New-look England face up to familiar tale in ODI defeat to West Indies

An updated England team suffered a heavy loss in their opening game of the Caribbean tour, as the West Indies achieved an emphatic eight-wicket win in Antigua.

An ineffective batting performance completely undermined England's hopes of kicking off their latest white-ball revival with a victory. The team crumbled, losing their last six wickets for just 44 runs, ultimately getting bowled out for a total of 209 runs.

On the field, England's approach was commendable, although the outcomes left much to be desired. Jofra Archer and newcomer John Turner posed a serious challenge with the new ball, but West Indies opener Evin Lewis was in exceptional shape. He delivered a game-changing performance, hitting eight sixes in a stunning knock of 94 runs from just 69 balls, helping the home team reach their adjusted target of 157 runs with ease.

The tourists included four newcomers in their starting lineup, with Jordan Cox, Dan Mousley, and Jamie Overton joining Turner in their first appearances in the ODI format.

In his debut match as captain, Liam Livingstone unfortunately lost an important toss. With the weather being humid and cloudy, and the possibility of rain looming over the game—which eventually occurred and cut the West Indies’ batting innings to 35 overs—Shai Hope chose to bowl first.

The opening ten overs hinted at what was to follow. Phil Salt and Will Jacks faced challenges finding their rhythm, as the challenging pitch made it hard to play their shots. Salt was the first to be dismissed; the ball didn’t behave as expected, and Alzarri Joseph made a great catch while sprinting back at mid-off.

If you don’t get it right on the first attempt, keep trying, and don’t be afraid to stumble along the way. This was the case for Jack, Cox, Jacob Bethell, and Livingstone, who all met a similar fate. As they attempted to play aggressive shots, the ball didn’t bounce as much as they anticipated, leading to mis-hits that were caught by fielders close in.

Livingstone played impressively, scoring 48 runs while partnering with Sam Curran to contribute 72 runs for the fifth wicket. However, after Livingstone hit a return catch to the outstanding Gudakesh Motie, who ended up with figures of four for 41, the team began to fall apart. Motie quickly followed up by taking two wickets in consecutive deliveries, dismissing Mousley and then Overton, who left the field without scoring on his debut.

“I believe we could have assessed the conditions better,” Livingstone mentioned. “When Sam and I were batting, we were aiming for a score between 240 and 250. That would have been a tough target to achieve if the conditions stayed the same.”

"We need to catch up fast. After having a break for a few weeks, it’s important for us to adjust to the pace of 50-over cricket quickly. With four players making their debut, they gained valuable experience, and I hope they'll build on what they learned."

This story is all too common for England in this region. This marks their fifth visit to the Caribbean in just three years, and they have been defeated in each of the four series leading up to this one.

However, England's struggles with the bat weren't solely their fault. Motie, a somewhat underappreciated left-arm spinner, is steadily establishing himself as a player of high caliber. In his 17 One Day Internationals, he has claimed 30 wickets with an impressive average of 18.8 and a low economy rate of 3.96, despite having faced tough opponents like India, Australia, and England in 11 of those matches.

Jayden Seales had a notable performance with the new ball, ending with figures of two wickets for 22 runs. At just 23 years old, the fast bowler made a strong impression during the summer at Sussex and is among a group of promising young players emerging from the Caribbean. In his initial five-over spell, he delivered some excellent fast bowling, allowing only eight runs and taking the wickets of both Salt and Jacks.

Lewis delivered the final blow to England's hopes. The unconventional Trinidadian opener, who has been largely absent from the game in the past three years, participated in only three T20 matches during that period before making his comeback on the West Indies' recent tour of Sri Lanka two weeks ago.

In his first One Day International match since 2021, Lewis scored an impressive 102 runs without losing his wicket from just 60 balls in Pallekele. He then continued his excellent form with another outstanding performance against England. The 32-year-old hit eight sixes and five fours, showcasing his power by sending two sixes from Turner sailing over the party stand at square leg. He also executed a brilliant check drive against Archer, sending the ball over mid-on, demonstrating his high skill level.

Livingstone and Adil Rashid managed to get rid of Brandon King and Lewis, preventing their team from losing by 10 wickets. However, it was still a difficult day for England's new approach to white-ball cricket.