Key events
1st over: England 6-0 (Salt 5, Jacks 1) Akeal Hosein starts with his left-arm twirl. Customarily accurate, Phil Salt manages a biff down the ground for four. Salt and Jacks run well to pick off two further singles.
West Indies were 117-8 off 14.4 overs in Barbados – the sort of position that would have led other teams to consolidate. Not this side.
West Indies scored 65 from the last 5.2 overs: some high-risk hitting, but their intent was completely vindicated.
— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) November 9, 2024
Here come Salt and Jacks. Here come West Indies with a spring in their step.
West Indies finish on 182-9
England need to chase 183 runs to win! They had West Indies on the rack at 69-5 and 110-7 but a thrilling comeback courtesy of Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd sees West Indies set an imposing total. Curran’s final over goes for 16 runs as Shepherd flicked a full ball off his toes for a sublime six behind square and followed up with scorching drive over cover and into the crowd. Shepherd finishes unbeaten on 35 off 22 balls. Not long for England to lick their wounds, their chase will get underway in a little over five minutes time.
19th over: West Indies 166-9 (Shepherd 17, Shamar Joseph) West Indies are right back in this game. Sam Curran is coming on to bowl the last over.
WICKET! Motie c Mousley b Mahmood 33 (West Indies 166-9)
Gudakesh’s Motie’s highly entertaining and extremely crucial cameo comes to a close and it is just reward for Saqib Mahmood who finishes with 4-34 off his four overs. Mahmood mixed up his lengths to keep the batters guessing and eventually snared Motie off his ball, a cutter into the pitch that was flicked to Mousley on the midwicket fence.
18th over: West Indies 162-8 (Shepherd 17, Motie 32) Welcome to the death overs, Jamie Overton. Motie gets lucky with a cuff past the keeper for four but there’s nothing spawny about Shepherd who clips full ball off his pads with a flourish to add four more through midwicket.
17th over: West Indies 141-8 (Shepherd 12, Motie 27) Sam Curran can’t stop the Motie flow. Eleven runs off the over as Motie flays consecutive drives through the covers for four. Pre-meditated and expertly executed, Motie is seeing it like a beachball in Barbados.
16th over: West Indies 141-8 (Shepherd 11, Motie 18) Anything you can do Gudakesh… Romario Shepherd pongoes Livingstone through cover for four. Runs flowing for West Indies just when England might’ve been dreaming of a low target. Motie gets four in the same area a couple of balls later, what a cameo this is from him!
15th over: West Indies 129-8 (Shepherd 6, Motie 12) Hello gruesome! Gudakesh Motie arrives at the crease and spanks his first ball over long on for SIX. Cripes! Motie means business, the next ball is hit like a tracer bullet back down the ground for SIX more! Rashid picked up the wicket and then immediately crashed back down to earth with two lusty blows to end the over.
WICKET! Hosein lbw b Rashid 2 (West Indies 117-8)
A tale of two reviews! Rashid has Hosein guessing and grasping, sliding a leg-break onto the pads, the umpire deciding it is hitting and raising the digit of doom. Hosein reviews and the ball is actually adjudged to be sliding down past the leg stump. Not out! That one is though – Rashid sends down a carbon copy that is crucially a tad straighter. Given out on the field and this time the DRS doesn’t come to West Indies rescue.
14th over: West Indies 117-7 (Shepherd 6, Hosein 2) Shepherd pulls Overton for four behind square to keep West Indies ticking. Akeal Hosein joins him in the middle to try and blunt England’s surge.
WICKET! Pooran c Buttler b Overton 38 (West Indies 110-7)
Another stonkingly good catch by Buttler, who needs the gloves eh? Overton hits the middle of the pitch and Pooran tries to flay away off the back foot but can’t control it, a top edge looks to be looping over Buttler but a well-timed leap sees the returning captain pull off another excellent diving catch. Windies in trouble now with the set man on his way back to the hutch.
13th over: West Indies 109-6 (Pooran 38, Shepherd 1) Romario Shepherd joins Pooran and nurdles a single to get off the mark.
WICKET! Russell c Mousley b Livingstone 30 (West Indies 108-6)
Livingstone has the last laugh as Russell tries to clear the fence once more but splats it straight to Mousley on the cover boundary rope. Big wicket that one in more ways than one.
England’s seventh bowler of the evening is Liam Livingstone. He nearly gets a wicket with his first ball as Russell miscues going for huge swipe but the ball somehow falls safely between three converging fielders in the deep. THAT IS OUTTA THE GROUND! Russell smashes Livingstone and the ball flies clean out of the stadium. Box office stuff.
12th over: West Indies 100-5 (Pooran 38, Russell 22) Curran goes full and sends down some cutters with the pace off. Eeeesht! A surprise bouncer from Curran whistles past Russell’s nose and Curran finishes an excellent over with a wel executed yorker that nearly knocks the big man Dre Russ off his feet. The hundred comes up for West Indies with eight overs to go.
11th over: West Indies 96-5 (Pooran 35, Russell 21) Andre Russell opens up his gargantuan shoulders and smokes Rashid for consecutive sixes over over the leg side! Fifteen runs off the over as West Indies punch back, England won’t breather easy while these two dangerous shot makers are out there. Time for some Sam Curran.
10th over: West Indies 81-5 (Pooran 34, Russell 8) Jamie Overton into the attack, he slams the ball into the deck and has Pooran and Russell on the back foot, still the batters do well to work for singles. Slammed but this time for SIX! Overton is lined up, another short ball is sent absolutely miles off the bat of Russell who gives zero reaction. Time to take on board some electrolytes (them) and pizza (me). Drinks.
9th over: West Indies 71-5 (Pooran 32, Russell 2) Andre Russell joins Pooran in the middle, West Indies need someone to stick with Pooran. A couple of watchful singles to end the over.
WICKET! Rutherford c Buttler b Rashid 2 (West Indies 69-5)
Whadda grab by Jos Buttler! That’ll bring a smile to his face. Electric reflexes at slip to pouch a thick edge from a back foot drive by Rurtherford. England take another and Rashid has two wickets in no time at all.
8th over: West Indies 68-4 (Pooran 30, Rutherford 2) Debutant Dan Mousley is given a bowl, he scuds down rapid off spin… the first ball of which is a horrible full toss that is duly moosed away into the crowd by Pooran for SIX. Settle down, son. Mousley does, finds his length and Pooran can only nurdle a solitary single off the rest of the over.
7th over: West Indies 61-4 (Pooran 23, Rutherford 2) Sherfane Rutherford is the new batter, he works Rashid off his pads for two runs. Three runs and the wicket off Rashid’s first over, he’s so often England’s saviour with the white ball in hand.
WICKET! Rovman Powell c Overton b Rashid 18 (West Indies 59-4)
Adil Rashid called for and gets the breakthrough! Powell tries to go big again and would have had six if it wasn’t for the towering figure of Jamie Overton leaping at mid on to pluck the ball out of the air. Brilliant catch, England continue to pick up wickets.
6th over: West Indies 58-3 (Pooran 22, Powell 18) Pooran joins the party, slamming Mahmood for SIX off the back foot, the ball sailing high into the stands. Clever batting from Pooran who runs the ball off the face and in the gap wide of third for four. Frustration for England. HUGE! Pooran spanks another SIX over midwicket. “Carnage by Nicky P” says Carlos Braithwaite on commentary. Spoken by a man who knows.
5th over: West Indies 39-3 (Pooran 5, Powell 17) Reece Topley is out there, all eyes on him for the next few balls. What a shot! Rovman Powell pings the first ball back over mid on for SIX. Holds the pose and why not, that was liquid batting. Oh no. Topley cuts a disconsolate figure and leaves the pitch after that one ball, there’s something clearly not right with him. That’s bad news for England and a personal disaster for Topley.
Shut your face Wallace, here come the players and the sun is shining. We’ll have play imminently!
The official re-start if given as 5pm local time, ten minutes away. However, there’s been some sort of super sopper spillage on the outfield which has left some unsightly skid m… hang about don’t say that in The Guardian mate, stains on the outfield. Stay tuned as this turns into the inevitable time and soul sapping farce.
Nothing to see here, whaddya mean it looks like a lot of sand? Can’t have enough of the stuff. It’s the Caribbean doofus!
WEATHER WATCH: I maybe spoke too soon, there’s some grey and ‘orrible stuff lurking at the back of the ground apparently. What is wrong with you Barbados?!
Rain stops play – West Indies 33-3
Now then, the players have gone off the field but for what looks like only a short delay as the sun is still shining. There’s some concern about Reece Topley who slipped sending down a short ball that was scythed for SIX off the top edge by Powell. The big bowler hitting the deck hard and then walking off the field very gingerly afterwards. He’s had such bad luck in his career with things like this, fingers crossed it is isn’t anything serious.
4th over: West Indies 33-1 (Pooran 5, Powell 1) Phew. What an over from Mahmood, pocketing Lewis and Hetmyer with back to back deliveries. The ball to see the back of Hetmyer was a beauty – shaping away on a good length outside off stump and the new batter could not resist a fiddle at it. West Indies in trouble as Captain Powell joins Pooran in the middle and all of a sudden it starts to belt it down with rain…
WICKET! Shimron Hetmyer c †Salt b Mahmood 0 (West Indies 18-3)
Mahmood on a hat-trick! Hetmyer gone first ball! Exclamation mark!
WICKET! Evin Lewis c Bethell b Mahmood 13 (West Indies 18-2)
Heaved away and caught in the deep! Mahmood strikes again and good diving catch inches above the turf by Jacob Bethell at mid-wicket.
3rd over: West Indies 17-1 (Lewis 13, Pooran 1) Topley mixes up his lengths well, Pooran tries to get after him but can’t connect, a gloved single off a short ball brings Lewis on strike and he duly pumps a ball in his arc down through mid on for four. Easy as that. Six runs off the over.
2nd over: West Indies 11-1 (Lewis 8, Pooran 0) Nicholas Pooran is the new batter and he blocks his first ball and the last of the over. A successful one for Mahmood and England.
I fell asleep in the cinema earlier. Woke up with popcorn stuck all over me and walked out looking like I was about to film a CGI movie a la Andy Serkis. Go on then, how’s your Saturday?
WICKET! Brandon King c Overton b Mahmood 3 (West Indies 11-1)
Full. Too full from Mahmood. Southpaw Lewis gets on the front foot and drives away handsomely for four. Lewis looks in fine fettle, he cracked 94 against England a week or so ago and notched a century against Sri Lanka in Pallekele just a few days before that.
The openers exchange singles. Lewis on strike and GONE! Advancing down the track and losing his shape, a splat straight to Jamie Overton at short cover. England get an early one.
1st over: West Indies 4-0 (King 2, Lewis 2) Singles are the order of the day in the first over, something that Ian Bishop on the tv commentary is enthused by, he reckons it is an area for improvement for this side who can be a bit boundary or nowt. “Good length, well played, single” the big man purrs. Decent start for Topley, Mahmood is going to start from the other end.
The players are headed out onto the field, it looks a breezy day in Bridgetown, maroon and red shirts billowing. Reece Topley is going to open up with the new white ball. Brandon King and Evin Lewis will open for West Indies. England need some early wickets, the home side’s batting line up is one to drool over and be cowed by.
After his level eleventy meltdown on the field the other day, Alzarri Joseph has had his knuckles rapped with a two match suspension.
“I recognize that my passion got the best of me” said Joseph after the event. Words that simply wouldn’t wash at my gaff.
What do you mean you’ve got plans on a Saturday night? Too good for the OBO now are we? Do get in touch if you are tuning in, the email link is loitering on the left flank of this page. You can fling me a tweet too but I probably won’t read it. #EliteHonesty
Confirmed Teams:
West Indies: 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Rovman Powell (c), 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Andre Russell, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Shamar Joseph
England: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Will Jacks, 3 Jos Buttler (c), 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jacob Bethell, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Dan Mousley, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Saqib Mahmood, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley
Buttler will bat at number three, he’s only done that a handful of times before and he’s also relinquished the gloves to Phil Salt. He wants to focus on his batting and giving his all to leading the side.
England win the toss and choose to BOWL!
Buttler’s first act upon returning to the fold is to win the toss under sunny skies in Barbados. He says that England, in modern parlance, will prefer to chase.
“There was a bit of rain yesterday so there might be some moisture.” Buttler tells Ian Bishop. “I’m excited to get back in the middle. Jofra is missing, Overton, Topley, Mahmood play, and it’s the usual top seven.”
Windies captain Rovman Powell admits he would have done the same had he won the toss. “We’ve got to keep on improving” Powell says from behind Judge Dredd style shades. “In years gone by we were just trying to compete, now we’re trying to beat them.”
Preamble
James Wallace
They called Leonard Cohen ‘The Godfather of Gloom’ and ‘The High Priest of Pathos’. Pithy nicknames but both misnomers, really. Behind the molasses and tobacco baritone and faltering flamenco Cohen was far from a miserabilist, his words often appearing as if drenched in the Hydra sun – warm, fruity, smutty, sensual.
This is about cricket you plank, what are you crapping on about? Well, bear with me for just a line or two more. I’m bringing us on to Jos Buttler.
You might know him as England’s greatest ever white ball batter, all whip-crack wrists and ice-veined composure. A player of such class and confidence he was made England’s white ball captain after Eoin Morgan hung up his armband. And yet, the F*** It famously scrawled on Buttler’s bat handle offers a glimpse into his own fragility.
As England’s results have soured and curdled so too did Buttler’s on pitch performances and off pitch demeanour. A taciturn and tetchy Buttler became the norm, his watery blue eyes darting, seeking out perceived slights, his jaw perma-clenched readying for a scrap. Any boyish charm had been lost to a sort of bristling insecurity. Captaincy and professional cricket in general can do that to you.
The discrepancy between Buttler at his shimmering, primal and pyrotechnic best and the insecure, slumped shouldered Eeyore in a Cinch branded baseball cap of recent months became quite stark. The guy looked like he needed a break and he ended up getting one, albeit because he got injured.
A calf injury has kept Buttler on the sidelines for five months, in that time Matthew Mott was given his cards and Brendon McCullum the reins – to the white ball squads in addition to the Test one. ‘Baz’ duly noted that his priority task in the role was to shake Buttler out of his “miserable” (McCullum’s word, not mine) stupor and bring back the joy. To reinvigorate Sad Eyed Jossy of The Low Scores, take a sad song and make it better, prise open a crack and let some f***** light in.
McCullum lies in wait but Jos Buttler returns to action today in Bridgetown in the first of five T20 matches against West Indies. Play begins in just over half an hour at 8PM GMT and the toss is imminent…