Here’s the report.
So, England’s biggest ever win in T20 cricket. As Morgan says, they managed to adapt to the different conditions, the pitch, the grey skies, and a bad start. A clever, charming, innings from Joe Root, a barnstorming one from Sam Billings, wonderful bowling from Chris Jordan - “quick deliveries, back of a length” and important wickets from David Willey.
So after losing the Test series and drawing the ODIs, England will come away from the West Indies with a trophy after all. The final T20 game is on Sunday, a last chance for England’s players to make a bid for World Cup places before the games against Pakistan. OBO will be (virtually) there. That’s it from me, goodnight!
Player of the match is Sam Billings for his highest IT20 score.
“It was a nice situation that I could give myself a bit of time and then cash in at the end. It was a matter of getting a partnership together, and the knowledge that, with small boundaries, if you’ve got two blokes in at the end, anything is possible. Cricket is a momentum game, there is plenty to play for both as individuals and a team.”
England captain Eoin Morgan:
“I’m extremely proud. We didn’t get off to the best start, but we adapted to conditions extremely well. We had our backs against the wall at 20-4, but that partnership between Joe Root and Sam Billings was superb. I still think we have to keep on learning, the majority of the runs have to come from your top six so we’ve got improvements to make for the game in two days time.”
We’re at the presentation ceremony now. First Jason Holder:
“One of those games... we just need to regroup. The best day we had in terms of our fielding performance but at the half way stage we would back ourselves to get this at St Kitts. But we lost crucial wickets at the power play and it went downhill from there....”
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Much praise for Chris Jordan (2 overs 4-6) from Nasser Hussain and Mark Butcher. As Nasser says, how fortunate for England that they have this mystical figure called Jofra Archer up their sleeve....
West Indies 45 all out. England win by 137 runs.
Well, that was West Indies lowest total in T20 internationals and the second lowest total in IT20 history. It was an absolute thrashing by England, who now have the self-confidence and the personnel to recover from a terrible start.
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Bishoo c Billings b Plunkett 5
Bishoo takes a wild swing and is caught by that man Billings reversing at cover and that is curtains.
11th over: West Indies 41-9 ( McCoy 1, Bishoo 1) McCoy is having an interesting debut - coming in at 39 for 9 to face the legspinner. He manages a single, as a beautiful sail boat lingers in Sky’s lens.
WICKET! Cottrell b Rashid 2
Straight through! Bootiful!
10th over: West Indies 39-8 ( Cottrell 1, Bishoo 1) Plunkett tries a bouncer at Cottrell, who doesn’t look entirely comfortable, hiding his head under his wing and defending desperately.
Avitaj Mitra is mulling over the summer.
“How do you rate West Indies’s chances at the World Cup?Clearly, the mercurial talent is there, and on their day, they can be unbeatable. (Especially if Gayle fires)But is it realistic to expect them to get to the semis at least?
I reckon they’re worth a punt on team-spirit alone Avitaj. But England look the more complete side (though they too are prone to a bad day)..
9th over: West Indies 37-8 ( Cottrell 1, Bishoo 1) Bishoo has come to the crease dressed as the michelin man, wearing a chest pad that seems to have been cut, roughly, from his grandma’s sofa. Two from Rashid’s over, not that it really matters.
8th over: West Indies 35-8 ( Cottrell 0, Bishoo 1) Plunkett gets in on the act. Can any of the West Indies batsmen practise a little gentle gardening, a soft tap, an ambling single?
WICKET! Hetmyer c Willey b Plunkett 10
Hetmyer sends Plunkett into the stratosphere - when it eventually returns Willey initially flunks it , slips, and catches the rebound on his sizeable chest.
7th over: West Indies 33-7 ( Hetmyer 9, Bishoo 0) What a shambles from the West Indies batsmen. Brathwaite slogs Rashid for a straight six and then, trying out a ridiculously ugly swipe ends up both inelegantly on his bum, and out.
WICKET! Brathwaite c Willey b Rashid 10
Brathwaite tumbles over trying to pull Rashid, and hits straight to David Willey on the boundary.
6th over: West Indies 14-4 ( Hetmyer 7, Pooran 0) A second consecutive double-wicket over for Jordan. Are they talking about him at ECB HQ for one of those bowling spots in the World Cup squad? Looking superb with the new ball here - more than just the thinking bowler that Rob Key says he used to be known as.
WICKET! Allen c Root b Jordan 1
Jordan sends down another exocet and Allen kindly guides the ball to Joe Root at second slip. Jordan has 4 for 3!
WICKET! Pooran c Bairstow b Jordan 1
Another superb ball by Jordan, it rose rapidly, took a brush of the bat and another easy catch for Bairstow.
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5th over: West Indies 14-4 ( Hetmyer 7, Pooran 0) Hetmyer taps Willey off his pads for a much-needed boundary, but only six runs off the over with one more to go in the power play. The light are coming on round the ground as the sky darkens.
4th over: West Indies 14-4 ( Hetmyer 1, Pooran 0) Pooran plays straight back at the hat-trick ball and Jordan has to settle for just the two wickets in the over. Sky point out that it is a game specifically for bowlers in the power play!. What do West Indies have up their sleeve though for the later overs?
WICKET! Holder lbw Jordan 0
Golden duck for the West Indies captain! Holder shuffles across, plays across the line and Jordan hits him, possibly a little high, on the pads. Jordan on a hat-trick...
WICKET! Bravo c Bairstow b Jordan 0
Jordan send one straight through Bravo, super quick, simple take for Bairstow.
3rd over: West Indies 13-2 ( Hetmyer 1, Bravo 0) Just watching that catch again - it could have been really nasty, but Tom Curran realises just at the last second that a collision is imminent and turns his head slightly to the side. Anyway, a game-changing (?) two-wicket over from Willey.
Hope c Morgan b Willey 7
Morgan somehow holds on to the catch after colliding with Tom Curran in the process as they both blindly went for it. A proper thud with both of them ending up on the ground. All seems well though.
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WICKET! Gayle c Root b Willey 5
Willey puts one in the slot and Gayle, wooden as a top, obediently tips him to Joe Root at mid off. A huge wicket for England.
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2nd over: West Indies 7-0 ( Gayle 5, Hope 2) Tom Curran, man of the moment -four dot balls, fast, full and straight, then a bouncer that Hope swings at, without making contact. Five dot balls! Finally a run! What an over.
1st over: West Indies 6-0 ( Gayle 5, Hope 1) Willey looking for swing, and West Indies watch warily. Willey follows Nasser’s advice to the letter until the last ball which is a half volley on Gayle’s pads and, bob’s your uncle,thanks very much, he flicks it for four.
Nasser Hussain has a plan for Chris Gayle. “ You can’t bowl anywhere near Gayle’s legs, what you are going to have to do is hide the ball outside off and hope it swings.” Let’s see if England try it - the players are out, we’re off.
What a comeback from England - after a disastrous first six overs. Root played beautifully, you’d never have known he’d had such a long time between sips. And Billings was just brutal in those last overs. England’s 182 is the highest IT20 total made here - and Nick Knight thinks he might have misread the pitch before the game, and scoring is more difficult than he’d thought. Rob Key disagrees and thinks it is a par score. Knight then reports than Chris Gayle has his serious face on. So, chew on that. I’m just going to grab a cup of tea, see you in a few minutes.
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20th over: England 182-6 ( Willey 13) Holder gives the ball to McCoy - a baptism of fire with Billings in this mood. A pep-talk follows after Billings lambasts his slower ball high and into the crowd for six. It doesn’t work that well: Billings twists his bat and reverse-swots him to the boundary the very next delivery. Then, my sweet Lord, Billings hits high, so high, it tumbles down and Hetmyer drops him. Then six more over long off as Brathwaite tries to tip the ball back over the boundary but ends up escorting it on its way. Then four more, crack, over midwicket. Then that wicket at last, for poor old McCoy. I fear he’ll wake up in a cold sweat over that over.
WICKET! Billings c Hope b McCoy 87
A straightforward catch by Hope as Billings is out to the very last ball of the innings, but only after coming alight in the last handful of overs, and changing the game.
19th over: England 160-5 (Billings 65, Willey 13) Brathwaite starts the over not having conceded a boundary... but concedes one immediately as Billings takes a huge stride into the off side and paddle-sweeps over his shoulder for four. Then another, a lucky man’s inside edge that Hope can do nothing about to the short boundary. Next, a club, nothing more complicated, straight for four. This is now Billing’s highest IT20 score. Ha! Now Willey joins in -six, 81 metres, hitting the media stand. 22 runs from the over.
18th over: England 138-5 (Billings 52, Willey 6) Farcical scenes as England try for a quick single, as Holder fluffs the ball, but then Billings sends Willey back, in by inches. England running the fielders ragged but clever bowling by Holder means that the batsmen manage only six. Chris Gayle loves this ground, you suspect that this won’t be enough...
17th over: England 131-5 (Billings 51, Willey 0) Billings sweeps Cottrell’s first ball for four - his penchant, they tell us on Sky. Then a terrible bit of fielding by Hetmyer on the boundary as the ball wizzes towards him, then, somehow, through him, and over the boundary. Then, SWAT, over long on and onto the dug-out cool box for six, to reach his fifty. Four, Two, Four, Six, Single, Single.
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16th over: England 114-5 (Billings 32, Willey 0) Brathwaite keeping it tight and England crack - Billings, who must have been overdoing the Sunny Delight such is his jitteriness, overestimating the speed of his captain. We enter the end game and a pink sky candyflosses over St Kitts.
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WICKET! Root run out (Allen/Hope) 55
Super bit of fielding by Allen, 60 metres away. Billings called Root back for a crazy single for a mature colt and Root, running so hard he careered into Hope in his efforts, is given out without having to go upstairs.
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15th over: England 110-4 (Billings 32, Root 53) Root nudges McCoy, with the gentlest of touches, a kiss, a caress, past the short third man for four. Next ball again, if slightly less graceful, then another through backward point and Root has his longed-for fifty. “SEE” he says to us all. “SEE”
And incidentally from John Little:
Obed or rather oběd means lunch in czech. Lunch McCoy has a certain ring
Im sorry to say, because he has a lovely smile, but Root is eating him for lunch here.
14th over: England 94-4 (Billings 31, Root 38) Billings shuffling around the crease like a man nervously awaiting a nasty injection . He tips and taps then Holder bowls a short one and he pulls, with a rapier bat, for four. Eight from the over.
13th over: England 86-4 (Billings 25, Root 36) We see the new boy, Obed McCoy - who will be wanting to make amends for that tricky dropped catch. Root takes a huge swing at him but the ball falls down from the stratosphere just short of the mid-wicket fielder. Then a huge appeal for a run-out against Billings which goes upstairs - but he is IN thanks to a law-change that says if the bat bounces after you’ve grounded it, you are still in. Six from McCoy’s over. He is tall, athletic looking, quick.
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12th over: England 80-4 (Billings 22, Root 33) Holder returns as the palm trees pose incongruously against a grey sky. Billings pulls a short ball from Holder for four, but only one more from the over as Holder sees Billings shuffling to leg and follows.
11th over: England 75-4 (Billings 18, Root 32) 12 off Bishoo’s over. A beaut of a straight drive from Billings, then Root swings at a long hop and dispatches it for four through backward square leg
10th over: England 63-4 (Billings 13, Root 26) Billings takes a huge side step and tries to force Allen away, but ends up slicing it away to third man. Gets his own back with a boundary. Then Root on-drives, low,... but it slips through McCoy’s fingers on the boundary. A good over, in the end, for England
9th over: England 55-4 (Billings 10, Root 20) Another bowling change. Bishoo, a little chap in a big man’s game, tosses it up nicely and England don’t have the wickets in the bag to risk hauling him over the boundary. Six singles from the over - Billings, eager, Root, cautious.
8th over: England 49-4 (Billings 7, Root 17) Nearly a perfect storm of yes-no-wait as Root sends Billings back but Billings beats the throw. England tipping and tapping their way through the nerves.
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7th over: England 44-4 (Billings 4, Root 13) Brathwaite keeps it tight, a couple of leg-byes boosting England’s rather sparce looking offering - more marmite sandwich than pastrami on rye.
6th over: England 39-4 (Billings 1, Root 12) Allen getting tricky turn on this pitch, Denly walked off looking rather foolish Lovely four from Root to the last ball of the over.
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WICKET! Denly b Allen 2
Whoops - Denly drags it on trying to cut ostentatiously. England with one foot in the mire here
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5th over: England 32-3 (Denly 2, Root 8) Brathwaite, the ball after Morgan’s send off, produces the juiciest of jaffas, jagging the ball in a tissue-paper from pinging the top of off stump. Holder using his bowlers well.
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WICKET! Morgan c Hope b Brathwaite 1
A bowling change does the business as Morgan shuffles and nudges behind, and Hope takes smashing catch down the leg side
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4th over: England 29-2 (Morgan 1, Root 7) Hales’ demise comes the ball after he’d whalloped Allen 81m high into the stand - an off drive to be reckoned with, but, alas, not for long. Root’s chance to end that 3-year wait for a T20 fifty?
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WICKET! Hales c Brathwaite b Allen
Hales, down on one knee, takes a huge sweep and is superbly caught by Brathwaite running backwards
3rd over: England 21-1 (Hales 2, Root 6) Cottrell’s last ball driven straight for four, beautifully by Joe Root. West Indies fielding showing the fruits of a two-hour fielding session this morning. Bairstow curses from the boundary.
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WICKET! Bairstow c Bishoo b Cottrell 12
I didn’t jinx him! Super catch by Bishoo, diving low and long at backward point
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2nd over: England 15-0 (Hales 2, Bairstow 12) Jason Holder brings himself on and immediately extracts some zip from the pitch which Hales bunny hops away to the off side. Ah, Bairstow, you again: a thick edge through the non-existent third slip for the first boundary of the innings. Some super fielding at backward point prevents another four, but no-one can do anything about the pull over deep backward square leg. Bairstow continuing where he left off on Tuesday.
1st over: England 5-0 (Hales 1, Bairstow 3) A dry pitch, an overcast sky and a huge bare patch spreading out like a bloody stain into Hales’ leg-side. Sheldon Cottrell keeps it tight for a couple of balls, there’s a misfield off the third - England try to steal a third and Hales would have been out if Shai Hope had gathered the ball smartly.
The umpires are out, the batsmen have taken their places... we’re off!
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Some stats to be masticated over with your Friday fish n chips
The Windies have won the toss & will chase. This is a sensible decision given the global trend favouring chasers, but this is also a good venue for chasers who have won 62% of matches. Teams batting first have required an average total 184 to end up on the winning team. #WIvENG pic.twitter.com/Aq4Qm4S0dT
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) March 8, 2019
And before we start, a SHOUT OUT! for the county cricket fantasy leagues, run by those lovely people who lurk below the line on the County Blog. Details below:
D3 is here, with the code FCABNGCJhttps://cricketxi.com/county-championship-2019/league/531/
D4 is here (D3 only has a few spots left!)https://cricketxi.com/county-championship-2019/league/532/
The code for D4 is KMHXNGSR
Mark Butcher says this is a BIG scoring ground “You’ve got to be looking at 190 plus from the off.”
West Indies have left out Oshane Thomas and brought in a left-armer, Obed McCoy, 22 years old and making his IT20 debut.
Morgan says that he would have had a bowl too. And England have gone with the same team as the last match.
West Indies have won the toss and will bowl . It is cool and overcast and Morgan and Holder’s trousers are blowing rapidly in the breeze - perhaps the West Indies bowlers can take advantage of that.
Interesting...
Ive just been informed that I will not be involved in the Ashes series. Its been a huge privilege to support the team over the last 5 years. Id like to wish all the staff & players the very best of luck for the future. 👍🏼
— Mark Ramprakash (@MarkRamprakash) March 8, 2019
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Preamble
Hello, from St Kitts, via Manchester this filthy Friday night. And a very happy international women’s day to you all!
In that vein, please excuse a first brief sideways grin to England’s Women for yesterday winning their T20 at Guwahati against India to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three match series, after losing 2-1 in the ODIs. Also - I came across this smashing opportunity for any young girls who love playing cricket, please pass it on.
It’s #IWD2019!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 8, 2019
To celebrate, an amazing opportunity...
To join #HeathersPride & train with the team!
Find out more 👉https://t.co/k7UJUR8cMa pic.twitter.com/FxejtIApWI
But back to today’s main event - the second of three T20s between West Indies and England, the last leg of a freewheeling tour. England won the last one by four wickets with seven balls remaining, thanks to a career best 4-36 for Tom Curran, a carefree 68 from Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid twisting the thumb-screws with 1-15 from his four overs.
West Indies have never lost a T20 at Basseterre, but will have to improve their sloppy fielding to stand a chance of keeping England at bay here.
We wait to see whether Mark Wood will be rested again or whether Joe Root, out for a duck on Tuesday, and who hasn’t scored fifty in this format for nearly three years, joins him on the bench. In other news, David Willey has questioned whether now is the right time to bring in Jofra Archer - a pertinent question perhaps, but one that runs the teeny-tiny risk of sounding a bit defensive.
