West Indies Clinch 2-1 Series Victory with Keacy Carty and Brandon King Centuries
West Indies defeated England by a dominant eight wickets in the third ODI at the Kensington Oval, completing a 2-1 series triumph.
England’s earlier comeback from a terrible start was overshadowed by the West Indies’ strong chase, which was highlighted by centuries from Keacy Carty and Brandon King.
West Indies 267/2 (Carty 128, King 102) defeated England 263/8 (Salt 79, Mousley 57, Forde 3-35) by 8 wickets.
With his first ODI century off 97 balls, Keacy Carty became the first St. Maarten cricketer to reach this milestone for the West Indies. Brandon King, not far behind, took advantage of his opportunities and, after being dropped twice, reached his century. With a 209-run partnership, the greatest for the West Indies versus England in ODIs, their partnership was nothing short of sensational.
Since the World Cup qualifier in July 2023, King had not scored more than fifty runs until his century. Carty, meanwhile, established himself as an emerging star in the West Indies team with a spectacular performance that saw him beat his previous high of 88.
After falling to 24 for 4 in the opening powerplay, England’s innings had a rough start. But with patient half-centuries, Phil Salt and Dan Mousley spearheaded a revival. Mousley demonstrated his versatility with his first ODI fifty, while Salt played a tough innings, reaching 79 off 114 balls, his slowest ODI fifty to date.
Thanks to late fireworks from Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer, England added 100 runs in the last 10 overs, making their total of 263/8 appear competitive. Archer’s 38 not out off just 17 deliveries and Overton’s explosive 32 from 21 balls placed considerable strain on the West Indies bowlers, particularly Sherfane Rutherford, who gave up 57 runs in his final 3.5 overs.
The response from the West Indies was forceful right away. Jofra Archer’s opening delivery was driven past the covers for four by Brandon King, who repeated the feat on the very next ball, setting the tone. The home team finished the powerplay at 65 for 1, well above of the needed rate, despite Evin Lewis falling to Jamie Overton early.
Keacy Targeting Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone in particular, Carty and King easily maneuvered through England’s bowling attack. After being declared out LBW against Livingstone, Carty was able to overturn the ruling and kept adding runs. After hitting many boundaries to reach his half-century, he hit Rashid over deep midwicket for a huge six.
King demonstrated his class with a 60-ball fifty, and he too completed his hundred with a barrage of boundaries, despite a few missed opportunities. With the pair effortlessly accelerating towards the objective, the West Indies’ pursuit was never in doubt.
In England’s innings, West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and skipper Shai Hope engaged in a furious on-field altercation that was one of the game’s more dramatic moments. Joseph, who was obviously annoyed by the field placements, spoke with his captain before hitting Jordan Cox with a fierce delivery.
With three wickets for thirty-five runs, including the vital removals of Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell, Matthew Forde was the most impressive bowler for the West Indies. Together with Romario Shepherd’s early breakthroughs, his meticulous bowling made sure that England’s middle order never found a rhythm.
For the West Indies, this series victory is a huge morale boost, particularly following a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign earlier in the year. Brandon King’s comeback to form and Keacy Carty‘s development as a dependable middle-order batsman auger well for the team’s prospects going forward.
The series defeat revealed weaknesses in England’s batting lineup, especially in the top order. However, Phil Salt and Dan Mousley’s encouraging performances point to the possibility of a more robust return in future games.
