace, Tom. In a distant basement, sure, but Loye is in there.
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WICKET! Salt c Powell b Joseph 25 (England 55-2)
Caught in the deep! Pressure beginning to tell as Salt perishes trying to clear the ropes.
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7th over: England 53-1 (Salt 25, Jacks 21) Squeeeeeze. Gudakesh Motie comes into the attack and England can only collect two runs off the spinner.
Tight Lines.
Base.
Vision dreams of passion.
6th over: England 51-1 (Salt 24, Jacks 20) This pair are getting some momentum into England’s chase, the fifty comes up in the sixth over with Jacks plundering consecutive fours off Andre Russell and Salt joining the party with a deliberately uppish flay for four over third.
5th over: England 37-1 (Salt 19, Jacks 11) Hosein into his third over, Jacks greets him with delicious back foot drive through cover for four. England rotate off the spinner to pick up seven off the over.
“Get her a job.” Says Norman Tebbit (one for the kidz there) Damian Clarke about my unruly and still very much awake toddler.
“My son is already asleep, totally exhausted after four days working his holiday job with me. Mind you, he is 19.” They don’t do Peppa Pig branded manual labour gift sets, Damian, believe me I’ve looked.
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4th over: England 30-1 (Salt 17, Jacks 6) England try to up the ante, Salt charges at Holder and forces the big man to spear down leg for a wide. Shot! Salt slog sweeps for four from outside off – shades of Mal Loye in that one. SIX! A club over midwicket follows and Holder loses his line once more with the follow up. Wide ball. Three singles close the over as England pocket fifteen runs from it.
3rd over: England 15-1 (Salt 5, Jacks 5) Will Jacks replaces his beleaguered skipper and gets going with a firm drive through cover for four.
I really like the idea of equality of opportunity. If you’re good enough you’re good enough. Give everyone that chance to be excellent. Congrats Jacqueline. https://t.co/zEYIgWnCZy
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) December 14, 2023
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WICKET! Buttler c Mayers b Hosein 5 (England 9-1)
Buttler plinks tamely to short cover. He looks down and eyes his bat with suspicion as he trudges off. England’s run chase going about as smoothly as my toddler’s bedtime at the minute…
2nd over: England 8-0 (Salt 3, Butler 5) Jason Holder powers in with the new ball and it’s a decent, probing over. England can only eke three runs off it.
These Windies lads don't skip many gym sessions, do they... seriously jacked...
— Jon Hotten (@theoldbatsman) December 14, 2023
Jon ‘Guns’ Hotten would know, obvs.
1st over: England 5-0 (Salt 1, Butler 4) Phil Salt nearly perishes first ball! A leading edge ploops over the bowler’s head and somehow lands safe with about four fielders converging. A nudge into the leg side sees Salt off the mark, he blows out his cheeks in relief. Shot! Buttler rocks back and cuts through the off side for four. The required run rate is nine an over, England take five off the first.
No messing about, the players are already out in the middle. I can hear my toddler doing her best to delay bedtime down the hallway. Wondering which is harder to wrangle, a rapid T20 match or an over tired two and a half year old? Salt and Buttler opening up for England. Akeal Hosein to start with some spin for West Indies.
WEST INDIES POST 176-7
England will need to make 177 to level the series.
WICKET! Jason Holder c Livingstone b Mills 0 (West Indies 176-7)
And that’s yer lot! Holder is caught off the final ball of the innings – Mills closes the innings well with 2-30 off his four.
WICKET! Andre Russell b Mills 14 (West Indies 176-7)
Mills deceives Russell with a slower ball, cleans the big man up with just one ball left in the innings.
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Andre Russell has just played an insane shot, jumping into a sort of half forward roll and launching a really wide delivery over cover for SIX! He was off balance and the ball would have been called wide, Russell tumbled over in his follow through. Remarkable.
19th over: West Indies 165-5 (King 77, Russell 8) Woakes to bowl the penultimate over. England were sitting pretty with West Indies 55-4 after nine, it’s been raining sixes in Grenada since. There’s another! Andre Russell smears a length ball from Woakes into the stands behind midwicket. Woakes responds well to escape the over with just three more singles added. One more to bowl for England – Sam Curran Tymal Mills to bowl it.
18th over: West Indies 156-5 (King 75, Russell 1) Well bowled Tymal Mills, Buttler and his men can get their breath back a touch as just four singles are taken off another tricksy offering from Tymal.
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Carnage for Curran:
An absolutely huge over with most of the damage coming off the blade of Rovman Powell.#WIvENG pic.twitter.com/TgCIkutpra
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 14, 2023
17th over: West Indies 152-5 (King 73, Russell 0)West Indies are flying now! Rehan Ahmed is flogged all round the ground by Brandon King. Three fours and a SIX off it see West Indies take eighteen runs off the over, they’ll have their eye on a 180 plus score now. Ahmed finished with 1-47 off his four, that final over spoiling his figures somewhat.
WICKET! Powell c Brook b Curran 50 (West Indies 134-5)
Curran gets his man with the final ball of the over, it has cost him and England though. Powell goes to a 22 ball fifty and tries to find the fence once more with a clip off his pads down the ground… CAUGHT! Harry Brook spares Curran’s blushes by pulling off a magnificent diving catch. West Indies back in the game! Andre Russell is the new man at the crease. Gulp. Four overs to go.
16th over: West Indies 134-5 (King 55, Russell)
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Five overs to go, West Indies need to go some to set a competitive total. Sam Curran comes back into the attack and is smashed by Rovman Powell! A lucky inside edge runs away for four but there’s nothing lucky about the next three shots – Powell crunches THREE MASSIVE SIXES. Curran goes for cutters into the pitch and is panned away each time, the Surrey man looks on aghast as the balls pepper the stands. A wide ball outside the tramlines means Curran will have to bowl another. BELTED! A full ball is in the slot and muscled back over the bowler’s head for a flat SIX! Four maximums in the over…
15th over: West Indies 104-4 (King 55, Powell 22) Excellent spell from Adil Rashid who finishes his day’s work (with the ball) with figures of 2-11 off four overs.
14th over: West Indies 101-4 (King 54, Powell 20) Terrific bowling from Tymal Mills, he must be a nightmare to bat against with all his subtle varieties and changes of pace. A scudding full ball slanted across Powell is followed by wily slower ball. There’s a delay whilst Mills changes his bowling boots, the footwear brand will be very happy with all the zooming in as Mills does his laces up. There’s no Jimmy Grimble effect from the new sneakers though, quite the opposite in fact as Powell scythes through point and then clobbers over long on for SIX. Hundred up for West Indies.
13th over: West Indies 89-4 (King 53, Powell 9) Rehan Ahmed into his third over and it is an expensive one! King clubs a SIX down the ground! Fumble for four – a powerfully struck straight drive canons off Woakes’ knee and over the rope for four at long on. No fielder can get near the next one though, King goes to his fifty with a towering SIX into the stands. Seventeen runs in total off the over to inject some life into the Windies innings.
12th over: West Indies 72-4 (King 36, Powell 9) Tymal Mills into the attack. A nice start from the slippery southpaw as a slower ball outfoxes Powell. Mills follows up with a decent yorker. Four dots in a row builds the pressure… Powell punches back and drives a full ball through the covers for a most welcome boundary. Just those four runs off the over, mind.
11th over: West Indies 68-4 (King 36, Powell 5) West Indies continue to rebuild, albeit slowly. Five runs off Rashid’s over, he has 2-8 from his three overs. Sublime bowling.
🇬🇩 Grenada is the best. pic.twitter.com/x3Z4aJ1qpE
— Cameron Ponsonby (@cameronponsonby) December 14, 2023
Yeh, but it is drizzling and six degrees here in South London.
10th over: West Indies 63-4 (King 34, Powell 3) Rehan continues, a full ball is driven down the ground by King to give West Indies their first boundary in 22 balls. Close! Rehan nearly cleans King up with the next ball, a googly that confuddles the batter and sees him almost chop onto his stumps. Two singles complete the over. Time for a quick drink.
9th over: West Indies 55-4 (King 28, Powell 1) West Indies have lost four wickets for just eleven runs and will need to rely on their muscular lower order to dig them out of strife. Captain Rovman Powell joins King in the middle, the runs have dried up almost completely, a solitary single and the wicket off the over.
Rashid and Rehan bowling in tandempic.twitter.com/LOAk2GtrdZ
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) December 14, 2023
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WICKET! Hetmyer c Ali b Rashid 2 (West Indies 54-4)
Rashid snares another and West Indies are in the mire! Faster and fuller from Rashid out of the front of the hand, Hetmyer pokes at it and gets a fast edge to slip where Moeen Ali takes a fine tumbling catch.
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WICKET! Hope b Rehan Ahmed 1 (West Indies 51-3)
Bowled him! Ahmed cleans up Shai Hope and makes him look a bit silly in the process, a leg-spinner turns just enough and skids on off the pitch to knock back Hope’s off stump with a satisfying thunk. Ahmed allows himself a little air punch and an even more vigorous chew of his juicy Wrigleys.
Shimron Hetmyer joins King in the middle, England making all the running here in the middle overs, just four singles and the wicket off Rehan’s first.
8th over: West Indies 54-3 (King 28, Hetmyer 2)
7th over: West Indies 50-2 (King 26, Hope 1) Shai Hope replaces the departing Pooran. Rashid has his dander up and 101 T20I wickets to his name. He gives it plenty of flight and every opportunity to spin big, Hope gets off the mark with am poke to off. Rehan Ahmed is coming on for a bowl at the other end, how great it is for the youngster to be able to bowl in tandem with Rashid.
WICKET! Pooran c Woakes b Rashid 5 (West Indies 48-2)
Adil Rashid strikes in his first over! Pooran holes out in the deep, the ball plopping safely into the hands of Chirs Woakes at long on.
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6th over: West Indies 48-1 (King 25, Pooran 5) Nicholas Pooran is the new batter and he glides elegantly in the gap wide of point to pick up four off his first ball. A single into the covers will see him keep strike for the next over. That’s the end of the Powerplay.
WICKET! Mayers c Curran b Woakes 17 (West Indies 43-1)
Chris Woakes into his third over, Mayers lines him up and dispatches a full ball high and long over midwicket for SIX! Pressure on Woakes from the very start of the over. He responds well with two dots, cutters that Mayers can’t get through the infield. Gone! Mayers tries to launch Woakes for another maximum but doesn’t get hold of it, well held by Sam Curran as it swirled in the wind. England have their first!
5th over: West Indies 37-0 (King 25, Mayers 11) Sam Curran replaces Moeen. A dot first ball is followed by a sweetly timed drive for four by King. Curran takes the pace off and goes back of a length, Brandon King can’t get him away and starts to huff in frustration… that’ll help! King charges down and flat bats Curran down the ground for an emphatic four!
4th over: West Indies 29-0 (King 17, Mayers 11) Mayers gets in on the act against Chris Woakes. The seamer drops short and is flayed away on the back foot for four through the off side. Bosh! Another short ball is clubbed away by Mayers, this time through the on side. There’s a delay in Grenada as the grounds team come out to hammer some footmarks down in the popping crease. King flicks to leg to take a single after the restart. Ten runs off the over.
3rd over: West Indies 19-0 (King 16, Mayers 2) West Indies loosen their shoulders! After two dots to start, Ali tosses one a bit fuller and is bunted for SIX down the ground by King! Another couple of dot balls follow before King gets under another and clears the ropes for the second time in the over. Feast or famine at the moment from the home side.
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2nd over: West Indies 7-0 (King 4, Mayers 2) Chris Woakes starts from the other end and begins with a wide down the leg side. Close! Woakes nearly sneaks one past King who is on the walk. Another tight over for England, just three singles off it. Moeen is given another…
1st over: West Indies 3-0 (King 2, Mayers 1) Moeen starts with the ball and gets in and out of the over cheaply with just three singles off it. Buttler has a slip in place and Moeen is accurate, getting a bit of grip on a length. West Indies are watchful.
Jacqueline Williams is standing as umpire in this match, she becomes the first female umpire from the West Indies to stand in a men’s T20I between two Full Members. Gregory Brathwaite is the other pink shirted official in the middle today.
The players are ready, Grenada looks a picture – let’s play!
Teams:
West Indies: 1 Brandon King, 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Shai Hope, 4 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5 Rovman Powell (c), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Jason Holder, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Alzarri Joseph
England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (c & wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Rehan Ahmed, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Tymal Mills
Moeen Ali comes in for Ben Duckett for England, West Indies have opted for spinner Gudakesh Motie over a knee niggle suffering Romario Shepherd.
The beard is back 👋#EnglandCricket | #WIvENG pic.twitter.com/NWACPzHdP5
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 14, 2023
England win the toss and choose to bowl first
Jos Buttler’s day gets off to a bright start in sunny Grenada, he calls correctly and says his side want to chase on what looks to be a decent wicket.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the 2nd T20I between England and West Indies from Grenada. The two sides duked it out til late on Tuesday evening and it was the men in maroon who landed the knockout punch to go 1-0 up in the five match series. Andre Russell was the star performer – taking 3-29 and smashing 29* off just 14 deliveries when the game was on the line in his first appearance for his country in two years.
England were left to lick their wounds after another white ball defeat, not the ideal way for spin hero Adil Rashid to celebrate his 100th T20I but he was phlegmatic on the nature of defeat and victory after the match:
We’ve still got belief in ourselves. All we’ve got to do is go out there and have that self-belief, stick to our process and just play the game. But I’m not concerned. You win some, you lose some.”
Jos Buttler could very much do with a win to get back into the series, a victory would spritz some sweet smelling cologne onto the stench of defeat lingering over him and his white ball sides in 2023.
I’ll be back very soon with news of the teams and toss, play gets underway at 13.30pm local time – 17.30 GMT.
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