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    • WI vs ENG 2024/25, WI vs ENG 3rd ODI match preview
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    WI vs ENG 2024/25, WI vs ENG 3rd ODI match preview

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    Big picture: the battle between experience and potential

    So far it has been an unlikely clash of ideologies in the Caribbean. In Thursday’s one-sided defeat, the value of experience was evident in Evin Lewis’ match-winning strike: despite missing three years of ODI cricket, his muscle memory was keenly attuned to the challenge as he tackled the new ball threat left England. to destroy his opponents in just 25 overs. In doing so, he rushed past his 2000th run in the format, which is more than twice the tally of England’s most experienced batsman in the format (checks notes)… Adil Rashid.

    That battle-hardened narrative had taken an iron grip on the series halfway through Saturday’s second match. Shai Hope is clearly a fine cricketer, but who would have imagined that his all-time ODI record would rival that of Chris Gayle, Brian Lara and Desmond Haynes? And yet his 17th hundred in the format was as superbly paced as ever, dripping with the kind of belief in better times that England’s T20-trained top four can only guess at, given that they have rarely been asked to see it through . the fallow middle overs of a 50-over game.

    Hope came across nine different bowlers over the course of his innings, which is certainly a record of some description. On the one hand, this was a tribute to England’s wealth of potential, as a new generation of cricketers burst onto the scene with two professionally useful strings on each bow. On the other hand, it was proof that more is less as Liam Livingstone’s management became increasingly confused with each new move in the field.

    But then those old certainties suddenly crumbled and a brand new story took over. One in which the power of responsibility penetrated England’s experience void, to set up an unlikely series finale.

    Sam Curran had batted higher than number 7 only once in 32 ODIs prior to this campaign, and Livingstone had batted higher than number 6 only twice in 30. But both men responded to the hour of need with exactly the kind of courage the management needed hoped. to escape from this experimental team.

    Curran’s run-a-ball 52 was considerably more valuable than it looks on paper, providing the ballast through the middle overs that allowed England to chase deep before Livingstone, the unlikeliest of England’s six captains across formats this summer, dropped a bombshell. bomb after bomb. He hit a total of nine sixes, a figure surpassed by only three English players in a 50-over match. And to peer at the final scorecard, once a daunting target of 329 was chased down with overs and wickets to spare, you could almost believe we were back in the team’s pre-2019 heyday, when such feats of self-assurance were a requirement. daily event.

    So which philosophy will win the day – and the series – in Barbados? The stakes are considerably higher than they may have seemed three days ago, with the West Indies eager for a first series win since England’s last visit 11 months ago, not to mention crucial league table points as they chart their route back to the top table map out after missing out. at the 2023 World Cup.

    As for England, Marcus Trescothick’s cheerful embrace of his captain spoke volumes as the players left the field in Antigua. England’s interim coach admitted last week how difficult it has been to find the right balance between nurturing the newcomers to the squad and cultivating the winning culture that this white-ball setup once took for granted. An unlikely opportunity now presents itself 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 had a violence permit Saturday afternoon, and he took it…albeit briefly. There were 10.1 overs of the innings left when the West Indian number 6 strolled into middle – the kind of scenario he usually enjoys in the T20 format. This time, however, his team was already 234 for 4 on the board, and he did his best to push them past 300 with three sixes in his first ten deliveries. But then he holed out in search of a fourth, and went away for 24 from 11 balls. It was nevertheless the second highest of his seven innings since returning to the ODI set-up in July 2023, behind his 32 from 30 balls, also against England, in December. Like his English counterparts, his unfamiliarity with the format seems to be holding him back, but the talent and potential is undeniable.

    These are big months for Jordan Cox, one of the most fascinating characters on the fringes of England’s international set-up. His restless ambition is palpable – almost to the point of arrogant, in his own words – but the English management are pleased with what they see overall. This chance to bat at No. 3 in the restarted ODI line-up, ahead of three guaranteed Tests as Jamie Smith’s wicketkeeping understudy, means he has until Christmas to make a real case for his inclusion at long term in their plans. However, four games into his England career he is struggling to make much progress. Despite the confident projection that he should be in the middle, he has managed 21 ODI runs from 50 balls on this tour and was rather credulously bowled out by Shamar Joseph on Saturday. His legendary fieldwork was also off the boil, perhaps suggesting preoccupation. He hasn’t lost his chance yet, but with so many key hitters missing on this tour, he could find himself back down the pecking order unless he shows his true colors soon.

    Team news: Few surprises ahead with series on the line

    West Indies could think about bringing back Alzarri Joseph after his namesake Shamar was expensive on debut in the second ODI.

    West Indies: 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Shai Hope (capt & wk), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Roston Chase, 8 Alzarri Joseph / Shamar Joseph, 9 Gudakesh Motie, 10 Matthew Forde, 11 Jayden Seals

    England’s temptation to tinker will be tempered with 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 Mousley, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jamie Overton/Saqib Mahmood, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 John Turner

    Location and conditions: The weather again plays a role

    Five years ago, England and West Indies scored 724 runs in an ODI at Kensington Oval, but since then there have been only two scores above 300 in eleven matches. Hope said beforehand that the surface “looks like it has a little bit of moisture in it at the moment.” A forecast for thunderstorms could lead to outages again.

    Statistics and trivia

    • West Indies have won 19 of their previous 42 ODIs at Kensington Oval, including each of their last two outings against India and England in 2023.
    • England boast a winning head-to-head encounter with the home side in Barbados, with seven wins and six defeats in 13 previous meetings since 1986.
    • England completed their biggest successful ODI chase on the ground in 2019, setting a target of 361.
    • England are aiming for their first bilateral ODI series victory 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 string the performances together. It can’t always be one or two games in a series, we’ve got to make sure we close it out and play good cricket all the time.”
    Yes Hope wants his team to back up their performance in the series opener

    “After the first game we talked about how much time we had and even with the ball, and that we were a bit more patient. It’s not learning on the job, it’s learning from your mistakes and I thought we did that fairly well from the first game did well. If we can win 2-1, that would be a big achievement for a young group.”
    Sam Curran on England’s learning curve

    Andrew Miller is the British editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket

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