ODI WI v England
Despite another overwhelming win, we can’t claim England frightened their main rivals around the world. In the two previous ODIs two batters made fifties; this time only Nat Sciver produced the goods (85). She had a productive stand of 90 in 13 overs with Danni Wyatt, but for once Wyatt couldn’t match her scoring rate.
The Windies bowling was much improved. Shakera Selman celebrated her 100th ODI with the splendid analysis 9-1-29-3. But the fielding was no sharper than before. Wyatt was dropped off two consecutive deliveries.
Once more England scored at a good rate, the openers Emma Lamb (29) and Tammy Beaumont (26) putting on 63 off 11 overs, but neither went on to the big time.
Sciver was in total command again. She became the first England batter to top 800 runs in a calendar year, and she hasn’t had the advantage of taking strike at the start of the innings. She added two esrly wickets to enhance her all-rounder status.
The batting order looks so strong, with Amy Jones, captain today as Heather Knight hasn’t thrown off all the effects of her injury, coming in at No 7. She remained 32* at the end, limited only by being denied the strike.
Alice Davidson-Richards replaced Knight, but couldn’t profit from a rare appearance (2), but she had the pleasure of taking a wicket.
On the bowlng front Freya Davies came in for the rested Lauren Bell. One distinguished pundit called the new opening attack of Kate Cross and Davies the right one – at last! After ten overs Davies had conceded over twice as many runs as Cross. She is already 27; Bell 21. Case dismissed?
Charlie Dean has a neat trick: she bowls straight. She started with a couple of maidens and a sharp stumping by the skipper. In her third over she carelessly allowed a single to be scored. The Windies batters were quite incapable of increasing the scoring-rate. Early on it struggled to reach four per over, then collapsed to under three.
Ecclestone had an answer for Sciver’s run-scoring record: she took her 50th wicket of 2022, the first English bowler to achieve this mark.
The two spinners had a field-day:
Ecclestone 9-6-9-3 (barely credible) Dean 8-2-16-1
Fear, what Fear?
‘Play without fear’ is the English mantra, but without fear of what?
Of getting out?
Of being dropped?
Of losing the game through your rashness/over-caution?
Psychologically, England’s problem was they knew the Windies wouldn’t outscore them, however low their target. As it turned out, the visitors returned a run of descending totals and were bowled out each time.
Hayley Matthews has a great burden to bear at the moment. In this game she opened the batting. Sophie Ecclestone stuck her right hand out at slip and took a blinder; that was the end of the Windies’ main scoring hope. With Aaliyah Alleyne at the other end toiling for 38 balls to score 8, their problems were laid bare. The Under 19 World Cup will be a chance for Courtney Walsh to assess the quality of the next generation.
This was a sad outcome on Antigua’s national day.
Result:
England: 256 (Sciver 85)
West Indies: 105-9 (Selman dnb, injured)
England win by 152 runs and take the ODI series 3-0
Player of the Match and Series: Natalie Sciver
Next fixture: 11 December, 1st T20, Sir Viv Richards Stadium, Antigua
The remaining games move to Barbados
