West Indies, led by explosive half centuries from openers Shai Hope and Evin Lewis, chased down a target of 219 to beat England with an over to spare to win by five wickets in their T20I on Saturday. The game was a dead rubber with England having already won the opening three matches of the five-match series but the crowd at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground were treated to some high-scoring entertainment as West Indies enjoyed their second highest successful run chase in T20Is.

England openers Phil Salt and Will Jacks put on 54 runs for the first wicket before Alzarri Joseph got Jacks caught behind off the final ball of the fifth over.

But Salt continued to take full advantage of a good batting track as he took England to 102 before he was removed by Roston Chase in the tenth over for 55 having his four sixes and five fours.

Skipper Jos Buttler hit 38 off 23 but it was an unbeaten 62 from Jacob Bethell and a useful 24 from 13 balls from Sam Curran that took England to a strong score.

West Indies top order has struggled in this series but this time Hope and Lewis attacked England from the outset, swiftly reduced the run-rate.

Hope brought up his 50 off 23 balls — slamming a short ball from Rehan Ahmed through midwicket to reach his half century.

Lewis, who had played a supporting role, went on the offensive hitting Liam Livingstone for three sixes in the eighth over and he too reached his half-century (26 balls) when he pulled Curran through square leg for four.

Rehan Ahmed finally got the breakthrough when Lewis mistimed a cover-drive to Dan Mousley, the West Indies opener departing for 68 including seven sixes with England in a commanding position at 136-1

With the next ball Hope departed, run out by Livingstone, and England picked up a third wicket in as many balls when Nicholas Pooran was bowled by Ahmed after finding the inside edge.

Suddenly, West Indies were 136-3 and with a new pair at the crease and England sensed the chance to turn the game around.

But skipper Rovman Powell showed no nerves as he hit 38 from 23 balls with three sixes before he was trapped lbw by John Turner.

Sharfane Rutherford saw the home side to a morale-boosting victory with his unbeaten 29 ending the contest by smashing Mousley for two sixes.

“Guys were more committed today,” said Powell. “It has been a series where you win the toss, win the game, but the guys played well — 3-2 is better than 4-1, still a lot to play for,” he said looking ahead to Sunday’s final game.

Despite the loss, Butler said he had few complaints about the performance.

“I thought it was an excellent wicket. We got off to a great start with Jacks and Salty. Thought we needed at least 220. They played exceptionally well, put us under pressure. I thought we played well, put up a good score and they played well to chase it down,” he said.

West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph was hit with a two-match suspension.© AFP

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy did not hold back when addressing fast bowler Alzarri Joseph’s behaviour during the third ODI against England in Bridgetown. Joseph’s actions, which included leaving the field after a disagreement with captain Shai Hope, were publicly criticized by Sammy, who labelled the behaviour “unacceptable.” The incident unfolded in the fourth over when Joseph expressed frustration with Hope over a field placement. Despite taking the wicket of England’s Jordan Cox caught behind, Joseph did not celebrate with his team.

Instead, he silently returned to his mark, and at the end of the over, left the field without notice. His sudden departure forced West Indies to field with only ten players for the start of the fifth over, sparking confusion among teammates and spectators alike.

“Behavior like that is unacceptable on my cricket field,” Sammy said in an interview with TalkSPORT after the game. “We will be friends…but in the culture I’m trying to build, that’s unacceptable. We will definitely have a chat about that.”

Joseph briefly returned to the pitch at the beginning of the sixth over, but his frustrations seemed to linger. After two misfields off his own bowling, which led to overthrows, he once again left the field. Although he resumed bowling later in the innings, finishing with respectable figures of 2 for 45, his visible discontent overshadowed his performance.

Since being appointed head coach in May 2023, Sammy has emphasised creating a positive team culture within West Indies cricket. Known for his player-management skills, Sammy has encouraged a number of players, including Andre Russell and Evin Lewis, to return to the international game. He is confident in his approach, even with difficult conversations.

“I pride myself on having the difficult conversations,” Sammy said. “But in a way that everybody understands what is needed to be done. To see guys going out there and slowly progressing in the right direction makes me proud.”

Despite Joseph’s controversial exit, West Indies went on to secure the ODI series 2-1. The team now turns its attention to the upcoming T20 series against England, beginning Saturday. Sammy hinted that star players like Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein, who were absent in the recent series against Sri Lanka, would return for the T20Is.

“Our T20 team is our most successful team and our most settled team. So, yes, we incorporate some new guys…but our T20 team normally picks itself,” he remarked.

Evin Lewis smashed a scintillating 94 as West Indies routed England by eight wickets in a rain-hit one-day international on Thursday. Lewis blasted an undefeated century to defeat Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Saturday and carried on where he left off against a new-look England in the first of a three-game series. After dismissing England for just 209, the West Indies raced to 81-0 in 15 overs when rain brought a lengthy delay at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Set an adjusted target of 157 from 35 overs, the 32-year-old Lewis hit England’s attack to all parts of the ground, making his runs off just 69 balls.

His innings included five fours and eight huge sixes after dominating an opening stand of 118 with Brandon King (30).

Lewis’s hopes of completing a sixth ODI century were thwarted however when he was caught by Jacob Bethell off Adil Rashid with just 13 runs needed for victory.

In the end, Keacy Carty (19) and skipper Shai Hope (six) saw the West Indies comfortably home with 55 balls to spare.

Rashid’s one wicket cost him 50 runs from seven overs.

Victory for the West Indies came just five days after they defeated Sri Lanka with 10 of the team which featured in that victory 15,000km away named in Thursday’s line-up.

Put in to bat, England, who featured four new ODI caps in Jordan Cox, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton and John Turner, were bowled out for 209 in the 46th over.

Captain Liam Livingstone led the way with 48 from 49 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes.

Livingstone, standing in as skipper for the injured Jos Buttler, was supported by Sam Curran whose 37 occupied 56 balls.

For the West Indies, left-arm off-spinner Gudakesh Motie took 4-41 from his 10 overs with Jayden Seales the pick of the fast bowlers with 2-22 from eight overs.

Both his victims were the openers Phil Salt (18) and Will Jacks (19).

The second game of the three-match series will be staged at the same venue on Saturday with the final clash set for Barbados next Wednesday.

The two sides will also contest a five-game Twenty20 International series.

Sri Lanka vs West Indies Live Score Updates 1st ODI© AFP

Opener Shai Hope blasted an unbeaten 82 as West Indies came back roaring to crush the United States of America by nine wickets in the T20 World Cup Group 2 Super Eight match in Barbados. After bowling out the USA for a mere 128 in 19.5 overs, the West Indies batters went all guns blazing from the word go to knock off the target in 10.5 overs to make 130/1, recording a comfortable win. The win improved West Indies’ standing in the Group 2 points table. 

The Caribbean side, which had suffered an eight-wicket hammering from England on Wednesday, is now placed second with two points and a Net Run Rate of 1.814.

Johnson Charles fell for a 14-ball 15 with a couple of fours early on but the pair of Hope (82 not out) and Nicholas Pooran did the job for their side, smacking the USA bowlers all around the park here at the Kensington Oval.

Hope made a mincemeat of the USA bowling as the right-handed wicketkeeper-batter clattered eight sixes and four fours to make 82 not out from just 39 balls, with Pooran reaching 27 not out from 13 balls with three sixes and a four.

Hope remained at the forefront of WI’s chase as he forged a 67-run stand for the opening partnership with Charles and then added another 63 runs unbeaten for the second wicket with Pooran, which came off only 23 balls as the Caribbean side ruled the roost.

Earlier after the West Indies put USA in to bat first, Andre Russell (3.5-0-31-3) and Roston Chase (4-0-19-3) made life tough for the opposition batters.

After an early blow in the form of Steven Taylor (2) who was caught at point by chase of Russell, the pair of Andreis Gous and Nitish Kumar (20) forged a strong partnership to revive USA and take them ahead but they both fell after making their respective starts.

Nitish was trapped leg-before by West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie for 20 off 19 balls with two fours and Gous, who hit three fours and a six in his rapid 29 off 16 balls, was caught at deep midwicket by Hope off Alzarri Joseph in the eighth over and that was when USA’s decline began.

None of the following USA batters could trouble the West Indies as the tournament co-hosts kept chipping away with regular wickets, denying their opponents any momentum with the bat.

USA skipper Aaron Jones (11) was cleaned up by Chase who looked unplayable. Chase grabbed another wicket when he had the veteran Corey Anderson trapped leg-before for seven.

Harmeet Singh, who had provided fireworks with the bat for the USA against South Africa in the last match, fell for a first-ball duck when Chase had him caught by Charles to ensure West Indies remained on top of the proceedings. 

West Indies (WI) will take on Papua New Guinea (PNG) in Match 2 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2024. The match will be played at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday. Papua New Guinea are playing their first game of this season. In their last five games, Papua New Guinea have won three games and lost two. West Indies are also playing their first game of this season. In their last five games, West Indies have won four games and lost one.

Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

The average first-innings score at this venue in the last 20 matches is 156 runs. The pitch at the Guyana National Stadium is a sporting one with decent assistance for both batters and bowlers.

Pace or Spin?

The venue is suited for both pacers and spinners alike.

Weather Report

The temperature will hover around 29 degree C and humidity is expected to be around 74%. Winds at a speed of 2.16 m/s are expected. Light rain is expected which may affect playing conditions.

Fantasy Top Captain and Vice-Captain Picks

Alei Nao (PNG)

Alei Nao is a bowler with an average of 91 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.3 and can be a good safe pick for your Fantasy Team. He bowls right-arm medium and in the recently played five matches, he has taken eight wickets.

Charles Amini (PNG)

Charles Amini is an all-rounder with an average of 75 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.6 and is a punt player for your Fantasy Team. He is a top-order, left-handed batter. In the recent five matches, he has scored 154 runs. He also bowls decently, bowling leg-break and in recent matches, he has taken five wickets.

Assad Vala (PNG)

Assad Vala is an all-rounder with an average of 69 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.2 and can be a good safe pick for your Fantasy Team. He is a top-order, left-handed batter. In the recently played five matches, he has scored 35 runs. He is also a handy bowler, bowling off-break and in recent matches, he has taken six wickets.

Gudakesh Motie (WI)

Gudakesh Motie is a bowler with an average of 66 fantasy points in the last eight games, a fantasy rating of 7.4 and can be a good pick for your Fantasy Team. He bowls slow left-arm orthodox and in the recent five matches, he has taken 10 wickets.

Kabua Morea (PNG)

Kabua Morea is a good-to-have player for your Fantasy Team. He has an average of 62 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8.6. He is a left-arm medium bowler and in the recently played five matches, Morea has taken nine wickets.

Nicholas Pooran (WI)

Nicholas Pooran can be a good pick for your Fantasy Team. He has an average of 60 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8.3. He is a top-order, left-handed batter and also keeps wickets. In the recently played five matches, Pooran has scored 269 runs.

Hiri Hiri (PNG)

Hiri Hiri is a key inclusion to your Fantasy Team. He has an average of 59 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 7.6. He is a top-order, right-handed batter. In the recent five matches, he has scored 44 runs.

Johnson Charles (WI)

Johnson Charles is a batter with an average of 58 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.8 and is a high-risk, high-returns player for your Fantasy Team. Charles is a top-order, right-handed batter. In the recently played five matches, he has scored 141 runs.

Sese Bau (PNG)

Sese Bau is an all-rounder with an average of 56 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.8 and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He is a top-order, left-handed batter. In the recently played five matches, Bau has scored 83 runs. He also bowls decently, bowling off-break and in recent matches, he has taken three wickets.

Andre Russell (WI)

Andre Russell is a must-have pick for your Fantasy Team. Russell has an average of 54 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8. He is a right-handed batter. In the last five matches, he has scored 24 runs. Russell is also a handy bowler, bowling right-arm fast and in recent matches, he has taken six wickets.

Fantasy Team

Wicket-Keepers: Johnson Charles and Nicholas Pooran

Batter: Rovman Powell and Hiri Hiri

All-Rounders: Assad Vala, Sese Bau and Andre Russell

Bowlers: Alei Nao, Kabua Morea, Gudakesh Motie and Obed McCoy

Captain: Andre Russell

Vice-Captain: Assad Vala

Sanjiv Goenka (L) and KL Rahul© X (formerly Twitter)

Sanju Samson was dismissed for 86© BCCI