All-round Jordan saves England.

Michael Lumb got England off to a great start
with the bat as they reached 98-0.

England edged a nail-biting fixture in their final T20 encounter with the West Indies, as they held their nerve to earn a five-run victory, giving their T20 World Cup preparations a much-needed boost.

If it hadn’t been for Chris Jordan’s late surge, England may have been facing a score well below par, but the Sussex all-rounder was able to smash four sixes in the final over to rescue England and set the West Indies 166 to win.

The visitors accelerated to 96-0 after 10 overs, with Michael Lumb doing most of the damage as he raced to his fifty in just 27 balls, but was assisted nicely by Nottinghamshire team-mate, Alex Hales who continued to impress after making 40 in the previous fixture.

The first-wicket stand launched the visitors into a confident position and a score of 200 seemed to be on the cards. But England lost six wickets for the addition of just 40 runs as the run rate dropped dramatically.

England reached 98 before losing their first wicket, a rare achievement of late, as the Nottinghamshire duo struck a combined total of 16 boundaries to get the visitors off to a flier.

Lumb top-scored with 63 but his wicket opened up the floodgates as a cluster of wickets fell and the runs dried-up. Hales soon followed for 38 as Sheldon Cottrell claimed the wicket of both of England’s opener’s.

England then lost three wickets for six runs as Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes all fell cheaply and yet another batting collapse unfolded.

Krishmar Santokie returned impressive figures of 2-27 from his allocation, removing Buttler and Stokes after Sunil Narine returned to the squad and dismissed England’s stand-in captain, Morgan.

At 129-5 England’s hard work had been made redundant and were now heading for a mediocre score as the removal of Moeen Ali (3) exacerbated England’s concerns.

With one over to face England were 139-6, but the efforts of Jordan ensured that England would finish in the ascendancy with 26 runs coming from the final over.

The visitors seemed to carry this newfound confidence into their defense, removing the dangerous Dwayne Smith from the first first ball as he played-on to his own stumps off Jade Dernbach.

The absence of Chris Gayle left the West Indies short of aggressive batsmen at the top of their order and his replacement, Johnson Charles, skied the ball back to Jordan as the hosts reached 4-2.

Jordan continued to have a fine day with bat and ball, claiming the wicket of Marlon Samuels (15) and at 28-3 the hosts were struggling to stay in the match.

Thankfully these wickets allowed the more experienced contingent of the West Indies batting line-up to be introduced, but more good bowling from Ravi Bopara halted the host’s recovery.

His spell of 2-28 contained two key wickets, both of which came in the same over, the first, that of Dwayne Bravo and then Andre Russell just four balls later and at 67-5 the match was firmly in English hands.

West Indies desperately needed a contribution from somewhere and the dependable Lendll Simmons obliged with 69 as he and Dinesh Ramdin made 73 for the sixth-wicket stand.

Spinners, Stephen Parry and James Tredwell aided England’s cause as they constricted the flow of runs, a promising sign ahead of the World Cup in Bangladesh.

England retained control of the game but there was always a ten percent chance that the hosts could sneak over the line, particularly with Darren Sammy still to bat.

Barbados-born Jordan returned and gave a professional display with the ball as he and Dernbach ensured that England would not suffer another whitewash.

Jordan removed Ramdin for 33 with a sublime delivery as he claimed 3-39, but this brought Sammy to the crease and the match became tense to say the least.

Striking four off his first ball, captain Sammy gave the home crowd something to cheer about and with 17 runs required from the final over, all three results remained possible.

With three balls to go Sammy smashed Dernbach for six and a wide delivery from the Surrey pace man gave the hosts a chance to win the match if their skipper could strike another maximum from the final ball.

But Dernbach held his nerve and England savored the rare sensation of victory as they crept over the line to beat a tough opponent and earn some credibility before they head to Bangladesh for an even tougher challenge. 

West Indies claim t20 series in style.

Hales return to form with 40 was not nearly enough to
give England the score they desperately needed. 

The West Indies won by five wickets with seven balls to spare, claiming the t20 series 2-0 with one game remaining, as the current world t20 holders obliterated England.

The hosts struck ten fours and eleven sixes and were on top of their run chase right from the start of their innings as they comfortably defeated England, who still have a lot to work on before the t20 world cup.

Jos Buttler led England’s innings with an attractive 67, but the visitors were not aggressive enough and were only able to post 152-7, a score which proved to be below par against a belligerent West Indies side.

England recovered from 26-3 to post a competitive score thanks to a fourth wicket stand worth 76 between Buttler and Alex Hales, but a rain delay unsettled the England middle order who struggled to find their feet after the break.

The hosts were initially concerned by the absence of inform spinner, Sunil Narine, but his replacement Krishmar Santokie, claimed 4-21, causing damage at both ends of the innings.

Michael Lumb (4) and Moeen Ali (5) were both trapped LBW by Santokie and stand-in captain, Eoin Morgan was unable to get the better of spinner, Samuel Badree, as he was also removed cheaply.

Fearful of another capitulation, opener Hales was able to steady the innings, alongside Buttler, who proved that he is capable of making an innings, as well as finishing them in style.

With both batsmen approaching half-centuries, England had recovered from their early collapse and appeared to be mounting a dangerous total, but their efforts were halted when Hales hauled out to the square leg boundary and was out for 40.

Rain started to fall shortly after this wicket fell and this untimely dismissal was followed by an uncomfortable delay, which proved to unsettle the flow of Buttler.

With just over 5 overs to face, England continued their innings, hoping to reach anywhere between 160-180, but the West Indies bowlers resumed with a renewed confidence and were able to contain runs, much to frustration of the England batsmen.

Buttler was able to pass his second t20 half-century for England in 33 deliveries, but the innings struggled to live up to the hopes of the away supporters and wickets fell in the arduous search for boundaries.

Santokie’s return proved to be useful to the hosts, claiming the wickets of Buttler and Ravi Bopara (14) in the same over, as England struggled to reach a par score.

Luke Wright (7*) and Tim Bresnan both struck late boundaries to give the visitors total a much-needed boost, but the latter was removed on the final ball of the innings as England set an average target of 153 to win.

The West Indies began in an aggressive style with both Dwayne Smith and Chris Gayle taking charge against the England bowlers, reaching 58-1 at the end of their power play.

Smith struck 30 off just 16 balls and Gayle was back to his old self, effortlessly thrashing the ball over the fence as he raced to 36 with four sixes.

England were relieved to remove Smith but Gayle continued his assault and the required run rate continued to fall with every ball that passed.

The efforts of Bopara gave England hope, affording just ten runs from his four over, as he forced Gayle to chop-on to his own stumps.

Marlon Samuels found it difficult with pace taken off the ball and when his partner, Lendl Simmons (19), was out caught behind, the game became much more even as the hosts unexpectedly struggled to find boundary.

Further success for England came when Bresnan claimed two wickets in two balls, but if anything this exposed a much more dangerous opponent in Darren Sammy, who would finish the innings with conviction.

After losing three wickets for five runs, the hosts were suddenly on the back-foot but the experience of Sammy ensured that they would emerge victorious, with England’s death bowling, once again, proving ineffective.

Sammy smashed 30 runs from just nine deliveries as the West Indies crushed their opponents and gave a good account of what to expect from the defending Champions in Bangladesh for the t20 world cup.

England defeated in T20 opener against W.I.

Bopara made 43 and claimed two wickets but England proved to be second-best from the start of the match. 

England’s Twenty20 World Cup preparations got off to a bad start after the West Indies emerged as convincing winners of the first T20 international by 27 runs in Barbados.

England’s batsmen capitulated, stumbling to 55-5 as they struggled to play against the West Indies numerous spinning options, a bad sign for the World Cup which is due to be held in Bangladesh.

The hosts got off to a brilliant start, reaching 56-0 after the powerplay and the return of Chris Gayle will certainly please the current holders of the T20 World Cup, as he sought to unsettle the England bowlers.

This fast start, however, was largely down to fellow opener, Dwayne Smith, who helped the hosts bludgeon 19 runs from the first over, with the first ball of the match being struck for six.

This, unfortunately, set the tone for the innings and in the wider context, the match, as the hosts accumulated runs with ease against a dejected bowling attack.

The turning point for England was undoubtedly the introduction of James Tredwell and Ravi Bopara, who both proved to be incredibly economical under the circumstances. 

Bopara struck the first blow, bowling Smith for 27 off 18 balls as the hosts reached an impressive score of 57-1.

Tredwell’s spell of 24 deliveries contained 15 dot balls and the Kent spinner afforded just 16 runs from his allocation.

With more than 400 sixes in T20 Internationals, Gayle’s presence was enough to strike fear into the opposition and his score of 43 off 35 propelled the West Indies’ innings despite the efforts of Tredwell.

But England’s only spinner eventually got his man, trapping the opener LBW shortly after he had smashed Tredwell (1-16) for an enormous six onto the roof, preventing Gayle from reaching his 49th T20 half-century.

At 87-2 the hosts had plenty of time and wickets in the locker, and utilised this to full advantage.

Bopara (2-23) struck again with less than six overs to go, this time forcing the in-form Lendl Simmons to play an erratic shot down the ground, which was taken comfortably by Michael Lumb on the boundary.

England seemed to be recovering the innings nicely until Tredwell dropped an easy chance off Marlon Samuels (69). The issue was not so much the drop, but more the five balls after it which all went for four, much to the disgust of Jade Dernbach, who had his figures spoilt by this costly error.

Samuels accelerated past fifty off just 37 balls, his 7th half-century for the West Indies in this format, as he and Andre Russell (24) finished the innings in style with a partnership worth 58.

Setting England a total of 171 to win, the visitors needed to respond with a similar effort in their powerplay. Needless to say, the reality was far from what England had hoped, as they limped to 36-2 after six overs.

England’s batting was, once again, disappointing and the recent difficulties of facing spin bowling do not bode well for the World Cup. Alex Hales and Luke Wright both fell to identical dismissals, as they were stumped off the bowling of Samuel Badree in successive deliveries.

Another low score for Luke Wright will puzzle England fans, given his impressive performances in the KFC Big Bash, and his lack of form may warrant a change of personnel in the second match.

Michael Lumb needed to put in a good performance if England were going to have any chance of saving the game, but he soon became Badree’s third victim as he was dismissed for 18.

Jos Buttler was the next batsman to fall, playing a thoughtless reverse-sweep to the dangerous, Sunil Narine, and at 40-4, the game had already slipped out of the visitors grasp.

England had plenty of batsmen, none of whom were able to apply themselves. Eoin Morgan became the fifth casualty and the half way stage; England’s score of 58-5 was inadequate to say the least.

The third stumping of England’s innings, courtesy of Ben Stokes (4), gave Samuels a wicket and at 73-6 the match was well and truly over.

Bopara continued to have a good day as he made 42 off just 24 balls, but even his efforts were insufficient in redeeming England from a desperate position, as he was caught and bowled by Dwayne Bravo.

Tim Bresnan beat his previous best score in this form of the game for England as he ensured the visitors would avoid a heavy defeat, but the result was far from pleasing for England despite his resistant stand of 47 not out from 37 balls.

England soon ran out of time and two run-outs saw the end of Stuart Broad and Tredwell, as England finished on 143-9.

With two more matches to play in this series, England still have time to prepare, but it is fair to say that a number of changes need to be made before their World Cup opener against New Zealand on the 22^nd March. 

Week Three - County Cricket - 50 and 20 over precitions.

England defeat West Indies to secure series win.

England conquered the West Indies by 25 runs to secure a 2-1 win in their ODI series after losing the first match in Antigua.

Impressive performances from Joe Root (107) and Jos Buttler (99), who added 175 runs in their fifth-wicket partnership, helped England to set a colossal target of 304, one which proved to be too much for the hosts.

West Indies battled against the odds, with Dinesh Ramdin (128) scoring the first century by a West-Indian wicket keeper in ODI history, but their poor start with the bat cost them dearly.

Michael Lumb was the first batsman to depart for 20, after he flashed at a wide delivery from Dwayne Bravo and Ben Stokes was out for a first ball duck, Putting England on the back-foot at 37-2.

Ali made his first International
half-century as England reached 303-6.

After a rough patch, Moeen Ali (55) aided Root, allowing England to recover with a partnership worth 78, as the Worcestershire opener reached his first International half-century.

Spin played a big part in this ODI series and the efforts of Nikita Miller earned the West Indies an opportunity back into the match after Ali played the ball back to the bowler.

One bowler who England are yet to figure out, Sunil Narine, continued to give the batsmen a headache, removing Eoin Morgan for just one, shortly after the dismissal of Ali.

Now 116-4, England were in danger of posting a nominal score and, with the series level, they could not afford to give the West Indies batsmen the opportunity to win the series.

Thankfully the efforts of Root and Buttler guaranteed that England would post a respectable score as the pair accumulated England's second-highest stand for the fifth-wicket in ODI history.

Narine had received VIP treatment from the majority of his allocation, but his penultimate over afforded 21 runs as Buttler twice cleared the rope on his way to what would have been his maiden century.

Root’s innings was one of substance and style, as he successfully reached his maiden ODI century in 112 balls, after suffering an injury to his thumb in the early stages of his innings.

The Yorkshire all-rounder had successfully ensured that Dwayne Bravo would not claim a hat trick, but the West Indies captain would eventually get his man, claiming 3-60.

Buttler was unable to join his batting partner, after a leading edge skied the ball back to bowler, Ravi Rampaul, but his innings, containing 7 fours and 4 sixes ensured that the hosts would have to fight hard if they wanted to win the series.

West Indies were reduced to 43-4 after 20 overs, a score that left a monolithic task for the rest of the West Indies batsmen.

Captain Stuart Broad led from the front with two early wickets, including that of Lendl Simmons (16), who had made fifties in the first and second match.

Root added to his success with the bat, claiming the first wicket of Kieran Powell, and Dwayne Smith’s careless shot off Broad was plucked out of the air by Ali on the boundary, as the West Indies stumbled to 10-2.

Ali then struck in his first over, claiming the wicket of Darren Bravo for 16, as Ravi Bopara took a smart catch at short mid-wicket.

Marlon Samuels failed to provide the innings required of him on his return to the squad, falling to Stephen Parry for 23 as he edged behind to Buttler.

At 80-5, the hosts were in dire need of a substantial contribution and Ramdin stepped up to the plate, playing with aggression as he attempted to erode a daunting target.

Help from Dwayne Bravo (27) and Darren Sammy (24), meant that England’s position was not as comfortable as it had once been and fear of a dramatic comeback began to arise.

Ramdin in particular was making the England camp fearful and his innings, containing a total of seventeen boundaries, gave the West Indies a fighting chance.

The crucial blow came when Tim Bresnan (3-45) claimed the wicket of Sammy, exposing the tail-order, who failed to support Ramdin’s pursuit.

Miller and Narine attempted to relieve some of the pressure, but both batsmen were removed for 10, with Bresnan claiming the final wicket of Ramdin, whose valiant innings proved to be in vain.

After a horrendous winter, the England camp will not only be pleased by a series win, but also by consecutive wins, a rare feat for this England squad of late.

England’s attention will turn immediately to their two T20 internationals in Bridgetown as they hope to extend their newfound success.

England win despite poor batting display.

Stephen Parry shined on debut but the England
batsmen faltered once again.

England responded from their loss on Friday with a three-wicket win against the West Indies, but it was anything but glamorous as the England batsmen once again left something to be desired.

Stephen Parry excelled on his England debut, claiming 3-32 and the total of 160 should have been simple for England, but the loss of five wickets for 26 runs meant that the game could have gone either way.

West Indies had narrowly won the first match after a belligerent end to their innings, but no such destruction was present in the second ODI, as the visitors constricted the flow of runs after winning the toss and electing to bowl.

The top-scorer for West Indies, Lendl Simmons (70), had scored a fifty in the previous fixture and, after hitting Parry for six, appeared to be going strong, but the next ball saw his dismissal, as he attempted to replicate the previous ball.

Spin proved to be decisive today and it gave England a strong start, helping the visitors to reduce the opposition to 30-3 in the ninth over.

Joe Root (2-15) and Moeen Ali (1-11) gave England the edge early on, but after Friday’s match, England were cautious of a response from West Indies more experienced players.

A fifty partnership between Simmons and Darren Bravo (13), allowed the hosts back into the game, but the latter was cleanly bowled by England captain, Stuart Broad, reducing the West Indies to 81-4.

Another half-century stand, this time between Darren’s older half-brother, Dwayne (20), and Simmons eliminated the prospect of a humiliating defeat for the hosts, but Bravo’s dismissal was contentious to say the least.

England wicketkeeper, Jos Buttler, claimed the stumping off James Tredwell     (2-39), after the third umpire decided that the Lancashire keeper had control of the ball whilst removing the bails, much to the disgust of the batsman and coach, Otis Gibson.

After this, the West Indies collapsed, losing six wickets for 26 runs as they were bowled out for 159.

Debutant Parry lead the way with the key wickets of Simmons and Darren Sammy (3), who had made 61 from 36 balls in the previous fixture.

England’s chase did not get off to the greatest start, with Ali and Luke Wright removed in quick succession, reducing the visitors to 30-2.

Another low score for the latter will raise questions, whilst Ali’s low score comes after an impressive debut, where the Worcestershire all-rounder scored 44.

With a surplus of time in hand to knock-off the remainder of runs, Michael Lumb, who scored a century on his England ODI debut on Friday and Joe Root steadied the innings well, with a partnership worth 49.

However, a flurry of wickets turned the game on its head and a familiar sight for England fans was unfolding once more as three wickets fell in the space of just six balls.

Lumb was trapped LBW by Nikita Miller for 39, which led to the dismissal of his partner, Root, who was caught and bowled by Bravo for 23.

With two fresh batsmen at the crease the last thing England needed was to lose another wicket, but Buttler’s first ball duck ensured that England were reduced to 81-5.

Further chaos ensued as Ben Stokes (4) was caught behind, after the Durham all-rounder walked, despite not being given out by the on-field umpire, as England lost four wickets for ten runs.

Ravi Bopara and Tim Bresnan added 16 more to the total, but the latter was superbly run out by Dwayne Bravo for 10 and at 101-7 the game was firmly in the hands of the hosts.

Broad (28*) came to the crease and was given out caught behind, but successfully reviewed the decision and set about turning the game back in England’s favour.

After being dropped on four, he managed to eventually assert a commanding position alongside the experienced Bopara (38*), as England limped their way over the line in unconvincing fashion.

A fifty partnership for the eighth-wicket ensured that England crawled their way to the meager total of 160 and, in leveling the series; the final match on Wednesday will decide which team will win the series. 

Parry wickets from first England game