(ESPN Cricinfo) – West Indies made light work of their run chase under the Kensington Oval floodlights, centuries Keacy Carty and Brandon King setting up a dominant eight-wicket win that sealed a 2-1 series victory over England last night.
Carty’s maiden hundred from 97 balls made him the first cricketer from St Maarten to reach the landmark for the West Indies. He was followed to three figures by King, who made the most of being dropped twice with a timely knock, his first 50-plus score in ODIs since the World Cup Qualifier in July 2023. Their double-century stand, eventually worth 209, was the highest for the West Indies against England in the format.
England had scrapped their way up to what might have been a competitive total after a nightmare start saw them 24 for 4 at the end of the first powerplay. Phil Salt knuckled down to play his longest international innings in terms of balls faced, while Dan Mousley was inventive on the way to a maiden ODI fifty. With an injury to Romario Shepherd forcing Shai Hope to turn to Sherfane Rutherford – whose 3.5 overs at the death disappeared for 57 – England had at least given themselves a glimmer.
It took one ball of the reply to suggest that conditions for batting had eased, as King spanked Jofra Archer’s opening gambit through the covers. He did the same to the second delivery, with Archer’s first three overs eventually costing 24 – and although Jamie Overton claimed a first ODI wicket with his third legitimate ball, Evin Lewis bounced out for 19, the West Indies were already up and running.
King finished the powerplay by bashing Reece Topley for two fours in three balls, putting the West Indies ahead of the asking rate at 65 for 1 after ten. And while Carty, who picked up his first four by gliding Topley behind square in the same over, had some uncertain moments against the leg-spin of Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone early on, the second-wicket pair were soon motoring towards the target.
Rashid’s first three overs had gone for just seven, but King pumped him down the ground for six to mark a shift in the mood. An edge off Livingstone evaded Salt’s gloves when King was on 44, and the West Indies opener went to a 60-ball fifty in the next over, clubbing Rashid emphatically through midwicket.
Carty had been given out lbw to Livingstone’s first ball but reviewed in the knowledge that there was bat involved. He cut and swept consecutive boundaries in the same over and later launched Rashid over the deep midwicket boundary as the West Indies steadily brought the required rate down while negotiating England’s seven bowling options. After bringing up a 61-ball fifty, Carty again took back-to-back fours off Livingstone before doing the same to Sam Curran.
A muscular pull for six off Topley ended up in the crowd at deep midwicket, as Carty overtook his partner, followed up by a flat-batted four down the ground. Having surpassed his previous ODI best of 88, he reached his hundred with a glide for four off Jacob Bethell’s left-arm spin – removing his helmet and raising his arms aloft as applause rolled around the ground.
The moment was repeated at the start of the following over as King, who also saw a cut-off Archer burst through the hands of Jordan Cox in the covers on 86, swatted the same bowler through fine-leg to raise his third century in the format. King was bowled by Topley with 13 required, but the result was beyond doubt.
The alacrity with which the West Indies hunted down their requirement amply demonstrated why both captains had wanted to bowl first at the toss. Shai Hope, who grew up at Kensington Oval, said he was “not sure what we’re going to get” from the surface – but his seamers certainly knew how to exploit the conditions, leaving England four down and tottering inside the first powerplay.
The main source of discomfort for the West Indies early on came via an extraordinary on-field contretemps between Alzarri Joseph and Hope, the fast bowler seemingly unhappy with the field set for England’s No. 3, Cox. Joseph could be seen repeatedly remonstrating with his captain from the top of his run-up, and he took his frustration out on the batter, Cox barely seeing a 148kph/92mph lifter that flicked the glove on its way through. Joseph didn’t celebrate and walked off at the end of the over, briefly leaving the West Indies with 10 men on the field.
Matthew Forde had already struck in his second over, responding to being driven for four by Will Jacks with a similar delivery that went away just enough to take the outside edge. Shepherd then enjoyed immediate success when replacing Joseph, as Bethell slashed at a wide delivery only to be spectacularly held by the leaping Roston Chase at point. When Livingstone fell to another catch at the wicket trying to force a drive off Shepherd, England were flat-lining at 24 for 4 with one ball left in the powerplay.
One of the England batters still standing was Salt. His half-century in the second ODI was the first time he had batted through the powerplay since June 2022, but he backed up that effort in Barbados – albeit 11 not out off 26 balls told of England’s struggle.
He found useful allies in Curran and Mousley, adding consecutive stands of 70 for the fifth and sixth wickets. Curran, again up the order at No. 6, was proactive from the outset but fell looking to take on Chase’s off-spin. Mousley then continued the rebuilding effort, with Salt grinding away to a 79-ball fifty – by far the slowest of his five in ODIs.
England were 163 for 5 at the end of the 40th but lost Salt in the following over, King’s athleticism at deep midwicket resulting in a comfortable relay catch for Joseph. Shepherd then collapsed after catching his studs in the turf and had to be helped from the field as the momentum shifted again.
Mousley fell shortly after reaching fifty, but lower-order cameos from Overton (32 off 21) and Archer (38 not out off 17) saw Rutherford’s medium-pace take a battering and 100 runs bleed from the last ten overs. That ended up as a footnote after King and Carty took charge.
