England thrash West Indies in third T20 international – as it happened
David Willey and Mark Wood had combined figures of 7-16 as England completed a series whitewash after skittling West Indies for 71
Read our report from St Kitts10.21pm GMT
That’s it for today’s blog, and indeed for England’s winter. Thanks for your company and emails throughout the tours of Sri Lanka and West Indies. See you in May for the biggest summer of cricket since 2005. Argh!
Related: Willey and Wood skittle West Indies as England complete T20 whitewash
10.20pm GMT
The England captain Eoin Morgan speaks
“We’ve played extremely well over the last three games. It’s been outstanding to see guys like Sam Billings and Chris Jordan come in and take the limelight.”
10.15pm GMT
The West Indies captain Jason Holder speaks
“I don’t know there’s been a drop in our intensity, we just didn’t bat well in the last two games. We should give England credit as well for the way they bowled. We need to learn to adapt if the conditions aren’t true and the ball isn’t coming on to the bat. I think it’s been a good tour; I’m pretty pleased as a skipper. There’s all to play for in the future.”
10.05pm GMT
It’s a slightly flat end to a joyful, couple of months. In decades to come, any mention of England’s tour of West Indies in 2018-19 will evoke a warm, fuzzy feeling, unlike those Sunday nights before school back in the day. This is the story of the tour:
Tests West Indies 2-1 England
10.00pm GMT
10.3 overs: England 72-2 (Root 4, Morgan 10) Morgan gets off the mark with a six, lifting Bishoo down the ground, and sweeps the next ball for four to finish the match. For the second time in three days, England have battered West Indies.
9.58pm GMT
10th over: England 61-2 (Root 3, Morgan 0) John Campbell comes on to bowl some gentle offspin. Or not so gentle – Morgan is beaten by a big-spinning delivery that just misses the off stump. One run from the over, and suddenly it looks a good thing that England are only chasing 72.
9.54pm GMT
9th over: England 60-2 (Root 2, Morgan 0) A wicket maiden from Bishoo. West Indies are facing a hiding but they lead 2-0 on maidens.
“England really are very good at the short forms, eh?” sniffs Simon McMahon. “Maybe in 2047 I’ll be emailing the Guardian to say that Scotland are actually not bad at football, or rugby, or anything. That’s what keeps me going on a Monday morning. Well, that, and the after effects of having spiked my own drinks on Sunday evening. And the fact that it’ll be the weekend again in about five minutes, cos that’s how time works when you’re a certain age, right?”
9.51pm GMT
Devendra Bishoo strikes with his first ball. It was a really good delivery, a skiddy legspinner that beat Bairstow all ends up to end a good innings of 37 from 31 balls.
9.49pm GMT
8th over: England 60-1 (Bairstow 37, Root 2) Blam! Bairstow manhandles Allen over long on for six. I’d better hurry up with the emails because this game will be over very soon. England need 12 to win – from 12 overs.
“My alter-ego,” says Jo Beasley, “would kick Tyler Durden’s ass.”
9.46pm GMT
7th over: England 49-1 (Bairstow 26, Root 2) Bairstow pulls Holder flat and hard to deep midwicket, where Hetmyer drops a relatively straightforward running chance. He applies a bit of bleach to Hetmyer’s wound later in the over by pulling a big six, which also takes the required rate below two an over. What a strange game. As Rob Key says on Sky, it has had a noticeable end-of-term feel.
“Just catching up on your intro and was transported back fifty years or so to the dreaded Sunday evenings of yore,” says Brian Withington. “End of the much-anticipated weekend, school in the morning, bath time and hair wash accompanied by the truly execrable Sing Something Simple on Radio 2 in the background. Amazing to recall that a school week felt like an eternity at that age.”
9.41pm GMT
6th over: England 39-1 (Bairstow 18, Root 1) Bairstow hits Allen for two boundaries in three balls, a cuff to cow corner followed by an inside-out slap wide of mid-off.
“It’s Sunday night, which mean tomorrow is work for most of us,” says Jo Beasley. “So I’d like to thank both teams for ensuring a speedy conclusion - much appreciated. Let’s hope there’s no Tavare-style blocking in the England innings, as I’ve already got the kettle on for my rum-spiked cocoa.”
9.38pm GMT
5th over: England 30-1 (Bairstow 9, Root 1) Joe Root gets off the mark with a dodgy single to midwicket. He would have been out with a direct hit.
“It’s Sunday night, which mean tomorrow is work for most of us,” says Jo Beasley. “So I’d like to thank both teams for ensuring a speedy conclusion - much appreciated. Let’s hope there’s no Tavare-style blocking in the England innings, as I’ve already got the kettle on for my rum-spiked cocoa.”
9.36pm GMT
Hales flogs Holder to deep backward square, where the debutant Joel Campbell leaps to take a fantastic two-handed catch. That was so well judged because he was right by the rope.
9.34pm GMT
4th over: England 28-0 (Hales 20, Bairstow 8) Allen bowls that rarest of things, the T20 maiden, to Bairstow.
“If you like stealthy typos, you might look into why both you and Cricinfo write ‘Cottrell’ while the man himself has ‘Cotterell’ on his shirt,” says Robbert. “(At least, he did in the previous match - haven’t seen anything live yet today.)”
9.31pm GMT
3rd over: England 28-0 (Hales 20, Bairstow 8) An otherwise good over from Holder is tarnished when his last delivery is pulled round the corner for four by Hales.
9.27pm GMT
2nd over: England 21-0 (Hales 15, Bairstow 6) The required rate is already below three an over. This is a T20 game! It’ll be below two an over soon enough, because England are on one. Bairstow smears the left-arm spinner Fabian Allen to long on for a one-bounce four.
“Hi again,” says Geoff Wignall. “As we’re always hearing about the need to take the positives, even when in defeat, I’d like to congratulate the WI team on their better than 50 per cent upturn in their scoring. And let’s not forget how close they came to England’s first Test total.”
9.24pm GMT
1st over: England 16-0 (Hales 15, Bairstow 1) This shouldn’t take long. Hales hits Cottrell for successive boundaries before chipping a stunning six down the ground. Sixteen from the over.
“Have the Windies decided that Test cricket is best?” says Vic Neale. “This is as shambolic as boy afraid reeling round a fountain, as the flames raise from the death of a disco dancer…’”
9.19pm GMT
That was too easy for England’s bowlers, though they’ll not complain after the punishment they suffered during the ODI series. David Willey took 4-7 and Mark Wood, who again bowled like the wind, finished with 3-9.
9.01pm GMT
That’s it. The last man McCoy is cleaned up by a Rashid googly, having survived a protracted stumping referral the previous delivery, and West Indies have followed Friday’s shocker with another fiasco of a batting performance. England need 72 to win and complete a 3-0 series victory.
8.55pm GMT
12th over: West Indies 60-9 (Bishoo 2, McCoy 0)
8.55pm GMT
Hahaha. That was an innings for the ages by Sheldon Cottrell. He backed away to lash his first ball ferociously over extra cover for four. He did the same to the second but missed it, and he made so much room to his third delivery that he was almost at square leg as a low full toss sent his off stump flying. Ah salut.
8.51pm GMT
Oh my, this is an outrageous one-handed catch from Jonny Bairstow! Brathwaite tried to steer Wood very fine, and Bairstow thrust out his right arm to take a spectacular, ligament-busting catch.
8.49pm GMT
11th over: West Indies 55-7 (Brathwaite 0, Bishoo 1) “Never been there Rob, but would love to be there right now,” says Reg Gorczynski. “Still snow and bloody damp in Toronto. Definitely not cricket weather. Only so much that alcohol can make you overlook!”
8.47pm GMT
That is majestic from Adil Rashid. His second ball was smacked out of the ground by Fabian Allen, but he followed up with a lovely googly that went straight Allen like a dose of salts.
8.45pm GMT
10th over: West Indies 48-6 (Allen 1, Brathwaite 0) “ ‘St Kitts is nice at this time of year as well’,” begins Paul Berkowitz, quoting my earlier entry. “And Nevis.”
And that’s why I failed my GCSE in smartarsery.
8.43pm GMT
Chris Jordan adds to his YouTube collection with another brilliant catch. Pooran pulls a slower ball from Wood flat and hard to deep midwicket, where Jordan swoops to his right to take a nonchalant two-handed catch.
8.40pm GMT
9th over: West Indies 46-5 (Pooran 10, Allen 0) “You mean you have staff to iron your dressing gown?” says Geoff Wignall. “That’s plain decadent.”
If you think that’s decadent, you should see our orgies.
8.39pm GMT
And another one goes by. Holder, having launched the previous delivery for a mighty straight six, tries to repeat the stroke and holes out to long on.
8.36pm GMT
8th over: West Indies 36-4 (Holder 4, Pooran 7) The new bowler Mark Wood has Holder dropped off his second ball, a relatively straightforward low chance to Root at midwicket. It’s a parsimonious start from Wood, with only two runs from the over. England are in complete control of this game, although so were West Indies at the same stage on Friday.
8.32pm GMT
7th over: West Indies 34-4 (Holder 3, Pooran 6) Joe Denly comes on to bowl his perky legspinners. West Indies cannot afford to lose any more wickets for a few overs, so they are dealing exclusively in singles for the time being.
“Spent a lot of time in Grenada…” says Reg Gorcynski. “How pleasant to spend a quiet Sunday evening with some drinks, a cool breeze, and some cricket. To die for!”
8.29pm GMT
6th over: West Indies 30-4 (Holder 1, Pooran 4) A quiet over from Jordan, full of low-risk singles.
“Hi Rob,” says Geoff Wignall. “Looks like you should be able to get on with ironing your Monday work clothes by about 9pm.”
8.25pm GMT
5th over: West Indies 25-4 (Holder 0, Pooran 1) David Willey has figures of 3-0-7-4. Yep.
“Evening Rob,” says Paul Turp. “Can anyone explain why the Sky Sports player stats has been spelling ‘Fifties’ as ‘Fifities’ in the last few T20s? Check it out when the Windies next lose a wicket. While undoubtedly fun to say out loud, am sat here bewildered.”
8.22pm GMT
Four for Willey! Bravo is squared up and edges to Bairstow, who takes an excellent low catch to his left.
8.20pm GMT
David Willey has his third wicket in as many overs! Campbell slogged him miles in the air - I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a ball go higher - and Denly ignored the vertigo to take a calm catch in the covers.
8.18pm GMT
4th over: West Indies 24-2 (Campbell 11, Bravo 4) Campbell pulls the new bowler Chris Jordan sweetly round the corner for four, a shot of such rewarding simplicity that he repeats it two balls later. I like John Campbell. There, I’ve said it.
8.14pm GMT
3rd over: West Indies 14-2 (Campbell 1, Bravo 4) The new batsman Darren Bravo clouts Willey up and over cover for four.
8.12pm GMT
Rob Key, commentating on Sky Sports, tells us to “forget about Hope”. He was discussing the scorecard, and you’ll have deducedthat anyway because of the capital letter in the word Hope, but for a beautiful split-second I thought he was going to do a Scott Murray live on air.
Keysie might not be losing it but West Indies are. Hetmyer has gone now, chipping a slower ball from Willey straight into the loving embrace of Chris Jordan at mid-off.
8.08pm GMT
2nd over: West Indies 9-1 (Campbell 1, Hetmyer 8) Hetmyer gets the first boundary of the innings, boffing Tom Curran in the air but safely wide of mid-off. He looks in a hyperactive mood, even more so than usual, and steals a couple of runs later in the over.
Mind if I plug this? Great, thanks.
8.04pm GMT
1st over: West Indies 1-1 (Campbell 0, Hetmyer 1) West Indies’ last 12 wickets have fallen for 45 runs, going back to their final delivery of the first ODI. The new batsman Shimron Hetmyer makes it 46 for 12 by getting off the mark, but that’s the only run from the over.
“I think there will be eight potential World Cup winners if you include England,” says Ian Copestake. “You see what I did there? Try the pork loin.”
8.00pm GMT
West Indies pick up where they left off on Friday night. Shai Hope has fallen to the first ball of the match, driving David Willey straight to cover. Next!
7.58pm GMT
This is so good
Related: Delight is a cricket pitch in Beirut’s Shatila refugee camp | Matthew Engel
7.50pm GMT
Let me be your fantasy cricket provider
Now, the lovely folks below the line on our County Cricket blog have set up a load of fantasy leagues for this year’s championship. I did it last year and it was good fun, I think. If you’re interested, here are the details:
7.49pm GMT
An email! From Gary Naylor!
“I see Australia are back.”
Related: Handscomb and Turner inspire Australia in record chase against India
7.38pm GMT
Chris Gayle and Liam Plunkett are rested, with John Campbell and Mark Wood replacing them.
West Indies Campbell, Hope (wk), Hetmyer, Bravo, Pooran, Holder (c), Brathwaite, Bishoo, Allen, Cottrell, McCoy.
7.36pm GMT
There’s been a bush fire in St Kitts, about half a mile from the ground, though play is still scheduled to start on time.
6.47pm GMT
Hello. Sunday evenings usually involve one thing: trying to ignore an irrational fear of Monday morning. Tonight, it’s different. Tonight, my beautiful friends, we have the rare treat of cricket on a Sunday evening. Caligula would have blushed at the decadence.
The cricket in question is the third and final T20 match between West Indies and England in St Kitts. And like many hedonistic pleasures, it’s almost entirely meaningless. The match is a dead rubber, with England clinching the series by bowling West Indies out for 45 on Friday.
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