Right, I think that’s it from me. Time for bed in wet and windy England. Huge congratulations to West Indies: to Forde and Carty, to Athanaze and Shepherd, to winning captain inspiration Shai Hope. England lick their wounds and move on, the five-match T20 series starts on Tuesday, with a few new faces flying in, and – at last- a break from the 50-over grind. Thanks for your emails, good night!
Jos Buttler, holding it together but the eyes are sad“We know we made a few mistakes with the bat. I thought it was a really good effort from the guys [with the ball], I thought the spinners were outstanding, we could have done with a few more runs on the board. The start of a long journey for these guys, we can build something for the future. I’m really looking forward to the T20s, a change of format.”
Player of the series and winning captain: Shai Hope. “I’m setting a decent example in the team but great to see the guys chipping in as well. There’s so much history in cricket, it’s hard to keep up [re the first win for 25 years] but we need to defend out home turf and hopefully we give some cheers to the West Indian fans.”
Player of the match: Matthew Forde
“There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes – coming in today is like a dream come true. Always special for me, I’m 21 and I’m living my dream, I thank all the boys for making it possible. Coming here in front of my home crowd, my mum’s here, my dad’s there, it was very heartwarming. The wicket was a bit tacky, it was just line and length and I got some wickets, so just thankful. Batting with Sheppy, it was just about turning over the strike and getting it back to him.”
Liam Livingstone getting the finger pointed at him in the studio – seems a bit harsh, I thought that was a relatively tricky catch. Probably need to see it again. We wait for the presentation, and England’s white-ball reset will have to wait for the T20 series – which starts in Barbados in a couple of days.
L
Series defeat for England...284 days until their next ODI, Australia at Trent Bridge in mid-September.#WIvENG
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) December 10, 2023
Joy for West Indies! Forde gives Shepherd an enormous hug before running off to hug his family in the crowd. Buttler marches off, helmet under one arm, disappointment under the other. Handshakes all round.
West Indies beat England by four wickets (DLS)!
31.4 overs: West Indies 191-6 (Shepherd 41, Forde 13) The last time West Indies won an ODI series against England in the Caribbean was 1998. They don’t have long to wait now – and that’s it! The win coming with more than two overs to spare, the final runs from five wides and a slog sweep for four.
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31st over: West Indies 179-6 (Shepherd 35, Forde 12) Shepherd pingoes a high full toss from Atkinson’s first ball over midwicket, Livingstone catches it over the rope but is unable to do any modern magic instead landing flat on his tummy – feet one side of the rope, arms and ball the other. Next ball is another full toss, dispatched with equal elan in a similar place. A single brings Forde to the strike, and he urges a wide one round the corner for four more. The next is ushered to midwicket for three, and the over finishes with a whopping straight drive back past the bowler’s miserable boots. Twenty four from the over, Jos Buttler looks stern, West Indies need 9 from 18 balls.
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30th over: West Indies 155-6 (Shepherd 18, Forde 5) Jacks, long sleeves, shakes his wrists before bowling as if adjusting his heavy jewellery. West Indies can only pick up three, though Forde drops to his knee in an attempt to lump him out of the ground. West Indies need 33 off 24.
29th over: West Indies 152-6 (Shepherd 16, Forde 4) Ahmed’s last over. He reels in. Shepherd bashes him high –too high? No, it is long enough to go over the head of the leaping Crawley, who gets a hand to it as he flies backwards over the boundary. West Indies need 36 off 30.
28th over: West Indies 144-6 (Shepherd 9, Forde 3) Jacks buoyed by the scent of wickets, bounces in. A leg bye, a single, and then a beauty which beats Shepherd to finish the over. Six overs left.
27th over: West Indies 142-6 (Shepherd 9, Forde 2) Buttler picks his time to bring Ahmed back, and West Indies can only pick up two.
26th over: West Indies 140-6 (Shepherd 8, Forde 1) Jacks the dream-spoiler! Collects Carty two balls after he reaches fifty – super knock, but probably not enough.
WICKET! Carty c and b Jacks 50 (West Indies 135-6)
Three for Jacks, who picks up Carty low off his own bowling with a rakeish shake of his floppy fringe.
25th over: West Indies 132-5 (Carty 48, Shepherd 3) Phoar, what a slap! Livingstone fired over extra cover for six by Carty. Ten from the over.
24th over: West Indies 122-5 (Carty 41, Shepherd 0 ) Buttler thinks Jacks has a second in the over with a vociferous appeal for a caught behind off Shepherd. Umpire ignores him – and he has no reviews left. Replay confirms that there was no touch of bat.
WICKET! Rutherford c Crawley b Jacks 3 (West Indies 122-5)
Rutherford thinks he’s got a handle on Jacks, but he’s been done by the flight and Crawley collects a couple of feet from the rope.
23rd over: West Indies 119-4 (Carty 40, Rutherford 1) England’s spinners racing through their overs here, West Indies need to make sure they’re on top of this. Five from Livvy’s over.
22nd over: West Indies 116-4 (Carty 38, Rutherford 0 ) A wicket maiden for Jacks! Looks as if Carty might have to bring this home. West Indies now need 72 from 72 balls.
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WICKET! Hetmeyer c Salt b Jacks 12 (West Indies 116-4)
A shiny cut, but to point where Salt is waiting.
21st over: West Indies 116-3 (Carty 38, Hetmyer 12) West Indies run rate heading towards a run a ball, as they can’t can’t get Livingstone away.
20th over: West Indies 112-3 (Carty 35, Hetmyer 11) A joyful pull over for six off Jack’s last ball by Heymeyer. All blacksmith, whose long day is done.
19th over: West Indies 106-3 (Carty 35, Hetmyer 5) Livingstone sends down a pie, and Carty nearly falls for it, but in the end his hoik falls between two fielders. England lose their last review after Livingstone convinces Buttler to review an lbw shout against Hetmeyer – alas, the replay reveals some bat.
18th over: West Indies 103-3 (Carty 34, Hetmyer 3) Buttler looks as if he’s plumped for Livingstone, but there’s a late switch and Jacks gets the nod. Just singles – with West Indies now needing 85 off 96 balls.
17th over: West Indies 100-3 (Carty 33, Hetmyer 1) Trying to work out who the vocal one is on the field for England – “come on boys, he can’t read you Reh”. But Hope can see an over -pitched ball when it arrives and thumps Ahmed for six. Last laugh for the bowler though, who gets Hope in the teens for the first time in the series. Enter the helmet-less Heymyer.
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WICKET! Hope c Potts b Ahmed 15 (West Indies 99-3)
Hope steps back to usher Ahmed legside, but Potts is waiting at midwicket and collects inches from the ground.
16th over: West Indies 91-2 (Carty 32, Hope 8) Atkinson’s radar a bit wild for the first two – wide - deliveries, then Hope rises onto his toes, into the air, and kisses Atkinson square for four. The next does him like a kipper. A drive is half-stopped in the circle by Duckett, cutting off the four but still bringing two.
15th over: West Indies 80-2(Carty 30, Hope 1)
14th over: West Indies 78-2 (Carty 29, Hope 1) Athanaze picks up a single with an unconvincing edge, before losing his partner to a smashing ball from Atkinson.
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WICKET! Athanaze lbw Atkinson 45 (West Indies 78 -2)
Yorker thuds into the back pad. Looks out, given out on the field…West Indies review, because why spoil the party, but off Athanaze must go.
Key event
13th over: West Indies 76-1 (Athanaze 44, Carty 28) A huge appeal for an Athanaze caught behind off Ahmed’s googly. Not out says the umpire, but Buttler is convinced – however the replay shows the noise comes from the ball brushing the stumps, not the pad. England lose a review. Just one from an excellent over.
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12th over: West Indies 75-1 (Athanaze 41, Carty 23) Atkinson flies in, neat, almost pigeontoed. Carty, light-footed, sends him fizzing just behind square for four. A wide adds to England’s woes, but Atkinson fights back with a couple of dots to finish the over.
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11th over: West Indies 67-1 (Athanaze 41, Carty 23) Ahmed again, Athanaze watches, watches, and at the last moment cuts sweetly for four. Ahmed tosses the ball from hand to hand and returns to the fray. West Indies chugging along nicely at the moment, serenaded by trumpets.
10th over: West Indies 62-1 (Athanaze 36, Carty 23) Carty eyes up a short one from Potts, and swivels, sending the ball flying through backward square for four.
9th over: West Indies 57-1 (Athanaze 35, Carty 19) Time for spin, and Rehan Ahmed, who looks altogether leaner and less soft around the edges than he once did. A boundary each for the batters – a cut for Athanaze and a biff straight past the bowler for Carty – whose touch seems to be returning.
8th over: West Indies 47-1 (Athanaze 30, Carty 14) There is time for one ball from Potts before we pause to replace middle stump cam knocked out by a throw from Sam Curran. Just a couple of singles.
7th over: West Indies 45-1 (Athanaze 29, Carty 13) Curran’s fourth over, tidy, no boundaries, and the last delivery passes in kissing distance of Carty’s outside edge.
6th over: West Indies 40-1 (Athanaze 25, Carty 12) Potts, for the first time in England colours since September. Athanze rises onto his toes and pings him through the covers to the rope, then nudges him round the corner for four more. One more over left of the first power play.
5th over: West Indies 30-1 (Athanaze 17, Carty 12) Curran, skin shiny with sweat, fizzes in, like an irritating fly that you can’t get rid of. Athanaze gets him away with a somewhat fortuitous top edge for four, and the next ball flies in from outside off stump to Athanaze’s surprise. But he finishes the over with another boundary.
4th over: West Indies 21-1 (Athanaze 9, Carty 11) Four more for Carty, as he drives Atkinson through backward point, warmly appreciated by what looks almost a full house. Lots of England shirts, and football shirts, but a scattering of locals too.
3rd over: West Indies 14-1 (Athanaze 7, Carty 6) The palm trees round the ground watch as Curran, bright as a button on the back of his triumphant performance in the second ODI ,scurries in. But that’s a flair-heavy back foot punch from Carty for four.
2nd over: West Indies 8-1 (Athanaze 2, Carty 5) King’s dismissal brings in Carty who had a tough time in the field today. But he’s given a soft ball down the legside which he eases round the corner for four.
WICKET! King c Jacks b Atkinson 1 (West Indies 2-1)
An early breakthrough for England as King flays the ball into the covers and Jacks collects with two hands.
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West Indies innings
1st over: West Indies 2-0 (Athanaze 1, King 1) A swift inswinger first for Sam Curran, who is very keen on the lbw against Athanaze. Buttler not so convinced – was it high? Asks Curran disbelieving. A cracking over has Athanaze prodding like a nighttime duster.
West Indies revised target is 188 off 34 overs
Right, here we are: one bowler can bowl six overs, four can bowl seven. The grass is damp – Badree thinks the general dampness on pitch, outfield and ball should make it advantage West Indies. Here come the players and we try again….
“Does” asks Mark Beadle, “every ball just bounce that bit more from the Joel Garner end?” Very good.
We await updates on the Barbados weather. I think their rain is kinder than the stuff currently swirling around Macclesfield. Do send me your thoughts, this Saturday night, or its just me alone with the remnants of the Quality Street.
The rain restarts.....
Ottis Gibson is out of the TNT studio and in the heat of Barbados. He’s got firm words for the West Indies attack. “I think Forde did well, got the ball in the right place, bowled nicely. I think especially the seamers, there’s a lot of work to do, Alzarri Joseph, he didn’t get it right tonight, Sammy’s got a lot of work to do with the young bowling attack he’s got.” And as he talks, the rain starts to fall, from drips to drops to stair-rods.
Matthew Forde gets the David Gower post-innings chat. “It was always one of my dreams as a child to play for West Indies…. I’m batting my batsmen to chase it [the total] down. The pitch is a little dodgy up front but hopefully a little later it will play a bit truer.
40th over: England 206-9 ( Atkinson 20, Potts 15) Eleven from the final over from Shepherd, as Potts hoops the first ball through midwicket for four, a high full toss is called a no-ball, and fistful of singles. An excellent last wicket partnership of 35 carries England to a decent total.
39th over: England 195-9 ( Atkinson 18, Potts 7) Oh dear, Carty fluffs another in the field, this time a fairly easy one in the covers from Potts that he juggles but can’t hold on to. To make matters worse for Forde, Atkinson then thick edges the next ball for four. England on the cusp of 200.
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38th over: England 186-9 ( Atkinson 13, Potts 3) Wow! Atkinson pulls Joseph’s first ball into the wind and over the rope. the second is swatted finer, bouncing across the grass for four. A tasty bit of fielding by Rutherford saves a boundary and brings Potts to the crease, who tries a fairly average looking ramp. Joseph thinks its got an edge, and West Indies review – it seems unlikely – and indeed the replay shows no bat made contact with ball. To complete a fairly haphazard over, Joseph then has to be beckoned back from fine leg where he has gone to graze thinking his stint is done.
37th over: England 174-9 ( Atkinson 2, Potts 2) Motie’s eighth, and last. Atkinson stares intently through his grill, but can’t really lay bat on it.
36th over: England 172-9( Atkinson 1, Potts 1) Joseph gets another despite his wonky radar in the last over. And this is why – as Curran is done by the slower ball – Motie has no problem collecting out of the black velvet Barbados sky.
WICKET! Curran c Motie b Josephy 12 (England 171-9)
Curran flaps into a slower ball but can only send the ball plopping to deep point.
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35th over: England 171-8(Curran 12, Atkinson 1) Motie from the Joel Garner end – Barbados’ ends more than challenging Antigua’s heady Andy Roberts and Curtly Ambrose ends. Clever bowling from Motie – just threee from it.
34th over: England 168-8(Curran 10, Atkinson 0) At the Malcolm Marshall end, Alzarri Joseph stands and stares. What can he do after five expensive overs? Rehan Ahmed shuffles legwards and pushes the first ball into the off side.Three more singles follow, plus three wides, but also the crucial wicket of Ahmed.
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WICKET! Ahmed c Hope b Joseph 15 (England 166-8)
Ahmed is squared up by a bouncer, swats ineffectively and sends a top edge through to the keeper.
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Steven Finn thinks England should pick up another 50 runs or so in the remaining seven overs… and the players are back on the field. We begin. Again.
Wondering what percentage of a Christmas feast I can burn off by live blogging an ODI. I fear the answer will be disappointing. We get a brief glimpse of a super sopper put-putting across the grass in Barbados, before the ads return.
Restart 1045 GMT
With the match reduced to 40 overs a side, so England have seven more to get a wriggle on. Gives Curran and Ahmed license to have a hit though.
The covers are coming off…
An email drifts and settles into my inbox. Hello Mark Beadle. “ETEA, are the WIndies back? This feels a bit like they might have something to work with.” I agree! There’s some fizz and positivity as well as skill. And what a debut from Matthew Forde in front of his home crowd.
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Sir Alastair throws a dart in Jos Buttler’s direction: “Sometimes being brave is taking it as deep as you can.” Steven Finn dobs over a paper aeroplane: “You can do something in the name of positivity, but sometimes it tips over into recklessness.”
Simon says its now stopped raining, and he’s sent me a live picture of some damp looking grass. In comparison with Jim’s suede carbonara and my Amaretto trifle, he has “a choice of fish or chicken with the basic extras - salad, rice & peas, macaroni pie (made with tagliatelle.”
Our man on the ground, Simon Burnton, reports “intense drizzle”. But he’ll be surprised if its lasts as the days have often been punctuated by showers. Ah, he’s now outside and “it’s almost not raining.” So don’t go away.
Ah, so every three and a half minutes we can’t play, from now on, we lose an over. In the studio, two good looking, dark haired, softly spoken southerners chew the fat. Steven Finn and Alastair Cook, distinguishable by the different (muted) colour of their chinos.
In the crowd, the brollies are up. On the field, the groundstaff in bright yellow rain-jackets pull the covers this way and that.
Rain stops play
33rd over: England 161-7 (Curran 8, Ahmed 13) More quiet rebuilding for England who still have plenty of time – if not plenty of numbers… hang on, what is this? The rain, I’m afraid, has returned.
32nd over: England 158-7 (Curran 6 , Ahmed 11) The new boy, Forde (21), sprints into the young master Ahmed (18) and the old sage (Curran, 25). Forde, shirt untucked, almost rolls to the crease – just two from the first over of his second spell after a rollicking first six.
Hello Kim Thonger!
”We’ve just been watching The Nutcracker and the Four Realms with the grandchildren. The plot; a young girl is transported into a magical world of gingerbread soldiers and an army of mice. A place, I suggest, very like the England dressing room. Helen Mirren plays the Ben Stokes role with some aplomb by the way.”
Sounds wonderful. I know its probably considered a bit basic by ballet aficionados but I have a lot of love for the Nutcracker.
31st over: England 156-7 (Curran 6 , Ahmed 11) Ahmed’s eyes dart left/right before he pings Cariah back over his head, but it is cut off on the rope. Then a flat batted pat for a dot and a push to steal the strike.
30th over: England 152-7 (Curran 5, Ahmed 8) Thanks Jim and congratulations on your mammoth stint – hope the swede carbonara was worth waiting for. I’m just fallen off the vegan bandwagon (again) when presented with my mother in law’s amaretto Christmas trifle. Anyway, to the field, where Sam Curran picks off a single off the pads – and Rehan Ahmed plays back four dots before pinging Shepherd uppishly through extra cover for four.
29th over: England 147-7 (Curran 4, Ahmed 4) A single to Curran off Cariah after four dots brings Rehan on strike for his first ball. Shot! A sumptuous cover drive threaded in the gap for four runs.
Ending for now on that Rehan drive, here’s the masterly Tanya Aldred to tag in for the foreseeable. I might be back later on depending on how this goes. Thanks for your comments and company, Tanya – over to you!
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WICKET! Livingstone c Rutherford b Shepherd 45 (England 142-7)
A scrappy innings come to an end as Livingstone cue ends another hoick to wide mid-on. Still, valuable runs for England in the circs and he stuck it out with Duckett for a decent amount of time. Rehan Ahmed comes to the crease, he’s a real livewire with bat in hand – this could be fun!
28th over: England 142-7 (Curran 3, Ahmed 0)
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27th over: England 140-6 (Livingstone 44, Curran 2) Cariah keeps things tight for the Windies. Just a couple off his latest. Time for another drink. I’m wolfing down some swede carbonara knocked up by my beloved. Brian Withington would probably pair it with a drop of Advocaat… or carton of Um Bongo?
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26th over: England 138-6 (Livingstone 43, Curran 1) Fantastic over from Shepherd, he removes Duckett with a fairly regulation length ball that was plinked to midwicket by the batter who shuffled off with head bowed. Shepherd then follows up with four dots to keep England tied down. Sam Curran is the new man in the middle. Can West Indies finish the job in Barbados?
WICKET! Duckett c King b Shepherd 71 (England 137-6)
Shepherd returns and gets the breakthrough!
25th over: England 137-5 (Duckett 71, Livingstone 43) Cariah comes back on with his leggies… three singles are followed by a SIXAH! Livingstone connects with a heave to leg and it clears the leaping fielder on the rope.
24th over: England 128-5 (Duckett 69, Livingstone 36) DROP! Livingstone loses his shape once again in an attempt to go stratospheric and is dropped by Carty in the deep! That could be costly, but right now Livingstone isn’t looking in particularly sparkling knick.
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23rd over: England 121-5 (Duckett 67, Livingstone 31) Motie continues his frugal excellence – just three runs off it.
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22nd over: England 118-5 (Duckett 65, Livingstone 30) Joseph returns and England enjoy pace being back on the ball – SEVENTEEN runs off the over. Duckett and Livingstone hitting high and proud into the stands for six apiece and Duckett swatting across the line to pick up four more.
21st over: England 101-5 ( Duckett 54, Livingstone 24) Motie continues in impressive fashion, he has 0-15 from his five overs, England can’t get the spinner off the square in Barbados.
20th over: England 97-5 ( Duckett 52, Livingstone 22) Ben Duckett goes to a patient fifty.
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19th over: England 91-5 ( Duckett 48, Livingstone 20) Motie continues in parsimonious fashion. Just three singles off it as this bating partnership creeps towards fifty.
Brian Withington is having a lovely evening:
”Evening James, I’m dimly reminded of a Saturday evening pink ball Test match session versus West Indies (I think) back in the day. I recall extolling the delights of watching cricket accompanied by an Indian takeaway to an enraptured OBO community, although some may have been appalled by my pairing it with a NZ Chenin Blanc. This evening it’s Chinese and a Canadian Riesling Icewine. Edgy.”
Enraptured eh Bri? Don’t think I’ve ever achieved that status on here.
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18th over: England 88-5 ( Duckett 47, Livingstone 18) Cariah oversteps to give Livingstone the chance to open his shoulders at a FREE HIT. Haha. A wild swipe from Livingstone as he dances down and tries to change the atomic structure of the ball with a ferocious hack… but he misses it completely.
Bonjour to Robert Wilson!
“Dear James, greetings from Paris and all that but also how dare you! I can’t believe you talked of golf balls on concrete in that airy way. I’m having flashbacks. That’s exactly how I learned to play cricket during the Windies heyday in the fabled backyard with my mutinous and resentful younger brothers. A recipe for internecine bloodletting on a grand scale, I’m sure you’ll agree. But once you added the fact that we were working class Belfast Catholics and thus condemned to GAA only schools, it got very ugly indeed. All our cricketing knowledge came from the television and we were unquestioning victims of the foreshortening effect of the behind the bowler view. We had no idea how long a pitch might be. Thus my blackhearted siblings bowled said golf ball on said concrete FROM ABOUT TEN OR ELEVEN FEET AWAY. Full pelt and then some. I ended up with a ropey off-side game but I was very good at ducking.
Apologies if I’ve mentioned it before but you made it all come flooding back.”
Loved that, Robert. Hopefully the physical bruises, at least, have faded. My cricketing childhood had a similar vibe:
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17th over: England 84-5 ( Duckett 45, Livingstone 17) Motie keeps it tight from the other end, three singles off it.
“Thanks to Simon McMahon for his heads up about the Ghost Stories for Christmas album.” Says Tom V d Gucht. “I’ll be adding that straight to my list of Christmassy listens... Unfortunately, I’ve built up such an extensive portfolio of music, audio books, films, TV specials that I try to obsessively plough through during the Xmas season that I’ve taken to create a two tiered spreadsheet of everything I want to see... The gold tier includes The League of Gentlemen Christmas special, the original Lion the Witch and thebWardrobe, Elf, Gremlins, Christ Priestly’s Christmas Tales of Terror, Tom Wriggleworth’s Hang-ups, a Spotify playlist of reggae Christmas songs... and it slowly filters down to the likes of National Lampoon’s, Krampus, a Spotify playlist of brass band renditions of Christmas pop music, Robin Robin...
There’s so much to absorb that I normally have to start in mid-November especially as new additions keep cropping up.”
Everybody’s on a barge drifting down the endless stream of great TV, Tom.
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16th over: England 81-5 ( Duckett 43, Livingstone 16) An expensive start for Cariah as England pick up ten runs off his first over. Duckett swipes a full ball for four through the covers.
“Eke and eek” says Andrew Benton. “And they’ll never survive another 30 overs. Nor perhaps even ten.”
Tiny shoots, Andrew…
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15th over: England 71-5 ( Duckett 38, Livingstone 11) Motie twirls away in the first over back after a slurp. England are slowly recovering, just two singles off the over. Hope goes to spin at both ends – leg-spinner Yannic Cariah is given the nod.
14th over: England 69-5 ( Duckett 37, Livingstone 10) A better over for England who head for a drink having picked up eleven from Alzarri Joseph’s latest. A short ball sits up for Livingstone to pan through mid-wicket for four.
13th over: England 58-5 ( Duckett 32, Livingstone 4) Gudakesh Motie replaces Ford as Hope turns to spin for the first time. England are watchful, no big shots, nudges and nurdles only. Three off the over.
12th over: England 55-5 ( Duckett 30, Livingstone 3) The increasingly impressive Matthew Forde is into his sixth over on the bounce and England can only muster two from it. Joseph backs him up with another probing over that England manage to eke four runs off.
Guy Hornsby is looking forward to golden slumbers:
“Evening James, and welcome everyone to a 90s throwback white ball innings collapse. This is like something out of the 1999 World Cup, such is the haplessness of the batting so far. But we also look back to India’s T20 style disintegration of 6 weeks ago. Buttler needed time to get going last time, so he naturally hooks first ball. Crawley looked surprised the ball even hit him. Still, perhaps they’re just giving everyone watching in England a bit of sleep back, which is nice.”
11th over: England 51-5 ( Duckett 28, Livingstone 1) Ben Duckett is still there for England and he brings up his side’s fifty to extremely muted applause. Livingstone nudges to square to get off the mark. What can England manage here? They’ll also fancy a bowl on this lively surface. You’d think 200 is still a minimum though.
“Harry Brook in danger of picking up a reputation as a nervous runner.” Suggests Mark Beadle. “The hesitation did for him here.”
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10th over: England 49-5 ( Duckett 27, Livingstone 0) Fabulous over, two wickets snared as Sir Garfield looks down from the stands appreciatively. Liam Livingstone is the new man and he needs/owes some runs.
WICKET! Buttler c Motie b Joseph 0 (England 49-5)
Sayonara Jos! Two in the over for Alzarri Joseph and West Indies! A well directed short ball gets too big on Buttler and his top edged hook shot is swallowed by Joseph at long leg. Hear that? It’s England’s batting card creaking like a storm battered oak/my knees post a game of Friday night five-a-side.
WICKET! Harry Brook run out (Joseph) 1 (England 48-4)
Gone! The slightest hesitation does for Brook as he scampers a quick single and is run out diving for his ground at the non-strikers end. Direct hit from Joseph swooping in, West Indies absolutely on one.
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9th over: England 47-3 ( Duckett 25, Brook 1) What an opening spell this is from Matthew Forde, he has 3-16 off his five overs and West Indies are on top at the end of the first Powerplay. West Indies have a gun bowler on their hands by the looks of it. His control and accuracy has been as impressive as the wickets.
WICKET! Jacks c Hope b Forde 17 (England 45-3)
Back of a length, zip off the pitch, feather of an edge to the keeper! Forde has his third wicket (he could easily have had five by now) and Jacks has to go. Here comes Harry Brook with the crowd up and rocking in Bridgetown!
8th over: England 45-2 (Jacks 24, Duckett 17) Duckett gets after Shepherd and takes him for three boundaries off the over! A short ball is pulled to the rope and followed up by two crrrrrunching drives through the covers. England punching back.
7th over: England 33-2 (Jacks 17, Duckett 12) Forde is into his fourth over and nearly snares his third wicket – a lofted drive from Jacks just creeps over the infield and plops safe.
6th over: England 27-2 (Jacks 13, Duckett 10) More positive from England who collect seven from Shepherd’s latest, the highlight a dismissive lofted drive from Jacks to a ball that sat up outside off stump.
“Evening, James”
Back atcha, Simon McMahon.
“If it’s Christmas melancholy you’re after (always) look no further than the greatest partnership never to open the batting for England, Aiden Moffat and RM Hubbert, and their album Ghost Stories for Christmas. The whole album is wonderful, with both original songs and covers, the best known being Lonely This Christmas, and this one…”
5th over: England 20-2 (Jacks 11, Duckett 7) Another probing over from Forde under increasingly leaden skies. Another steepling length ball nearly does for Jacks as he fends off uppishly to midwicket. Just a single off the over.
Very gloomy conditions, moisture in the wicket and feels like it's about to rain again: these conditions might just have reminded Crawley and Duckett of their horrible passage against Australia in the Edgbaston Test last summer
— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) December 9, 2023
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4th over: England 19-2 (Jacks 9, Duckett 6) Forde looks a real prospect, lovely repeatable action and he’s landing it on a postage stamp outside off stump at the moment. Shepherd is a bit looser at the other end – Duckett collects two from an over-pitched delivery but is then beaten by an absolute snorter that pings off the pitch like a golf ball whanged down on a shiny slab of concrete. This pitch looks particularly spicy to me, if the bowlers get it right then it could be a batters graveyard.
Men in yellow ponchos are appearing on the boundary edge… it looks a bit grey, more Bridlington than Barbados at the moment.
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3rd over: England 11-2 (Jacks 6, Duckett 1) This pitch has got plenty of life in it, perhaps as a result of being left to sweat under covers for a few hours. Ben Duckett is the new man and wisely gets off the mark first ball with a clip to leg. Jacks picks up two through the covers.
WICKET! Crawley c Athanaze b Forde 0 (England 8-2)
Crawley takes a stride down the wicket but is undone by pace and bounce – the ball rearing onto his glove and ballooning an easy catch to the slips. Forde has bagged a brace on debut in front of his home crowd! What a start to his ODI career from the 21 year old! England in the sticky stuff.
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2nd over: England 8-1 (Jacks 4, Crawley 0) Romario Shepherd starts at t’other end with two slips in place. The trumpets are blaring in Barbados. Four dots are followed by a sublime straight drive from Jacks, showing the makers name and holding the pose.
12 ODI innings in a row without facing more than 30 balls for Phil Salt.#WIvENG
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) December 9, 2023
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WICKET! Phil Salt c Joseph b Forde 4 (England 4-1)
Matthew Forde has a wicket in his first over on debut. Salt had crunched a drive for four through point earlier in the over but it was a tame dismissal – a miscued drive barely reaching Joseph at mid-off who took a decent catch diving forward. Zak Crawley lomps out to the crease early doors.
1st over: England 4-1 (Jacks 0, Crawley 0)
Is Phil Salt out caught at mid-off?
A plinked drive in the first over is caught by a tumbling Alzarri Joseph at mid-off and they’ve sent it upstairs. I think this is OUT.
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The players take to the field and take a minutes silence to mark the passing of Joe Solomon and Clyde Butts. “Out hearts, minds and thoughts are with their families” says Ian Bishop on the commentary.
Right, here we go. Matthew Forde, the debutant, is going to start with the new white orb, Salt and Jacks opening up for England. Play!
Here are the teams:
West Indies: Alick Athanaze, Brandon King, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (C & WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Matthew Forde
West Indies have selected 21-year-old allrounder Matthew Forde for an ODI debut, Oshane Thomas misses out.
England: Will Jacks, Phil Salt, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (C & WK), Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Matt Potts
Buttler confirms that Potts has come in for Carse due to the latter being a bit poorly.
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West Indies win the toss and decide to bowl
Shai Hope calls the coin correctly and inserts England with a bit of weather knocking around. It is 43 overs per side with three bowlers being allowed to deliver nine overs each and two eight overs each. Keep up. The first powerplay will be nine overs and the last eight overs. Play is due to begin in just over ten minutes time.
Stand by your beds! We have the possibility of cricket! Toss at 19.10 GMT for a 19.30 GMT start, it’ll be a 43 overs per side game if all goes to plan.
“I was not at the Botham miracle at Headingley in 1981.” Chimes Stephen Hart. “Although every man of my generation with even a vague interest in cricket apparently was. If I had a pound for everyone who has said to me, ‘I was there, mate’, I’d be a very rich man. However I was at the Stokes Headingley miracle in 2019.Honestly.”
Ha. Yes there are definitely a few out there telling porkies/beefies about being there in ‘81. Look at the empty seats!
I gave my brother Will and sister-in-law Lucy my tickets for the Stokes day at Headingley ‘19. I wasn’t being altruistic either, I just thought England were going to get pummelled and it would be a depressing way to spend a morning.
Greetings to Rob Glossop who has a few tight finishes up his sleeve:
“Hi James,
Well, given 30 adult years of following England cricket, there have been plenty involving leather and willow - including a wife-annoying dinner on lap for WC final super over - but 37 years following Oldham Athletic has offered more great escapes (and even more dismal non-escapes).
My favourite is probably the earliest, where Division 2 (as was) West Ham’s name was already being engraved on the promotion trophy as 2nd place Latics were 0-2 down to Sheffield Wednesday, before we clawed it back to 2-2. Future Oldham hero (as player and manager) John Sheridan hauled down Latics’ Andy Barlow for a 92 min pen, and Neil Redfearn’s spot kicked his way into the history books. How did I ‘watch’ it? Stranded in the Southeast, it was of course through the pixely pre-internet joy of Ceefax + Final Score. Insurmountable Nirvana. But Ben Stokes has come close once or twice, eh?”
Lovely, nothing like following a nail biter by hook or by crook – here’s how I had a breakdown followed that same final *Warning – includes heavy doses of schmaltz*
Archer. Guptill. Roy, Buttler, Bails! Relief. Joy. Tears.
Go on then, here’s another on heavy rotation in the Wallace household right now.
No news from the ground, as you may have gathered, but I’m having a lovely time. Hic!
Lovely this, from Joseph Guntrip:
“I watched the Headingley 2019 Test in the bar of the Hilton hotel in Sunderland with my brother and cousin ahead of our grandmother’s 90th birthday party that evening. We were relegated to watching a phone as they showed the football on the TVs, and we missed the winning runs because the BBC sport notification saying we had won vibrated the phone off its precarious perch against a glass!”
Would never have happened with the OBO Joseph!
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Still drizzling in Barbados. I’m tempted to open the mulled wine, have already got the Christmas tunes on, the tree is up and the windows are fogged here in South London. I’m always on the lookout for off-beat festive tunes or cover versions, don’t get me wrong I’ll crank some Wizzard and Mariah when the time is right but I’m all about some festive melancholia – the Smith and Burrows album has plenty – this one is a jaunty earworm though.
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What is Christmastime without a bit of forced fun eh? As it seems we have a bit of hokey cokey time to kill let’s get the egg nog and mince pies out and settle in by the crackling OBO fire (eco-friendly fuel of course, this is The Guardian and Monbiot could be following…) in honour of Joe Solomon’s passing and his aforementioned role in the tied Test – let’s collate some of your favourite tight finishes and how you were following the action (cricketing mainly obviously but I’m open to other options).
I was lucky enough to be at Headingley for the Woakes and Wood show during the Ashes this summer and at the Oval for Broad’s (slightly sickly) swansong. Both induced some cuticle chewing. Another from recent times is England’s single run defeat to New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in February. I was on the OBO for that one and losing my mind in the wee small hours.
The covers are now being pulled back on. Ho Ho Ho.
Good news! We will have the toss at 1.50pm local time (17:50 GMT) and a start time is pencilled in for 2.10pm (18:10 GMT).
Hello and err Boooooo to Michael Bromley…
“Sitting in St Thomas to the north east of the Oval (where the rain typically comes from) it is currently fine but there are dark clouds more or less all around. I’m not sure there’ll be a finish even if the game starts.”
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Joe Solomon was, of course, the man who was involved at the nub end of the original tied test between Australia and West Indies in Brisbane in 1960/61.
Here’s Frank Keating on that incredible finish and Solomon’s pivotal role in it:
Wes Hall’s final over: eight deliveries, either six runs or three wickets. Suddenly, it’s scores level, two balls left for either one run or one wicket for victory.
A breathless hush. Hall thunders in, the tailender Kline makes edgy contact and calls his mate Meckiff for the 22-yard winner. But at square-leg, Solomon has pounced. He steadies himself and, with just one stump visible, he tumultuously bullseyes it in a convulsive, conclusive clatter.
Joe (80 last August) remembered vividly. To him an accurate aim was as natural as breathing. “The secret is balance, to be four-square steady as I took aim. You see, I was an east Indian country boy from Berbice, in the sticks, and before we could walk we’d be pitching marbles; later we’d steal ripe mangoes by downing them with sharp little flat stones, not aiming at the fruit, of course, but at their stalks.”
He chuckles on: “I still thank God for those two throws – I know my fame would have been of a very different sort if they’d have missed.”
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It seems like if and when the players do emerge that both sides might be largely unchanged but with the potential for a Durham duke out - Matt Potts has been seen marking out his run up and would likely come in for county teammate Brydon Carse.
In sadder news, both teams will be wearing black armbands in memory of Joe Solomon, the former West Indies batter who died yesterday aged 93, and the former spinner and selector Clyde Butts, who was killed in a car crash in Guyana, also yesterday. There will also be a moment’s silence shortly before play begins.
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Promising news from Simon at the ground:
“Covers still on, but it’s brightened considerably. It’s rained quite a bit over the last couple of days, but in brief bursts with a lot of dry weather in between, so that might be the end of it. Obviously we’re going to start late, but no word yet on when.”
A Rainy Night Afternoon in Soho Barbados
Nick Cave performs 'A Rainy Night in Soho' at the funeral of Shane MacGowan in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, this afternoon. @virginmedianews pic.twitter.com/G17PmNYi1l
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) December 8, 2023
Covers on and the toss has been delayed. More as we get it. The weather is due to improve so there is every chance we’ll get a truncated game at some point.
As we wait for further news from Barbados - and I think I saw some blue sky on the TNT sports coverage – England’s women have duffed up India at the Wankhede Stadium to go 2-0 up and out of reach in their T20I series.
Our man on the ground is Simon Burnton and he whangs over an email from Barbados with slighly iffy news:
“Afternoon! The bad news from Barbados is that the covers are on, and it’s raining (lightly). The clouds are thick and dark, you can barely see the hills behind Bridgetown, and though the weather forecast is fine it is also demonstrably wrong.”
Gah. Thoughts and prayers to Simon’s suntan.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the OBO of the third and deciding ODI between West Indies and England. The series is tied at one apiece after the first two matches in Antigua – Shai Hope pulling off a spectacular heist for his side in the first match only for Jos Buttler’s men to hit back on Wednesday with a convincing six wicket win.
All eyes on the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown today then to see if Buttler and co can get their white ball train back on the tracks after a disastrous World Cup and ahead of five T20 matches against the men in maroon this side of Christmas. For Shai Hope and West Indies - today gives them an opportunity to notch their first win against a Full Member nation in a bilateral series since they defeated Sri Lanka in March 2021.
Play gets under way in Barbados in just over 30 minutes’ time, 1.30pm local time.
I’ll be back before then to bring news of the teams and the toss, please do drop me some Christmas post into the OBO mail sack with your thoughts, theories, musings and mirth. Once more unto the breach!
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