Liam Livingstone leads England to series-levelling win in West Indies – Irvine Times

England’s stand-in captain hit nine sixes and five fours to send the tourists home by five wickets with 15 balls to spare in Antigua to set up the winner-takes-all match in Barbados on Wednesday.

After Phil Salt’s match-winning 59 and Jacob Bethel’s maiden international half-century, Livingstone made 140 in 111 deliveries along with Sam Curran to turn the contest firmly in England’s favour.

Curran was dismissed for 52 from as many deliveries with 29 still needed from the last 4.3 overs, but Livingston, with Dan Mausley for company, did the job to finish on 124 not out from 85 balls.

Livingstone had earlier raised eyebrows by fielding nine players for only the second time in England’s ODI history, with only wicketkeeper Salt and batting number three Jordan Cox not turning their hand.

Shai Hope anchored the Windies to 328 for six with a fantastic 117 off 127 balls, putting on a recovery stand of 143 with Keacy Carty, before cameos from several of their big players.

But his innings was overshadowed by the belligerence of Livingstone, who ensured England chased down a target of 300-plus in the format for the first time since July 2021.

They also started brightly as John Turner sent both Windies players back to the pavilion after 19 balls, but Bethel, one of three fielders at point, got a half-chance over his head with Cards on eight.

The Windies rebuilt from 12 for two, with a strong square of Carthy and Hope driving smoothly, hitting Turner and Adil Rashid, then pushing Bethell for sixes, but otherwise striking the balance between aggression and build-up.

Bethel’s extra bounce took the top edge of a cut when Hope was on 60, but Salt could not hang on until Turner dropped Carty on 68, although it proved not to be too costly as the Windies number three was bowled over the wicket Rashid for 71 off 77 balls.

While England had managed to keep the score going until then, efforts from Carthy and Hope allowed Rutherford, followed by Shimron Hetmyer and Matthew Ford, to go straight into attack mode.

The trio contributed nine of the Windies’ 14 sixes as the hosts piled up 174 in the last 20 overs. Rutherford made a scintillating 54 off 36 balls and had supercharged cameos of 24 from Hetmyer, dropped for three in the deep from Will Jacks and 23 not out from Ford.

Hope reached his hundred from 118 balls before depositing Rashid over deep midwicket before heading to long-on, but the Windies finished on top after Ford hit three consecutive sixes in Saqib Mahmood’s final over.

England needed a record total at the ground to level the series until they had chased 300-plus in almost three-and-a-half years.

While Jacks perished early in the toss, Salt’s timing was impeccable as he backed up a steady powerplay with a total of 58 for one, but Cox had a curious 19-ball stint, making just four singles before half-arming the ferocious Shamar Joseph as the bumper landed in Hope’s gloves.

Salt brought up a 42-ball fifty, then made nine off his next 17 balls before a deliberate hack by Ford, with Gudakesh Mothier doing well to take a steep one, but Bethel recovered along with Livingstone.

Bethel was billed as a superstar in the making and showed great ability, scoring all around the wicket, but particularly strong at the pull, stumping Roston Chase for six to bring up his first fifty in an England shirt.

Chase was able to get his revenge when Bethel opted for long-on on 55, but Livingstone and Curran, the two most experienced players in England’s rookie top-six, got down to business, making some very hard running initially.

Livingstone found the boundary just three times, reaching a 60-ball fifty, but he lit the touch paper alight with a 41st over over the unusually expensive Motty, who was deposited in the stands twice more by the Cumbrian.

With Curran content to hold the fort, Livingstone took 26 off the wayward Jaden Seals before bringing up the ton off 77 balls shortly after, celebrating with a kiss on the helmet.

Joseph conceded 24 in what turned out to be the penultimate over after three full overs were scored for six by Livingstone, who duly made the winning run soon after.