A unified effort in bowling by the West Indies bowlers was complemented by a rapid 94 runs off 69 deliveries from Evin Lewis, leading West Indies to a decisive 8-wicket triumph in the rain-affected first ODI against England in Antigua. Jayden Seales, Matthew Forde, and Alzarri Joseph each claimed two wickets, while Gudakesh Motie excelled with four wickets as England was dismissed for 209 runs. Pursuing a revised target of 157 runs within 35 overs, West Indies accomplished the task in just 25.5 overs, thereby taking the lead in the three-match ODI series.
Gudakesh Motie's spell help restrict England to a score of 209
Following the decision to bat first, England’s top-order batsmen began with encouraging performances but failed to build on their starts. Seales took the wickets of Phil Salt (18) and Will Jacks (19), while Forde quickly removed Jordan Cox (17) and Jacob Bethell (27). A partnership of 72 runs between Livingstone and Sam Curran marked a significant recovery for England as they aimed to set a challenging target. After scoring just 12 runs off 21 balls, Livingstone accelerated his scoring, and Curran also found the boundary, contributing to England’s steady advancement.
From a position of 165 for 4 in the 35th over, England experienced a significant collapse, managing to score only an additional 44 runs and failing to utilize their full allotment of overs, as the West Indies concluded the innings in 45.1 overs. The downturn began with Livingstone being dismissed, caught and bowled by Motie for 48 runs. Following this, Dan Mousley and Jamie Overton were dismissed in consecutive deliveries by Motie, who also removed Curran for 37 runs, leaving England at 187 for 8. Rashid and Archer managed to push England past the 200-run mark before Joseph claimed the final two wickets.
Evin Lewis's carnage help West Indies win the match
Following a rain delay prior to the commencement of the second innings, Lewis initiated the West Indies’ pursuit with a series of sixes against John Turner and Jofra Archer, achieving three maximums within the initial 10 overs. Brandon King contributed several boundaries, offering solid support to Lewis as they propelled West Indies to a score of 54/0 during the first powerplay. Lewis maintained his aggressive batting, reaching a total of five sixes and securing a fifty off 46 balls before rain interrupted play once more, leading to the players being taken off the field with West Indies at 81/0 after 15 overs.
The initial interruption did not affect the total number of overs, but the subsequent one led to a revised target. Lewis resumed his innings, striking a series of boundaries, including two fours and a six off Adil Rashid during the 17th over, which propelled the West Indies past the 100-run mark. The opening partnership, which totaled 118 runs, concluded when King attempted to play a short ball from Liam Livingstone and was caught in the deep, departing with a score of 30. Lewis increased his tally of sixes to eight and appeared poised for a century but fell short by six runs when he was caught at long-off while attempting to hit Rashid for a maximum. Keacy Carty contributed the final touches to the chase, remaining not out on 19.
SCORECARD: England 209 in 45.1 overs (Liam Livingstone 48, Sam Curran 37; Gudakesh Motie 4-41, Jayden Seales 2-22) lost to West Indies 157/2 in 25.5 overs (Evin Lewis 94, Brandon King 30; Liam Livingstone 1-32) by 8 wickets (DLS method).
