5th over: England 69-0 (Duckett 41, Smith 28)The rampage continues from England’s opening pair. Duckett slaps Alzarri Joseph for a flat SIX on the pull and then cover drives for four more. Cheeky! Duckett reverse-scoops over the keeper for another boundary. Carnage! Joseph ducks for cover as Duckett slaps a length ball back past him and it nearly cleans the bowler up. Wise move Alzarri, not the face – you’ve got a corporate for Allied Dunbar. Another 18 runs plundered for England.
4th over: England 51-0 (Duckett 23, Smith 28)Romario Shepherd replaces Holder. His first ball is bludgeoned by Smith down the ground but Holder swoops down and plucks it off the turf. Not even Holder’s lissom limbs can reach the next couple of shots from Jamie Smith – a pull into the leg side for four and a lofted SIX down the ground. Shepherd feeling the pressure, he takes the pace off and is still clubbed for four by Smith. This pitch looks a belter and is playing like the M1. Eighteen runs off the over and fifty up for England in four overs.
3rd over: England 33-0 (Duckett 22, Smith 11)A drag down from Hosein is slapped to the square boundary by Duckett. Don’t bowl there, son. Duckett plinks down the ground for a couple, losing his shape slightly as he tries to go down the ground. SIXAH! The pint sized opener smears a big one on the sweep behind square. Four more down the ground all along the baize. Shai Hope can’t plug the gaps and Duckett is manipulating the field with aplomb. Seventeen runs off the over.
2nd over: England 15-0 (Duckett 6, Smith 9)Jason Holder with the second over, long limbs chugging into the crease and decent bounce off the custard cream coloured surface. Shot! Smith drives on the up over mid-on with that deliciously clean swing of the blade. Sizeable outfield in at the Utilita (as no one calls it) boundaries harder to find than at postage stamp sized Bristol.
1st over: England 7-0 (Duckett 5, Smith 2)Akeal Hosein starts for West Indies. His jet lag should be vanquished by now, he landed on the morning of the last game. Starts with a quiet five balls for just three runs but Duckett gets down and pings the last ball on the reverse-sweep for four.
Here come the players,Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett to open up for England. Let’s play!
We’ll be underway in less than ten minutes.Just enough time to dig into Don McRae’s wide reaching interview with Pat Cummins on the eve of the WTC Final. Some topics were still off-limits though…
England bat very deepand will be looking to get a big total on the board, especially with their opponents swapping out a bowler in Roston Chase. The visitors will need early wickets otherwise it could be a long couple of hours of chasing and fetching leather as the sun goes down in Southampton.
ICYMI -West Indies’ leading run scorer and most capped T20I player announced his retirement from international cricket today at the age of just 29. He’s a huge name to turn his back on playing for his country and they’ll miss his runs and experience with a T20I world cup looming. The reasons and ramifications will be much discussed.
Teams– England are unchanged. West Indies bring in Shimron Hetmyer for Roston Chase.
England:Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (capt), Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Matthew Potts
West Indies:Johnson Charles, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph
Shai Hope calls the coin correctly and inserts England. A lovely summer’s evening down in Hampshire and this time it is West Indies who fancy a chase.
“We want to start nailing teams down into the ground” says an uncompromising Harry Brook after the toss. I take it all back, that doesn’t sound particularly lyrical. Certainly not the stuff of a poetical love song.
“Invoice me for the microphone later”…
Anyone else think Harry Brook has got a touch of the Alex Turners about him? The Yorkshire drawl, the swagger, the confidence in his own talent, the feeling that perhaps he could come to define a generation?
The white ball results have been something of a ‘Harrystorm’ since Brook took over, with England five from five across ODIs and T20Is, Brook ‘n’ his merry men have been going hell for leather and getting funky in the process.
“We fancy a chase” Brook said with thatrock and roll ehlanguid confidence after the toss in Bristol and he got what he wished for – West Indies racked up 196 runs in their twenty overs.
No mither, Brook’s boys made short shrift of the visitor’s total, Buttler, Bethell and Banton catching the eye and sending Shai Hope and his team from the ritz to the rubble.
Hello and welcome to the third and final T20 match of the series from Southampton. Play gets underway at 6.30pm and a win today will complete the clean sweep for England.
Don’t believe the hype?