Effective Powerplay bowling, brilliant catching, and sparkling centuries from Keacy Carty and Brandon King gave the West Indies a storming eight-wicket victory over England in the third and final One-Day International at Kensington Oval and a 2-1 series win Wednesday night.
Having limited England to 263 for eight in their 50 overs, the West Indies were launched to victory by a double century second wicket partnership – 209 – between Carty (128 not out) with his maiden ODI century and King (102) with his third, as West Indies reached their target with seven overs to spare, ending on 267 for two.
The stand was the second-highest partnership for the Windies in ODIs in the Caribbean. And it was compiled in classy fashion by the pair of right-handers. St Maarten native Carty counted 15 fours and two sixes in getting to three figures for the first time in an ODI. His shots were scattered all around Kensington and complemented the return to his best form of King whose 102 took him just 117 balls and contained 13 fours and a six. Carty’s runs had come at a strike rate of 112.
They had come together after Evin Lewis (19) top-edged a hook off Craig Overton to Adil Rashid in the seventh over after he and King had added 42 for the first wicket.
The pair firmly shut out the England bowlers who struggled to make an impact in the night conditions.
Earlier, however, the WI bowlers maximised early help from the surface in the Powerplay after captain Shai Hope won the toss and chose to field.
England were four down for 24 in the tenth over when their skipper Liam Livingstone fell to keeper Hope’s catch off Romario Shepherd (two for 33). Shepherd eventually had to be helped from the field after suffering from cramps in his seventh over and being unable to complete his full ten.
Shepherd’s wickets supported the three taken by Player of the Series Matthew Forde, who accounted for opener and top-scorer Phil Salt (74, 108 balls) just when he seemed set to accelerate with the innings into the 41st over (164 for six).
Forde owed that wicket to King’s brilliant athleticism as he leaped high at long-on to first catch the ball, and then throw it back to the approaching Alzarri Joseph as King’s momentum took him over the boundary. The unsmiling Joseph clutched the ball to complete the dismissal.
The fast bowler was not in the best of moods despite already dismissing rookie No.3 Jordan Cox with a well-directed, quick short delivery, which he gloved to Hope in the fourth over (ten for two).
An annoyed Joseph surprised his captain and teammates by stalking off the field after completing that over, having visibly argued with Hope earlier in the over, apparently about field placing. Joseph’s abrupt departure temporarily left the home side with only ten men on the field before he returned.
That episode, however, did not seem to disrupt the focus of the Windies, despite a later first ODI half-century for Dan Mousely (57, 70 balls, five fours, one six); 40 off 52 balls from Sam Curran and 38 not out off 17 from Jofra Archer (two fours, three sixes) and 32 off 21 from Jamie Overton (four fours, one six).
The latter pair took advantage of Shepherd’s enforced absence in the closing overs and pounced on part-time seamer Sherfane Rutherford who conceded 57 in just 3.5 overs.
That late run splurge would have disappointed Hope. But Carty and King quickly wiped away any frustration.
Summarised scores:
England 263-8, 50 overs (Matthew Forde 3/35, Romario Shepherd 2/33, Alzarri Joseph 2/45)
vs West Indies 267 -2, 43 overs (Keacy Carty 128 not out, Brandon King 102; Jamie Overton 1/17, Reece Topley 1/55)
—West Indies won by eight wickets.
—West Indies won the series 2-1.