West Indies in England, 3 ODI Series, 2025 |2nd ODI |6/1/2025 Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Commentary
With this win, England sealed the series 2-0. The final match of the series will be played on June 3rd at 12 pm GMT. Fans can join an hour early for match buildup and updates. Until next time, Cheers!
Harry Brook, England's captain, praised Joe Root, saying he's only getting better and is an asset to the side. He commended Will Jacks, describing him as a proper batter with a wide range of shots. Brook emphasized the importance of having depth in the batting lineup, especially with a quality batter at No. 7. He also highlighted the team's camaraderie, noting they're willing to fight for each other, which reflects in their performances. Brook ended on a high note, expressing satisfaction with winning his first series as captain.
West Indies captain Shai Hope expressed disappointment that Jewel Andrew struggled to get going, but was pleased to see the absence wasn't felt as other batters like Brandon King and Keacy Carty stepped up. Hope noted that Carty's talent had finally translated into consistency, which bodes well for the team. However, he acknowledged that his side fell short by around 30 runs. Hope praised the bowlers for their efforts, highlighting the challenge of trying to restrict the chasing team in such conditions and the importance of taking wickets.
Joe Root, the player of the match, reflected on the thrilling win, saying it was satisfying to come out on top after his team was struggling at 2 for 2. He praised the wicket, noting it was tricky at times but ultimately made for an exciting game. Root commended Alzarri Joseph's bowling, highlighting his ability to extract the most out of the surface. He also appreciated key partnerships, particularly Will Jacks' exceptional play, which helped set up the win. Root expressed his desire to continually improve, fueled by his passion for the game. He concluded by praising Harry Brook's impressive start to the series, noting his ability to perform under pressure and set his team up well even on difficult days.
Stay tuned for the presentation...
Earlier today, West Indies batted first and posted an impressive total of 308, thanks to Keacy Carty's century, Shai Hope's 78, and Brandon King's half-century. England's bowlers had a mixed performance, with Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood picking up 4 and 3 wickets, respectively, while others, barring Potts, chipped in with a wicket each.
West Indies' bowling wasn't quite up to par, but Alzarri Joseph was a standout performer, taking a four-wicket haul and troubling the English batters with his bodyline attack. He was a menace! Justin Greaves and Gudakesh Motie went wicketless while others chipped in with a wicket each, but it wasn't enough to make a significant impact.
The team, though, faced a setback with Harry Brook and Jos Buttler's quick dismissals, but Jacob Bethell and Root showed some resilience with a decent partnership. However, the game-changing moment came with Root and Will Jack's 143-run stand for the 6th wicket. Although the team lost a few wickets in the final stages, Root and Adil's sensible 24-run partnership for the 8th wicket sealed the win and put all doubts to rest. Root's class was on full display and he ensured that he was there to smash the winning runs for his side.
The home side's chase got off to a shaky start, losing Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith for just 2 runs. However, Harry Brook and Joe Root steadied the ship with a solid 85-run partnership, before Brook fell just 3 runs shy of a half-century. It was then up to Root to lead the charge and see England through!
England wins this by 3 wickets and 7 balls to spare. Joe Root's masterclass is the highlight, as he expertly steers England to a convincing win in the end. England's victory is well-deserved, thanks to Root's brilliance.
48.5
4
Jayden Seales to Joe Root, FOUR! Pitched-up on middle and off, Joe Root presents a full face of his bat and drives this past mid on to his left for a boundary to wrap things up. England wins this by 3 wickets and seals the series 2-0.
48.4
2
Jayden Seales to Joe Root, On a length around middle and off, Joe Root tucks this to mid-wicket for a couple. Scores are level.
48.3
1lb
Jayden Seales to Adil Rashid, LEG BYE! On a length around middle and off, Adil Rashid misses out on the flick and deflects this off his thigh pad towards cover for a single.
48.2
0
Jayden Seales to Adil Rashid, Short-pitched on middle and leg, Adil Rashid gets hit on the chest gurard with the ball deflecting to backward point for no run.
48.1
1
Jayden Seales to Joe Root, Good length on middle and leg, Joe Root flicks this to deep mid-wicket for one.
END OF OVER 48 | 6 Runs & 0 Wkt | ENG 304/7
47.6
0
Matthew Forde to Adil Rashid, Length on off, Adil Rashid defends this out.
47.5
0
Matthew Forde to Adil Rashid, On a length around middle and off, Adil Rashid goes for the front foot defensive stroke but misses. The ball nips back in sharply and Rashid gets hit on the pads. Matthew Forde appeals for LBW but the umpire shakes his head. Hope sends this upstairs, hoping for something positive but the UltraEdge shows a spike as the ball was next to the bat and WI loses a review.
47.4
4
Matthew Forde to Adil Rashid, FOUR! Fine and wide of the fine leg fielder running to his right for four. Pitched short around leg, Adil Rashid hits this fine and finds the fence for four.
47.3
1
Matthew Forde to Joe Root, 300 comes up for England with this single. Good length on middle and off, Joe Root hits this through square leg for one.
47.2
0
Matthew Forde to Joe Root, A dramatic dot. On a length wide of off, Joe Root initially wanted to go for the scoop as he stepped across. The ball got close to him and he ended up guides this to short third for no run.
47.1
1
Matthew Forde to Adil Rashid, On a length around middle and leg, Adil Rashid flicks this to wide mid on for one.
END OF OVER 47 | 10 Runs & 0 Wkt | ENG 298/7
46.6
4
Justin Greaves to Joe Root, FOUR! SUBLIME! Short-pitched, around leg. Joe Root waits for the ball to come closer to him before pulling this flat and through the vacant space at deep backward square for four.
46.5
0
Justin Greaves to Joe Root, On a length around off, Joe Root pushes this to extra cover for a dot again.