The big picture: The battle of experience versus capabilities
It has been an unexpected clash of ideologies in the Caribbean so far. In Thursday’s one-sided defeat, the value of experience was abundantly clear across Evin Lewis’ match-winning attack: despite having been away from ODI cricket for three years, his muscle memory was perfectly attuned to the challenge, as he overcame the threat of the new England ball. To demolish his opponents in barely 25 overs. In the process, he crossed his 2000th career run in this format, more than double the tally of England’s most experienced batsman in this format. [checks notes] …Adel Rashid. That hard-line narrative took control of the fight with an iron fist over the series midway through Game 2 on Saturday. Shai Hope is obviously a good cricketer, but who would have imagined that his ODI record would one day rival that of Chris Gayle, Brian Lara and Desmond Haynes? However, his 17th over in this format was as finely paced as ever, filled with the kind of belief in better times that England’s top four coaches in T20 can only guess will achieve, given how rarely they have been asked to go. Average overs in a 50+ game.
Hope faced nine different players during his innings, which is certainly a record of some description. On the one hand, this was a tribute to England’s wealth of options, as a new generation of cricketers arrived on the scene with two professionally serviceable series in each bracket. On the other hand, it was proof that more is less, with Liam Livingstone’s management becoming ever more disorganized with each new change in the field.
But then, suddenly, those old certainties collapsed and an entirely new narrative took hold. One in which the power of responsibility rose to England’s empty experience, kicking off an improbable final series.
Sam Curran had been higher than No. 7 just once in 32 ODIs before this campaign, and Livingstone had been higher than No. 6 just twice in 30. But both men responded to the hour of need with the intelligence the management could have hoped for. To coax out this experimental band.
Curran’s 52nd delivery was far more valuable than it looked on paper, providing heft through the middle that enabled England to take the deep chase, before Livingstone, the unlikely leader of England’s six captains across formats this summer, dropped the bomb after that. Bomb after bomb. He hit nine sixes in total, a tally surpassed by only three England players in a 50-match contest. And if you glance at the final scorecard, once we’ve chased down a challenging target of 329, you can almost believe we’re back to our pre-2019 peak, when such feats of self-confidence served as a huge motivator. A daily occurrence.
So, what philosophy will capture attention – and the series – in Barbados? The stakes are much higher than they seemed three days ago, with the West Indies looking to secure a first series win since England’s last visit 11 months ago, not to mention vital rankings points as they plot their way back to the top table after missing out. In the 2023 World Cup.
As for England, Marcus Trescothick’s embrace of his captain was touching as the players left the field in Antigua. The interim England coach admitted last week how difficult it is to strike the right balance between nurturing new arrivals to the team and developing the winning culture that the white-ball style of play had previously taken for granted. There is now an unexpected opportunity to achieve both goals in one fell swoop.
Form guide
West Indies LWWLL (last five ODIs, most recent first)
England WLLWW
In the spotlight: Shimron Hetmyer and Jordan Cox
Shimron Hetmyer got a license to be violent Saturday afternoon, and he got it…if only briefly. There were 10.1 overs of the innings remaining when West Indies’ No. 6 bowled out to mid-on – the kind of scenario he usually enjoys in the T20 format. However, this time, his side had 234 for 4 on the board already, and he did his bit to push them past 300 with three sixes in his first ten deliveries. But then he dug in looking for a fourth, cruising for 24 off 11 balls. However, this was the second-highest from his seven innings since his return to the ODI squad in July 2023, after 32 off 30 balls, also against England, in December. Like many of his counterparts in England, his unfamiliarity with the form seems to be holding him back, but the talent and potential are undeniable. It’s a big few months for Jordan Cox, one of the most fascinating figures on the fringes of England’s international set-up. His restless ambition is evident – by his own admission, almost to the point of arrogance – but the England management generally likes what it sees. This opportunity to bat at number three in the restarted ODI line-up, before a guaranteed three Tests as Jimmy Smith’s wicket-keeping replacement, means he has until Christmas to make a real case for his long-term inclusion in their plans. However, four games into his England career, he is struggling to make much progress. Despite the confident projection of belonging to the middle overs, he has managed 21 ODI runs off 50 balls this tour, and was bounced around in somewhat naive fashion by Shamar Joseph on Saturday. His legendary playing style was also off the boil, which is perhaps a suggestion of pre-occupation. He has not wasted his chance yet, but with the loss of several key batsmen for this tour, he could find himself dropped to the bottom of the pecking order unless he shows his true colors soon.
Team news: Some surprises ahead with the series on the line
West Indies could consider bringing back Alzarri Joseph after namesake Shamar was expensive on his debut in the second ODI.
West Indies: 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Casey Carty, 4 Shai Hope (captain and week), 5 Sharvan Rutherford, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Ruston Chase, 8 Alzarri Joseph/Shamar Joseph, 9 Judakish Moti, 10 Matthew Ford . , 11 Jayden Sills
England’s temptation to reform will be tempered by a series on the line.
England: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Will Jacks, 3 Jordan Cox, 4 Jacob Bethell, 5 Liam Livingstone (captain), 6 Dan Moseley, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jamie Overton/Saqib Mahmood, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Jofra Archer . 11 John Turner
Pitch and Conditions: Weather is a factor again
Five years ago, England and the West Indies scored 724 runs in an ODI at Kensington Oval, but there have been only two scores above 300 in the 11 matches since then. The surface “appears to have a little bit of moisture currently,” Hope said previously. Thunderstorms forecast again could cause outages.
Stats and trivia
The West Indies have won 19 of their previous 42 ODIs at Kensington Oval, including each of their last two matches against India and England in 2023. England boast a head-to-head win with the hosts in Barbados, with seven wins and six defeats in 13 meetings. A precedent since 1986. England had their highest successful ODI run chase at the ground in 2019, achieving a target of 361. England are seeking their first bilateral ODI series win since beating Ireland in September 2023.
quotes
“I always preach consistency. For us to be considered an elite team, we have to be consistent, we have to put performances together. It can’t always be one or two games in a row, we’ve got to make sure we close it down and play good cricket all the way through.” “
Shay Hope wants his team to back up their showing in the series opener
“After the first game, we talked about how much time we had and even with the ball, being a little bit patient. He doesn’t learn on the job but he learns from your mistakes and I think we did that well from the first game. If we can win 2-1 it will be a big achievement for the group.” “Young woman.”
Sam Curran on England’s learning curve
Andrew Miller is the UK editor for ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
