Key events
Shai Hope doesn’t pull any punches in his post match interview describing his own hundred as “irrelevant” adding “if it doesn’t contribute to wins, it does not matter.’
Personally I thought it was a decent score, especially with the conditions, the outfield was heavy, the surface was up and down, but it was not enough.
We need to be more disciplined, in the first game we showed that when he hit our straps things happen. We thought we had clear plans but we did not execute them well today.
Liam Livingstone is the Player of the Match sponsored by ‘Well, duh’:
The Tv coverage helpfully cuts out just as he starts to speak but I managed to get down that he felt he was back to his best at the end of summer, he feels like his game is maturing and it is a proud day for him and his loved ones. He heaps praise on his side and Sam Curran in particular “Sammy played beautifully.”
What a few weeks Liam Livingstone has had. Dropped for the Australia series. Recalled. Made Captain. Maiden ODI Century.
Liam Livingstone has played 32 ODIs & 50 T20Is.
In ODIs, averages 35 at a 111 SR. In T20Is, averages 26 at a 151 SR.
Nobody to play that many games can trump him across all four of those metrics.
He has more to give. But he’s been WAY better than his critics suggest.
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) November 2, 2024
An amazing innings and amazing acceleration from Liam Livingstone, 76 off his last 26 balls is mad. And he wasn’t even in England’s ODI squad a couple of months ago
— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) November 2, 2024
ENGLAND WIN BY 5 wickets (with 15 balls remaining)
Liam Livingstone seals the win with a drive to mid off. A broad grin bursts across his face as he sees his side home and finishes unbeaten on 124* off 84 balls. Sublime innings.
The series is level at 1-1 with a decider in Barbados coming up on Wednesday.
47th over: England 327-5 (Livingstone 123, Mousley 3) Dan Mousley opens the face to glide a single and get Livingstone on strike to Shamar Joseph. SIX! Low full toss and Livingstone stoops low and hockey flicks for SIX over fine leg. AND AGAIN! Another full toss is dispatched into the stands over midwicket! Lookout! Joseph goes full and Livingstone bunts the ball back at him with ferocity, the bowler ducks and the ball skims for four like a pebble across an ice rink. All over bar the shouting now, England need two more runs to level the series – what a knock it has been from Livingstone, incredible acceleration.
46th over: England 303-5 (Livingstone 101, Mousley 2) Dan Mousley comes to the crease to join his captain and tickles a single off his pads to get off the mark. England need 26 from 24. West Indies need wickets.
WICKET! Curran c Hetmyer b Forde 52 (England 300-5)
Curran slugs the next ball and finds the man on the deep point fence. Too little too late for West Indies?
100 for Liam Livingstone!
A drive down the ground sees Livingstone reach three figures. Warmly applauded by the England balcony, no great celebration from the England captain, he’s still got a job to do. England need 33 more runs from 28 balls – he’d dearly love to be there at the end.
45th over: England 298-4 (Livingstone 99, Curran 51) Liam Livingstone thrashes Jayden Seales for 26 runs off the over! Seales goes wide and England’s captain picks him time and again, throwing his bat and seeing the ball disappear over the rope for back to back SIXES! A four through midwicket sees Livingstone to the cusp of his maiden ODI century!
44th over: England 272-4 (Livingstone 75, Curran 51) Shamar Joseph returns, West Indies desperately need to break this partnership. England would love it Kevin Keegan style if Livingstone and Curran saw them over the line. Sam Curran goes to a well made half century with a clip down to long on. Joseph can’t get the breakthrough but he has been impressive in his first ODI appearance, he has 1-48 with one over left up his sleeve. England need 57 from 36.
43rd over: England 267-4 (Livingstone 73, Curran 49) Motie drops short and is slugged onto the grass banks for SIX by Livingstone. The next ball is length but Livingstone is onto his knees in a flash and smearing away flat for SIX more! Motie has 0-55 from his eight overs, this is already his most expensive ODI spell. England need 63 from 42 and Livingstone is ticking.
42nd over: England 250-4 (Livingstone 60, Curran 46) No boundaries off Roston Chase’s final over but seven runs keeps England ticking, 79 needed from 48.
41st over: England 243-4 (Livingstone 58, Curran 41) Four singles off Motie and then Livinsgtone flicks the switch. He drives past long on for four to go to fifty and then smears a slog sweep over midwicket for SIX! Has the skipper timed this to perfection? 14 off the over and experience at the crease – England need 86 from 54 balls to keep the series alive.
40th over: England 229-4 (Livingstone 46, Curran 39) Chase it is and it is just three singles. England need 100 from the last ten overs. You do the math(s). Something’s gotta give and soon.
39th over: England 226-4 (Livingstone 44, Curran 38) Shamar Joseph mixes his line, length and speed up nicely to get out of his over for the cost of just five runs. England need a big over – a twenty plusser – to get them back in touch. Who are they going to target? Chase has been hard to get away so far, he has two overs left and will likely bowl through.
38th over: England 221-4 (Livingstone 42, Curran 36) Tight lines. (Visions, dreams of passion) Just three singles eked off Roston Chase’s latest frugal over. England need 108 from 72 balls and will need to open up the shoulders soon.
37th over: England 218-4 (Livingstone 41, Curran 34) Five off the returning Shamar Joseph. Livingstone has used up 47 balls for his 41, this must be his slowest innings for England?
36th over: England 213-4 (Livingstone 38, Curran 32) Eight runs off the over as Livingstone and Curran up the ante. Gah!
35th over: England 205-4 (Livingstone 36, Curran 29) There we go! Sam Curran breaks the maroon shackles with a four through midwicket, the first boundary in 34 balls. London bus boundaries – Curran drives the next to the fence too. 124 needed from 90 balls.
You’re still thinking about the Ants in the risotto rice aren’t you? It’s an OBOvershare.
Erm – X marks the spot?
34th over: England 193-4 (Livingstone 30, Curran 18) Curran and Livingstone can’t find the boundary, it’s been more than five overs since the sponge was last breached. Five more singles off Chase – 136 needed from 96 balls.
RISOTTO UPDATE – There were ANTS in the Arborio. Ants. Actual creepy crawlies in the box of rice. Nevermind England’s run rate – this is a culinary disaster. ANTS!
33rd over: England 188-4 (Livingstone 30, Curran 18) DEATH BY THREE SINGLES AN OVER.
32nd over: England 185-4 (Livingstone 28, Curran 17) Just three singles off the over and the rate climbs above eight an over. England are labouring.
31st over: England 182-4 (Livingstone 26, Curran 16) The game is simmering. <INSERT RISOTTO GAG>
30th over: England 178-4 (Livingstone 24, Curran 14) Just three singles off Chase. England need 151 off the last twenty…
29th over: England 175-4 (Livingstone 23, Curran 12) Hello Gruesome! Sam Curran clobbers his second ball from Motie over the leg side for SIX. It was a no ball too – freebie incoming… four more! Curran off to a flier.
Incredible scenes at Casa Wallace as my beloved offers up cheese on toast for dinner before immediately bursting up from the sofa and declaring a haddock risotto is in the offing. What a rollercoaster. I can already hear the ladle in action.
WICKET! Bethell c Seales b Chase 55 (England 160-4)
Uh oh. Just as I gave him the biggun… Bethell holes out to Roston Chase. The bat twisted in his hands as he attempted another swipe down the ground, Jayden Seales taking a solid catch. Right approach (England need runs and quick) but poor execution. Bethell’s eye-catching knock comes to an end.
28th over: England 160-4 (Livingstone 21) Sam Curran is the new man…
27th over: England 158-3 (Bethell 54, Livingstone 20) Things calm down with just a couple of singles collected off Motie.
26th over: England 156-3 (Bethell 53, Livingstone 19) Some scintillating strokeplay sees Jacob Bethell hit three boundaries in the over and reach a maiden ODI half century in style! A SIX over midwicket from deep in his crease sees Bethell to fifty. He’s got something this kid. Remember another young batter arriving on the scene in ODI cricket with a skunky doo, a swagger and a penchant for hitting sixes? Answers on a text message postcard…
25th over: England 140-3 (Bethell 37, Livingstone 19) Bethell and Livingstone tick along with a single each as we reach the halfway stage. Plenty of discussion on the wireless about the nature of Salt’s dismissal.
24th over: England 138-3 (Bethell 36, Livingstone 178) Bethell leans back and slams Shamar Jospeh over midwicket for SIX. Hold the pose young man. England need 191 runs from 26 overs to keep this series alive.
Brian Withington, as ever, is a fount of knowledge:
“Hi James, Your earlier mention of a potentially abstract OBO without the benefit of TV pictures reminded me of the description of ‘synthetic’ Ashes radio commentaries by ABC from the 30s. These involved the broadcaster in Australia receiving regular telegrams from England that were then lovingly embellished by the team ‘as live’ complete with pencil taps for batting strokes and gramophone sound effects for crowd noise etc.
I’m not sure whether ABC owned up to its audience about the nature of the coverage, or what the implications were for any Antipodean spread betting markets at the time…”
23rd over: England 127-3 (Bethell 27, Livingstone 17) It’s not pretty but it is SIX! Livingstone smears Forde over square leg with one hand off the bat.
Some wibbling rivalry afoot? “Hi James, please ask Kevin Wilson – over 19 – if he’s “that one” and if so, where’s me feckin’ bike?” emails Gareth WILSON. I’m on tenterhooks and Gareth, crucially, is seemingly not on two wheels…
Penny for yer farthings, Kevin Wilson?
22nd over: England 117-3 (Bethell 25, Livingstone 9) Lucky Lad! Livingstone aims a huge hoick to Shamar and gets a meaty edge that flies between Shai Hope and slip and away for four!
21st over: England 108-3 (Bethell 24, Livingstone 1) Captain Livingstone comes to the crease with his side needing 222 more runs. Make that 221 as he gets of the mark with a firm drive. I don’t think he plans to get them in singles BECAUSE THE MATHS DOESN’T WORK FOR ONE THING.
WICKET! Salt c Motie b Forde 59 (England 107-3)
Matthew Forde comes back and strikes with his first ball! Disaster for England as they lose their set man. Salt tries to launch the first ball of the over but gets nowhere near the pitch, sending a skier miles up and eventually down into the hands of Motie. Good innings but England needed him to make it count and get a big one.
20th over: England 107-2 (Salt 59, Bethell 24) Roston Chase and his stuttering, *judderman off spin are summoned. Bethell dances down again and pierces the field for another sumptuous four!
*Remember this? Chilling.
