West Indies romped to a 2-1 series win over England as they comfortably chased down 264 for the loss of just two wickets in the third ODI decider in Barbados on Wednesday.
Brandon King (102) and Keacy Carty (128no) each notched majestic hundreds in a 209-run stand for the second wicket, the latter’s being his first for the West Indies in his 28th ODI cap.
Reece Topley (1-55) claimed nothing more than the late consolation wicket of King, bowled, to end the partnership, but Carty stuck around to see the hosts to victory with seven overs to spare.
England, who had limped to 24-4 start after being inserted, had appeared to carry some momentum into the run chase as Phil Salt (74) and Dan Mousley (57) first helped rescue the innings and Jofra Archer (38no off 17 balls) then smashed three sixes in a blistering cameo at the back end.
But the writing was almost on the wall as early as two balls into the West Indies’ reply, both of them King boundaries blasted off Archer to set the tone of what was to come.
The two teams face-off again in a five-match T20 series which gets under way on Saturday from 8pm (UK and Ireland), the first two games of which are also being held at the Bridgetown Oval.
West Indies consistency delights Hope
“We asked for consistency and discipline and that is exactly what we did.” West Indies captain, Shai Hope
We were disciplined and the main thing to be an elite team: Hope
After the game, captain Hope was asked to comment on Joseph’s behaviour. “No comments! In a situation like that, you have to understand that such things can happen,” Hope said.
Hope was elated following West Indies’ eight-wicket win in the third ODI and sealing the series 2-1. He noted that the players were disciplined and that’s the hallmark of an elite team and was happy to see them play good cricket consistently. The 30-year-old also believes that the series will boost the confidence of the players.
“I thought we were disciplined and the main thing to be an elite team is to make sure that you do it consistently. He’s (Keacy Carty) a big plus for us, the hard work is really showing. The boys are doing a lot of work off the field and it’s a really big confidence booster for us,” he added.