close
close

Guiltandivy

Source for News

    • WI vs ENG 2024/25, WI vs ENG 3rd ODI Match Preview
    Update Information

    WI vs ENG 2024/25, WI vs ENG 3rd ODI Match Preview

    Kathleen William Posted on

    Big picture: The battle between experience and potential

    So far there has been an unlikely clash of ideologies in the Caribbean. In Thursday's one-sided defeat, the value of experience was looming large in Evin Lewis' winning run: despite being away from ODI cricket for three years, his muscle memory was well-adjusted to the challenge as he fended off England's threat with the new ball Destroying opponents in just under 25 overs. In the process, he managed to surpass his 2000th run in the format, which is more than double the tally of England's most experienced batsman in the format (see notes)… Adil Rashid.

    That battle-tested narrative had the series firmly in its grip by halftime of Saturday's second game. Shai Hope is clearly a good cricketer, but who would have thought that his ODI record would one day rival that of Chris Gayle, Brian Lara and Desmond Haynes? And yet his 17th hundred in this format was as exquisite as ever and full of belief in better times that England's T20-trained top four can only imagine given how rarely they were asked to persevere in the fallow middle overs of a 50 -Over game.

    Hope faced nine different bowlers over the course of his innings, which is certainly a description of some significance. On the one hand, this was a tribute to England's wealth of opportunity, as a new generation of cricketers comes onto the scene with two professionally maintained strings at each bow. On the other hand, it was proof that more is less, as Liam Livingstone's management became more and more confused with each new change in the field.

    But then suddenly these old certainties collapsed and a completely new narrative took hold. One in which the power of responsibility penetrated England's experience gap and brought about an unlikely series finale.

    Sam Curran had only batted higher than No. 7 once in 32 ODIs before this campaign, and Livingstone had batted higher than No. 6 only twice in 30. But both men responded to the hour of need with exactly the kind of courage management was hoping for had to lure out of this experimental group.

    Curran's run-a-ball 52 was far more valuable than it appeared on paper, providing the ballast in the middle overs that allowed England to go deeper before Livingstone, the least likely of England's six captains in all Formats this summer, after which a bomb was fired, bomb after bomb. He hit nine sixes in total, a tally bettered by only three English players in a 50-over competition. And looking at the final scorecard, you could almost believe we were back in the team's pre-2019 heyday, when the daunting target of 329 was reached with spare overs and wickets a daily occurrence.

    So which philosophy will win – and the series – in Barbados? There is significantly more at stake than it seemed just three days ago. The West Indies are eager for their first series win since England's last visit 11 months ago, not to mention important points in the rankings, as they plot their way back to the top of the table after missing out on play at the 2023 World Cup .

    As for England, Marcus Trescodick's joyful embrace of his captain as the players left the pitch in Antigua spoke volumes. England's interim coach admitted last week how difficult it was to find the right balance between nurturing the squad's newcomers and cultivating the winning culture this white-ball side once took for granted. Now there is an unlikely chance to achieve both goals in one fell swoop.

    Form Guide

    West Indies LWWLL (last five ODIs, most recent first)
    England WLLWW

    Spotlight: Shimron Hetmyer and Jordan Cox

    Shimron Hetmyer had a license for violence Saturday afternoon, and he took it… if only for a short time. There were 10.1 overs of the innings left when West Indies' No.6 strolled into the middle – the kind of scenario he usually enjoys in the T20 format. This time, however, his team was already 234 for 4 on the field and he did his part to take them past 300 with three sixes in his first ten shots. But then he holed out in search of a fourth and scored 24 from 11 balls. Still, it was the second highest of his seven innings since returning to the ODI setup in July 2023, after his 32 from 30 balls, also against England, in December. Much like his English counterparts, his unfamiliarity with the format seems to be holding him back, but his talent and potential are undeniable.

    It's a big few months for Jordan Cox, one of the most fascinating characters on the fringes of the England national team. His restless ambition is palpable – almost to the point of arrogance, by his own admission – but the English management largely like what they see. This opportunity to bat as Jamie Smith's wicketkeeping understudy at No.3 in the relaunched ODI line-up ahead of three guaranteed Tests means he has until Christmas to make a serious case for his long-term inclusion in their plans. However, four games into his England career, he is finding it difficult to make much progress. Despite the confident prediction of starting in the middle, he has managed 21 ODI runs in 50 balls on this tour and was dismissed by Shamar Joseph in a rather gullible manner on Saturday. His legendary on-field effort was also out of control, perhaps suggesting he was biased. He hasn't missed his chance yet, but with so many key batters missing from this tour, he could fall down the pecking order if he doesn't show his true colors soon.

    Team news: There are few surprises ahead as series are on the line

    West Indies could consider bringing back Alzarri Joseph after his namesake Shamar was expensive on debut in the second ODI.

    West Indies: 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Shai Hope (Capt & WK), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Roston Chase, 8 Alzarri Joseph/Shamar Joseph, 9 Gudakesh Motie, 10 Matthew Forde, 11 Jayden Seales

    England's temptation to tinker is tempered when a series is on the line.

    England: 1 Phil Salt (Week), 2 Will Jacks, 3 Jordan Cox, 4 Jacob Bethell, 5 Liam Livingstone (Capt), 6 Dan Mousley, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jamie Overton/Saqib Mahmood, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 John Turner

    Pitch and Conditions: Weather is again a factor

    Five years ago, England and the West Indies scored 724 runs in an ODI at Kensington Oval, but since then there have been just two scores over 300 in 11 games. Hope previously said the surface “looks like it has a bit of moisture in it at the moment” . The forecast of thundershowers could lead to disruption again.

    Statistics and interesting facts

    • The West Indies have won 19 of their 42 ODIs at Kensington Oval so far, including their last two appearances against India and England in 2023.
    • England had a successful encounter with the hosts in Barbados, with seven wins and six defeats in 13 previous meetings since 1986.
    • England managed their most successful ODI chase at the ground in 2019, reaching a target of 361.
    • England are aiming for their first bilateral ODI series win since beating Ireland in September 2023.

    Quotes

    “I always preach consistency. To consider ourselves an elite team, we need to be consistent and string together our performances. It can't always be one or two games in a row, we've got to make sure we get it done and play good cricket all the time.”
    Shai Hope wants his team to back up its performance in the series opener

    “After the first game we talked about how much time we had and how much patience we had despite the ball. It's not about learning on the job, it's about learning from your mistakes and I thought we did that pretty well from the first game.” “If we can win 2-1 that would be a huge achievement for a young group.”
    Sam Curran about England's learning curve

    Andrew Miller is the UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket

    Tagged:

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Kathleen William
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like

    ads