Key events
3rd over: England 33-0 (Salt 21, Jacks 8) McCoy is removed for now and replaced by Hosein – but Salt is in hungry mood and unfortunately Hosein isn’t yet on point. His second ball is a warm and welcoming pie which Salt sends through the covers for four, the next is dragged down and Salt tucks in with six. Jacks finishes the over by dancing down and pinging another six – to make it 18 from the over.
2nd over: England 15-0 (Salt 10, Jacks 1) The poker-faced Joseph at the other end, aiming very straight and leaking just three runs – one of them from a terrible bit of lackadaisical fielding. Not huge numbers of spectators in yet on a perfect November afternoon.
1st over: England 12-0 (Salt 8, Jacks 0) Obed McCoy, built like a mighty mountain, with the first over. Salt rockets his second ball through midwicket for four. An early fielding mishap as Rutherford, in a moment of madness, flings a dead ball above the wicket-keeper and it rolls merrily over the rope for four overthrows. Another delivery gets blasted straight back into the blue, blue, St Lucian sky for four more. In betweeen all that, McCoy beats Salt twice.
The players are out – let’s see what West Indies can do in the power play.
Pitch report
We get up close and personal with the St Lucia pitch alongside Carlos Brathwaite. Looks pretty tasty. Dry, dry, dry with the wind blowing across the ground.
If you spot Jos Buttler, Jamie Overton and Marcus Trescothick in black armbands and wonder why, it is in memory of long-time Somerset supporter and fundraiser Mary Elworthy, who died yesterday aged 90. RIP Mary.
I’ve heard that Mary Elworthy, a name known to most Somerset supporters, passed away at the age of 90 on Friday. Condolences to her family and gratitude from many of the supporting public for her service in and around the club for more years than many can claim. RIP Mary 🙏
— Grockles (@SomersetGrockle) November 16, 2024
West Indies XI
West Indies: Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy.
Rutherford and McCoy replace Shepherd and Hinds.
England XI
England XI: Phil Salt (wk), Will Jacks, Jos Buttler (c), Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Dan Mousley, Rehan Ahmed, Saqib Mahamood, John Turner.
Turner for Archer.
John Turner makes his T20 debut
Jos Buttler says it will be a different challenge today – let’s see if they can win batting first. Turner replaces Jofra Archer to make his T20 debut.
West Indies win the toss and will field!
At last! Powell grins. “We know how important it is to bowl and get that good start. From a personal standpoint players have to stand up and be counted, the players are ready and upbeat for the challenge today. I think the guys can’t keep losing wickets in clusters, we need to show good technical skills, this provides and opportunity for guys to show that.”
Jason Roy is the new face in the TNT studio and, in his cuddly blue jumper, picks out Liam Livingstone as his man of the series. Alastair Cook is his foil ,with a box-fresh white T-shirt under his quarter zip.
West Indies have one obvious failure to fix from the last match, where they crucially dropped Liam Livingstone three times. As Rovman Powell put it bluntly afterwards: “Guys have to take more catches.”
England, footloose and fancy free ( even if they didn’t exactly cruise past West Indies’ 145) may take the opportunity to make a few team tweaks.
And an interview with media-shy outgoing Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley:
While we wait, this was the Guardian’s editorial eye on the future of cricket:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/15/the-guardian-view-on-testing-times-crickets-traditions-are-being-clean-bowled-by-cash
Preamble
Hello! While pert geraniums wither in the frost back home, England have been having a fine old time in the Caribbean.
ODI woes forgotten, England have already won the five-match T20 series, last weekend’s two victories topped off by a three-wicket victory yesterday in St Lucia. It is England’s first series win away from home since October 2022, and only their second series victory in the last six series played.
Today they return to the same pitch they played on yesterday, with the weather dreamy hot and the winds strong. The toss is due in about 20 minutes.
