England sank to their fifth successive series defeat within the Caribbean as twin a whole lot from Brandon King and Keacy Carty helped the West Indies cruise to victory on this ODI decider.
On a difficult Barbados surface with tennis ball bounce and early movement, England stumbled to 24 for 4 after 9.5 overs before Phil Salt curbed his attacking instincts in a battling 74 from 108 balls.
Dan Mousley’s 57 off 70 deliveries – his first international fifty – plus 40 from Sam Curran was followed by riotous late-innings cameos from Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer but a complete of 263 for eight was overhauled by eight wickets and 7 overs to spare by the Windies.
Overton claimed a wicket in his first over but England’s seamers and spinners alike were largely nonthreatening as King and Carty capitalised on higher batting conditions under floodlights.
King ended a run of 12 innings without an ODI fifty by amassing 102 off 117 balls while Carty’s 128 not out off 114 deliveries was his maiden international hundred, lifting the Windies to a 2-1 series win.
England lost each white-ball series last yr, in addition to in Tests and T20s in 2022, while this was a thirteenth reverse in 20 ODIs for a side which have given youth and inexperience a probability on this visit.
First Innings
After losing the toss, England’s work was cut out for them at a ground where the chasing team have won seven of the past eight ODIs and so they were in serious trouble early on a seamer-friendly pitch.
They didn’t help themselves as Will Jacks nicked off, while Alzarri Joseph took out his apparent frustrations at field placings with a 92mph bumper that brushed the glove of Jordan Cox, whose muted begin to his England profession continued.
Jacob Bethell was provided width but his cut was wolfed up by a terrific Roston Chase catch before Liam Livingstone, whose unbeaten 124 on Saturday squared the series in Antigua, edged a loose drive through to Shai Hope.
England Fightback
Having watched the carnage unfold at the opposite end, Salt led the rebuild, putting on 70 with Curran then Mousley, because the opener batted against type, steadily accumulating over outright attacking.
While he deposited Romario Shepherd over deep midwicket, Salt, dropped on 52, succumbed to his first proper show of intent, albeit following an outstanding relay catch as King plucked the ball out of the air before offloading just as he was about to tumble over the rope to the by-standing Joseph.
Mousley attacked the Windies spinners after which tucked not far away for 4 after Romario Shepherd tripped in his delivery stride and fell over, which left Sherfane Rutherford having to select up the slack.
After a quickfire 32 off 21 from Jamie Overton, Archer launched three leg-side sixes in his 38 not out off 17 – his highest rating for England and bettering his previous ODI better of eight not out.
Rutherford conceded 44 in his final two overs, including 25 off the last, as Overton and Archer ushered England to a complete in excess of 250, which might have seemed fanciful just a few hours earlier.
Windies’ Reply
Archer, though, was punched through the covers for 2 fours by King on the outset of the reply because the Windies raced to 65 for one after 10 overs, with Overton making the breakthrough when the damaging Evin Lewis was too late on a pull and miscued to Adil Rashid within the ring.
Batting, though, seemed much easier under lights for King, handed a reprieve on 44 when Salt grassed a difficult probability standing up, and Carty, who was given out lbw on 13 off Livingstone only to be saved by a faint edge.
The pair otherwise moved unperturbed to their fifties, with spinners Rashid and Livingstone just like the fast bowlers before them unable to stop the regular flow of runs.
Cox put down King on 86 off Archer, who threw his head back in despair at the prospect going begging.
It accomplished a forgettable tour for Cox, who flies back to the UK on Thursday, skipping the T20 series, ahead of his involvement within the Test trip to Latest Zealand, where he is ready to be England’s wicketkeeper.
Carty was first to achieve his ton off 97 balls with a carve backward of square for his eleventh 4, to go together with two sixes, with King following suit in the following over off 113 deliveries.
Topley took out King’s leg stump but Carty’s fifteenth 4 hastened the top for England, who must now regroup for the five-match T20 series starting in Bridgetown on Saturday.
