ENG VS WI ODI

And with that, the curtains come down on this series. Shai Hope collects the trophy and then joins his teammates for the celebratory pictures. All smiles in the West Indies camp as they savour the victory. But the England tour of the West Indies is far from over. The attention now shifts to the upcoming T20I series, with the five-match contest set to kick off right here in Bridgetown, Barbados. The first T20I will take place on 9th November, Saturday with the first ball to be bowled at 8 pm GMT. As always, you can join us early for all the build-up. Until then, take care and goodbye!

The skipper of West Indies, Shai Hope says that they were disciplined and to be an elite team, it is important that you do it consistently. Shares that his players are doing a lot of work off the field and they are reaping the rewards. Feels that this series showed that when they are challenged, they have the ability to fight back. Tells that he is really happy with the way the batting unit performed and appreciates the bowlers for their efforts.

Matthew Forde is the PLAYER OF THE SERIES for 8 wickets in the series and a great knock with the bat in the second ODI. He says he was really surprised to bag this award. Talks about his variations with the ball and says it was about keeping it on that good length and with assistance from the wicket he just had to keep things tight. Talks about the collective team effort and mentions that they respect the opinions of one another and the brotherhood is really strong.

The captain of England, Liam Livingstone says that they fought back really well and that the boys batted really well at the end. Tells that it was a disappointing end to the series but there were a lot of positives for them in this series. Mentions that some of the young boys would have learned lessons of gold from the first trip. Adds that they were missing a lot of important players in this series. Ends by saying that it was a massive honour to lead the country and he loved captaining the side.

Brandon King is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his superb ton. He says he has been getting starts but hasn't been able to capitalize but this came at the right time. Adds that he trusts his ability and sticks to the process. Appreciates Keacy and says he was fluent from the outset and helped him well in the middle. Talks about his catch and says the momentum was taking him outside the rope and luckily Alzarri was there to support and concludes that this has been one of his best knocks.

Time for the presentation ceremony....

Earlier in the game, Shai Hope followed the trend at this venue and opted to chase. The drama unfolded as soon as Alzarri Joseph was introduced into the attack. Seemingly frustrated with a field setup disagreement, Joseph stormed off the field after taking a wicket in his first over. Romario Shepherd stepped in, striking twice in his opening spell to leave the tourists reeling at 24/4. Phil Salt then anchored England’s recovery with two crucial 70-run partnerships, first with Sam Curran and then with Dan Mousley. Though Salt and Mousley couldn’t provide the finishing touches, Overton and Archer unleashed an aggressive burst in the final overs to propel England to 263. For West Indies, Matthew Forde was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 35 from his 10 overs, including a maiden. Alzarri Joseph and Romario Shepherd chipped in with 2 wickets each while Roston Chase had a solitary wicket to his name.

The West Indian chase began promisingly, aided by an English new-ball attack that struggled to find its rhythm early on. Although Jamie Overton’s introduction brought a breakthrough, it didn’t do much to stem the flow of runs. King looked as assured as ever, while Carty grew in confidence as the innings progressed. Soon, both batters were matching each other shot for shot, and the game quickly turned into one-way traffic. Both batters reached centuries during their 209-run stand, with Carty's being a maiden ODI hundred, making it even more special. King couldn’t stay until the end, but Carty, along with captain Shai Hope, guided West Indies home with 7 overs to spare.

An emphatic victory for the West Indies as they clinch the series in style! Chasing 264 turned out to be a stroll in the park for the hosts. Beyond just a series win, this triumph also brings crucial points in the race for direct qualification to the 2027 ODI World Cup. Despite the series loss, it hasn’t been all doom and gloom for the visitors. With as many as four players making their ODI debuts, they lacked experience but will take away valuable lessons from this series.

FOUR! What a way to wrap up the game and the series! Keacy Carty take a bow! All class and dominance on that shot to finish things off as West Indies win by 8 wickets! Short of a length, on middle and leg, Keacy Carty jabs it out through the gap in between mid-wicket and square leg for a boundary.

Back of a length, on middle and leg, Keacy Carty dabs it to mid-wicket.

Scores are level! On a back of a length, on middle and leg, Shai Hope hops back and tucks it to mid-wicket for a single.

On a good length, over off, Keacy Carty cuts it to deep cover for a single.

WIDE! On a length, but down leg, Keacy Carty tries to help it on its way but misses.

FOUR! Shot of authority! Reece Topley drags the length down and over middle, Keacy Carty stays rooted in the crease and pulls through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Full, outside off, Keacy Carty drives it to the left of Cox at cover who dives and stops it.

Tossed up, on off, Shai Hope looks to drive but miscues it down the deck. West Indies need 8 more runs to win!

Looped up, on middle and leg, Shai Hope clips it in front of deep square leg for a brace.