An astonishing burst of hitting from Moeen Ali, who hit 61 from 14 balls at one stage, and Liam Plunkett’s first ODI five-for helped England go 2-0 up in the series
Related: Moeen Ali’s blistering century sets up England victory over West Indies
WICKET! West Indies 245 all out (Holder c Moeen b Plunkett 34) The superb Plunkett does get his first ODI five-for, with Holder driving straight to Moeen at long-off. It completes a fine win for England, one that will stay in the memory because of an astonishing burst of hitting from Moeen Ali. England lead 2-0 with two to play, and will expect to wrap up the series at the Oval on Wednesday. Thanks for your company, goodnight!
39th over: West Indies 245-9 (Holder 34, Cummins 4) The No11 batsman Miguel Cummins survives the remainder of Rashid’s over, dragging the last ball round the corner for four.
Taylor is bowled for a golden duck, failing to pick the Rashid googly. Plunkett might not get a chance to take a five-for after all, because Rashid has five deliveries to finish this match.
38th over: West Indies 241-8 (Holder 34, Taylor 0) That was the last ball of the over. Plunkett may never have a better chance to take his first ODI five-for.
Holder clouts Plunkett into the stand at long-off. That’s the 28th six of the match, a record both for ODIs in England and involving England. Plunkett consoles himself with a fourth wicket later in the over when Bishoo shanks a slower ball to Morgan at backward point.
37th over: West Indies 232-7 (Holder 26, Bishoo 11) This shouldn’t take long to finish. It depends whether West Indies want to bat out of the 50 overs or not. Rashid bowls a fine over to Bishoo, beating him twice outside off stump. The second leads to a stumping referral but Bishoo was fine.
36th over: West Indies 228-7 (Holder 26, Bishoo 7) Holder pulls Plunkett elegantly for four to make it 12 from the over. West Indies need 142 from 14 overs.
35th over: West Indies 216-7 (Holder 19, Bishoo 2) Rashid could feasibly pick up a five-for here, despite not bowling until the 27th over.
Rashid gets his second wicket. Nurse pushes forward at a straight delivery and is hit on the pad. Michael Gough gave it out and, although Nurse decided to review, replays showed it was hitting the off bail.
34th over: West Indies 212-6 (Holder 17, Nurse 1) Plunkett has had the best year of his career in ODI cricket: 16 matches, 31 wickets at an average of 21. This game is surely done: West Indies need 158 from 16 overs.
“Plunkett is a player who knows his game inside out; can generate some steam with his pace; and has natural bounce,” says Tom Van der Gucht. “He would be an ideal Tremlett-like selection for the ashes, brought in to do a specific job suited their Liam Neeson-esque specific set of skills.”
Liam Plunkett strikes with the second ball of a new spell. Mohammed pulled a heavy short ball straight to deep square leg, where Bairstow took a comfortable catch.
Drinks break The weather looks a bit grim now, with the lights on and some light rain. If you’re into the whole Duckworth/Lewis thing, West Indies are 45 behind.
33rd over: West Indies 210-5 (Mohammed 38, Holder 17) A sharp offbreak from Moeen leads to an LBW appeal against Holder. It’s turned down and England decided to review. I think height will save Holder. Here comes the replay... yes, it was going over the top. Holder hits a sweet straight six off the last ball of Moeen’s spell; he ends with figures of 10-0-65-0.
32nd over: West Indies 202-5 (Mohammed 37, Holder 10) Willey’s throw on the turn from fine leg is dummied by Buttler and just misses the stumps with Holder well short. Holder embraces the reprieve with a mighty slog-sweep for six off Rashid.
31st over: West Indies 193-5 (Mohammed 37, Holder 1) Moeen bowls a superb over to Holder, who is first beaten through the gate and then hit twice high on the pad. Just a single from the over.
30th over: West Indies 192-5 (Mohammed 37, Holder 0) That’s Rashid’s 70th ODI wicket since the last World Cup, more than anyone else in the world.
England should win this match now. Powell tries to hit his second straight six of the over and lifts it miles in the air towards long off, where Chris Woakes takes a calm catch.
29th over: West Indies 185-4 (Mohammed 36, Powell 2) Moeen returns to the attack and hurries through an over that goes for three singles. West Indies need a lot more than that.
28th over: West Indies 182-4 (Mohammed 34, Powell 1) Rashid, no longer deemed a flight risk now that Gayle has gone, comes into the attack. Mohammed bludgeons four to cow corner in an otherwise quiet over. West Indies need 188 from 22 overs.
27th over: West Indies 176-4 (Mohammed 29, Powell 0) One thing I would say about Plunkett and the Ashes is that his age shouldn’t count against him. England should be unashamedly myopic in picking this squad, and they can think about the future afterwards. It’s a shame there’s no David Steele type they could pick to bat at No3.
Adil Rashid has dismissed Chris Gayle - without bowling a ball. Gayle took a tight single to midwicket, and was struggling to make his ground when Rashid’s superb throw hit the stumps. There was no dive and replays confirmed he was fractionally short. It ends a spectacular innings of 94 from 78 balls from Gayle, whose lack of speed between the wickets has cost him again.
26th over: West Indies 173-3 (Gayle 94, Mohammed 28) I’m surprised Rashid hasn’t bowled at all. It must be a Gayle thing, I don’t think Rashid needs to hide from anybody. (I might revise that view if he comes on and disappears for 27 in his first over.) He is England’s best chance of dismissing Gayle and winning the match. West Indies will be favourites so long as Gayle is at the crease - even more so if Mohammed plays more shots like that, a coruscating flat pull for four off Stokes. West Indies need 197 from 24 overs.
25th over: West Indies 165-3 (Gayle 93, Mohammed 24) Woakes returns to the attack, with England in increasingly urgent need of a wicket. He almost gets one with a superb cutter that beats Gayle’s outside edge and just misses the off stump. Three from the over.
“The ever reliable, often wicket-taking and useful tailender Plunkett never seems to get a mention as a possible back-up seamer for the Ashes,” says Geoff Wignall. “Why ever not?”
24th over: West Indies 163-3 (Gayle 92, Mohammed 21) “We just might have seen a bit of statsgasmic history today,” weeps Tom Bowtell. “By my initial statsguring, I tentatively reckon the record number of runs scored in all formats in an English summer was previously Gooch’s 1277 in his Indian summer of 1990. If that’s the case, then Root went past that today, and is currently on 1342. Can you/any OBOers think of any other possible contending seasons?”
Yep, that’s correct - it’s on Cricinfo and everything! I’m not sure why, but I struggled to get excited about those ‘all international matches’ stats. It’s like bracketing the winners of Masterchef and Celebrity Masterchef together. It’s exactly like that.
23rd over: West Indies 156-3 (Gayle 91, Mohammed 15) Gayle hurtles into the nineties by swiping Moeen for three consecutive straight sixes. He is an astonishing player; he has 91 from 66 balls and it feels like he’s just warming up. If he is still batting at the end, West Indies willhave won this game.
22nd over: West Indies 137-3 (Gayle 73, Mohammed 14) Still no sign of Adil Rashid, which must be related to the presence of Chris Gayle. He moves into the seventies with a clever steer past short third man off the bowling of Stokes. He has 73 from 61 balls, Mohammed 15 from 27.
21st over: West Indies 131-3 (Gayle 68, Mohammed 14) Chris Gayle is into overtime, the 21st over of the innings. He has slowed down a bit ion the last few overs, perhaps recharging for a second assault, and Moeen slips through a good over for just two runs.
20th over: West Indies 129-3 (Gayle 68, Mohammed 13) Stokes comes into the attack in place of the ever-excellent Plunkett (5-0-29-2). Mohammed edges his first ball short of the keeper Buttler, and not much else happens.
Here’s one: assuming a foursome of Anderson, Broad, Woakes and Stokes for the Gabba, who should be the two back-up seamers in the Ashes squad? Wood must go if he’s fit, and my heart is screaming FINN for the other place. I would take him just in case he can reach his 2015-16 level again, and make sure Jake Ball is nearby with the Lions.
19th over: West Indies 124-3 (Gayle 66, Mohammed 10) Mohammed edges Moeen onto the shin of Buttler and launches the next ball lazily down the ground for six. Shot! West Indies need 246 from the last 31 overs.
“I think that DRS decision against Samuels was the equivalent of a butterfly flapping its wings in Japan,” says Brian Withington. “Crazy overrule.”
18th over: West Indies 117-3 (Gayle 66, Mohammed 3)“Two things you notice about Morgan are his selection of bowlers and his field settings, which tend to be in advance of most of his contemporaries,” says John Starbuck. “As these are more likely to win you games than his explosive hitting you can discount the latter to some extent. A thought: when he does come to give it up, who’s next? Ben Stokes, maybe, as a training phase for Test team captaincy when Root gets exhausted by it all. Stokes would have to mature well in the next two years, though, in both temper and tactics.”
Stokes feels like the perfect vice-captain to me, though maybe I am just going on the Botham/Flintoff principle. I think it should and will be Buttler. He’s clever, tough, thinks outside the box and probably won’t be playing Test cricket.
17th over: West Indies 115-3 (Gayle 65, Mohammed 2) Six from Moeen’s over, all singles or wides.
16th over: West Indies 109-3 (Gayle 62, Mohammed 0) I think Samuels has been really hard done by. As Samuels walked off with an affronted pus, Plunkett raised his eyebrows and fixed him with a wonderful look of wry schadenfreude.
Marlon Samuels is controversially dismissed on review. The bowler Liam Plunkett didn’t even appeal for the caught behind, but Jos Buttler was so convinced of an edge that, when it was given not out on the field, Eoin Morgan decided to go upstairs. There was a really small spike as the ball passed the bat, which was a long way away from the body. I thought you needed a slightly bigger spike to overturn a decision, especially as there was no sound or obvious deviation, but Rod Tucker knows a bit more about umpiring than I do and he decided it was out.
15th over: West Indies 104-2 (Gayle 62, Samuels 7) Gayle mispulls Moeen straight down the ground, and the ball drops exasperatingly between Stokes and Willey at long-off and long-on. A good over from Moeen, just three from it.
14th over: West Indies 101-2 (Gayle 59, Samuels 6) Plunkett has an optimistic LBW appeal against Samuels turned down. Samuels then gets off the mark with five runs from his fifth delivery. He was pottering absentmindedly for a single when the bowler Plunkett threw on the turn towards the stumps at the non-striker’s end. It went for four overthrows but it was fair enough as I think Samuels would have been out with a direct hit.
13th over: West Indies 92-2 (Gayle 57, Samuels 0) Gayle monsters Moeen into the crowd to reach a 38-ball half-century. That’s followed by a couple of near misses: an attempted pull that flashes past Moeen at catchable height, and a swat towards cow corner that just evades the diving Bairstow on its way to the boundary. Thirteen from the over.
12th over: West Indies 79-2 (Gayle 44, Samuels 0) “If you’d told me in 2014 when Mo was just making his way shakily in Test cricket that he’d hit this monstrous score today, putting ubermensches Gayle and Stokes in the shade I’d have spat my east London craft lager out in snorts of derision,” says Guy Hornsby. “But this isn’t even his top ODI score, and I’ve not seen such ferocity in such a sensible man since Michael Douglas lost it in Falling Down. Is there nothing he can’t do?”
That’s the interesting thing with Moeen: you sense he is only just starting to realise what he can do, both as an off-spinner and a lower-order punisher. If he gets through this winter unscathed - and that’s a big concern, I think - he’ll be a national treasure for the next few years.
Liam Plunkett strikes in his second over. Shai Hope tried to drive a tempting wide delivery and snicked it through to Jos Buttler. Plunkett has become a very reliable wickettaker in ODIs - only Rashid Khan and Hasan Ali have taken more this year.
11th over: West Indies 77-1 (Gayle 43, S Hope 19) Moeen comes into the attack in place of Chris Woakes, who bowled better than figures of 5-1-27-0 suggest. Gayle has a couple of sighters before launching a one-bounce four that lands a few yards wide of Stokes at long-off.
10th over: West Indies 73-1 (Gayle 39, S Hope 19) Plunkett replaces Willey, and his second ball is pulled out of the ground by Gayle. Shots like that used to merit an exclamation mark but not any more. Shai Hopes makes it 11 from the over with another classical extra-cover drive for four. Even for an England fan, his batting is the gift that keeps on giving. He is gorgeous to watch.
9th over: West Indies 62-1 (Gayle 32, S Hope 15) This has been an extremely good contest between Woakes and Gayle. Both have had their moments, but this over belongs to Gayle. He dumps a slower ball over midwicket for four and steers the next one - a short ball that followed him outside leg stump - to the third-man boundary. He has 32 from 25 balls.
8th over: West Indies 53-1 (Gayle 23, S Hope 15) Shai Hope is showing that the coaching manual can still have a place in white-ball cricket. He flashes a back cut for four off Willey and then stiffens his wrists to clip a gorgeous shot between midwicket and mid-on.
7th over: West Indies 45-1 (Gayle 23, S Hope 4) “Couple of questions about Morgan,” says Ben Parker. “Would he have been dropped by now if he weren’t captain? How many more failures is he allowed before he loses his place?”
Probably not, and plenty. I agree that his fluctuations in form are frustrating but he usually makes runs when it matters. It’s only two or three months since he played an immense innings against Australia in the Champions Trophy, and since the last World Cup he averages 46 at a strike rate close to 100. And his captaincy is even more important than his runs.
6th over: West Indies 38-1 (Gayle 19, S Hope 4) Gayle slashes Willey just over the head of Morgan at backward point for four. The next ball brings a more authentic boundary, howitzed through the covers off the back foot. He has 19 from 19 balls and, although it has been a sketchy innings, England will not stand comfortably until he is out.
5th over: West Indies 29-1 (Gayle 11, S Hope 4) Woakes is bowling a cracking spell to Gayle. He beats him three times in the over - first with lack of pace, then seam movement and finally some trampoline bounce. It’s a maiden, which doesn’t happen a lot when Chris Gayle is on strike and his team need eight an over.
4th over: West Indies 29-1 (Gayle 11, S Hope 4) Willey continues, and Shai Hope gets off the mark with a thoroughly beautiful drive between extra cover and mid-off for four.
“There is also the stunning fact that Mo’s second 50 came off just 12 balls!” says Dean Kinsella.
3rd over: West Indies 25-1 (Gayle 11, S Hope 0) Gayle blasts Woakes’ first two deliveries for four and six, a drive over mid-off followed by a muscular heave to cow corner. Woakes’ response is excellent, with four dot balls - including two past the outside edge - to end the over.
2nd over: West Indies 15-1 (Gayle 1, S Hope 0) That’s a nice breakthrough for Willey, who has had a tricky time after a brilliant start to his ODI career.
This is a very good early breakthrough for England. After two superb leg-side sixes in the over, Lewis falls going for a third. He mispulled Willey straight to mid-on, where Moeen took an easy catch.
1st over: West Indies 2-0 (Gayle 1, Lewis 1) A low-key start to the innings, with Chris Woakes conceding two singles from the first over. It surely won’t be long before Gayle and Lewis tee off, as the required rate is already 7.5 per over.
The England players are out on the field, as are Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis. Let us flay.
Hello, Rob here. We’ve had a few Mogasms this summer, but today’s surely tops the lot. Moeen Ali reached new heights of velvet brutality to move from 39 to 100 in just 14 balls, including eight sixes. Eight sixes in 14 balls. There hasn’t been a comparable burst of hitting by an England batsman in 140 years of international cricket. It means that West Indies must chase a huge target of 370 to square the series. With Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis opening the batting, it’s not impossible. But even they will do well to smack eight sixes in 14 balls.
50th over: England 369-9 (Rashid 9, Willey 1) Excellent finish from Adil Rashid, who deliberately and then inadvertently guides the last two balls to third man for boundaries. It’s England’s fifth highest ODI score and a record in an innings against West Indies. Trying to find the words to describe that innings from Moeen Ali that aren’t just hearts-eyes emojis. While his hunderd was the third fastest for England in ODIs, it’s the fastest for England at home. Seven fours, eight sixes, all class.
Rob Smyth is taking over from here on in. Thanks for your company!
Quality work from Taylor, following through right up to the ball, that had been dropped just in front of the stumps. Side-foots home from close range.
49th over: England 358-8 (Plunkett 9, Willey 0) Plunkett forces a four through midwicket. Six balls to go, potentially 370 on the cards...
Show’s over, but my it was good while it lasted. Two drops in three balls – both off Ashley Nurse, both by Ashley Nurse – is followed by a loft down the ground that doesn’t beat the biggest man on the ground, Jason Holder. Unreal knock.
Moeen Ali today:
First 39 balls - 39 runs, 5x4, 0x6
Next 14 balls - 61 runs, 2x4, 8x6#ENGvWI
48th over: England 351-7 (Ali 101, Plunkett 3) Outrageous! Moeen Ali has the second fastest ODI hundred for England, disrupting the Buttler monopoly on the top three slots. Cummins is smeared high to square leg to take Moeen to 94 before three figures are brought up with one fetched outside off stump, way over wide mid on...
WOOOOOW! No words for @MoeenAli– he brings up his century from 56 balls!
Just 12 balls for his second 50! https://t.co/Iokv5fMDtipic.twitter.com/lSOAoyx3qz
47th over: England 336-7 (Ali 88, Plunkett 1) One of the more outrageous overs today. Second ball, Moeen Ali is dropped at backward point: a full toss slashed straight into Chris Gayle’s hands. Gayle, who didn’t have to move – just how he likes it – can’t react quick enough. Six and out for Woakes, who wasn’t hitting them well but grew into his role superbly. Now for Mo’s hundred...
A chaotic few deliveries that sees Woakes caught and taken over the long on fence for four ends with him carving over extra cover... only to be caught smartly on the fence by Powell. And breathe...
46th over: England 326-6 (Ali 87, Woakes 27) MOEEN ALI! Stop it. Three sixes in a row off Jason Holder, followed by a two and a four puts England back into play for a monstrous total. Speaking of monstrous, Moeen’s last 10 balls have brought 48 runs!
6624666624!
45th over: England 301-6 (Ali 63, Woakes 26) Moeen – he came to party. Miguel Cummins is looking at me. Wondeful start to the oevr from the left-hander as he opens his stance and plants the quick for two sixes over wide mid on. The blows take him to his half-century, from 41 balls. How does he celebrate? With a skewed four and then a slapped six over square leg. Cummins concedes 25 from the over!
England on course for their highest ODI total against the West Indies (currently 328)...
44th over: England 276-6 (Ali 39, Woakes 25) Chris Woakes tries to muscle a couple to midwicket but falls short, twice. The first is the better hit, but good work in the deep from Powell saves two runs. The second effort is weaker from Woakes and, as a result, it’s a single and Woakes keeps the strike. A result for West Indies.
43rd over: England 268-6 (Ali 37, Woakes 19) Plenty of runs behind the keeper. Another edge from Moeen flies away inside third man for four. The over finishes with one, too – Woakes’ first – as the allrounder skips down to Taylor and puts him back over his head. “Would Englands take 280?” asks Matthew Doherty. Not a chance. With seven overs to go, 300 shouldn’t be too tough.
42nd over: England 257-6 (Ali 31, Woakes 14) No boundaries for Woakes so far, but he’s hitting the ball into some workable gaps, albeit after wasting the first two balls of the over trying to hit the ball out of Gloucestershire. A thread through extra cover, backward point and cover bring him five runs. Moeen the man on strike next over. Exactly what England need.
41st over: England 251-6 (Ali 30, Woakes 9) The fielding hasn’t been great today but the field placings have been good from Jason Holder. Twice, now, Moeen Ali has tried to lace balls through square leg but hasn’t been able to beat the fielder, Lewis. Jerome Taylor backs up his skipper with a couple of yorkers. Woakes gets his toes out of the way of one to find a single into cover point to nick the strike.
40th over: England 244-6 (Ali 27, Woakes 6) Wonderful from Moeen Ali. Powell’s not fast enough to bowl back of a length and Moeen’s too good to miss out. With a smidge of a rock back, Ali flays through midwicket for four.
39th over: England 239-6 (Ali 22, Woakes 6) Evin Lewis with a brilliant diving header out at deep backward square leg to save two runs! Moeen Ali tries to hook the returning Jerome Taylor out of the ground, but is unable to fetch find the stands.
“That may be so,” says Peter Salmon on Woakes’ scoring rate exceeding Chris Gayle’s. “But Gayle has a better economy rate as a bowler, 4.76 vs 5.57 #whataworld.” That is a maginficent pick-up, Peter.
38th over: England 235-6 (Ali 19, Woakes 5) Unlucky from Powell. Part-timer status means he’s never going to be given a slip, so when Moeen drives and edges through, way out to the wicketkeeper’s left, he knows it’s four straightaway. A good score was 340... now is it a straight 300, given what’s left to come?
37th over: England 228-6 (Ali 14, Woakes 3) Cummins drops one short to Moeen, who pulls out the Lara pull – hands high, finishing higher, leg in the air – and gets four through midwicket.
36th over: England 222-6 (Ali 9, Woakes 2) Powell changing his pace well here. He’s been a real bonus after Nurse and Bishoo were taken apart. Three from the over
35th over: England 219-6 (Ali 7, Woakes 1) Six overs, three for 36 so far for Cummins. Each wicket pegging England back. A steady platform is slowly being dismantled. Thankfully, Moeen is now being accompanied by #UNIVERSECHRIS...
Great early stat from @ZaltzCricket.
England's @chriswoakes currently has a faster scoring rate in ODIs than @henrygayle#bbccricketpic.twitter.com/b2ntAkLr4C
A third for Miguel Cummins! Joe Root, touch over-balanced, is struck in front by a delivery that moves into him. He reviews but it’s clattering into leg stump. Cummins’ today: Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Root. Not a bad bunch.
34th over: England 217-5 (Root 84, Moeen 6) Moeen up and running with a work away off his hip for four down to fine leg.
33rd over: England 211-5 (Root 83, Moeen 1) Very good from Cummins. Given how the spinners have been costly, I’d imagine he’d bowl out. Why wouldn’t he after this:
WICKET Buttler bowled by Cummins
210/5 #EngvWI
Follow: https://t.co/Iokv5fMDtipic.twitter.com/UgYqZCAcak
Related: India v Australia: third one-day international – live!
32nd over: England 209-4 (Root 82, Buttler 2) Stokes goes. Out comes the man with the first, second and third fastest ODI hundreds for England...
The party’s over and a deserved scalp for Powell, who has bowled better than the part-timer tag I gave him when he came on. Stokes goes high to the off side but can’t quite control the direction of the shot. Slices out right to the cover boundary, where Evin Lewis takes a simple catch.
31st over: England 205-3 (Root 80, Stokes 73) Oh wow... now we’re talking. Ben Stokes his Nurse over his head for back-to-back sixes. Big man doing big things. Nurse’s figures have taken a pasting in the last two overs – 29 from them!
30th over: England 189-2 (Root 79, Stokes 58) Another steady over from Powell concedes just three runs.
Highest innings total in ODI at Bristol is 329...England on track to go well past that https://t.co/d4e5j5fNFS#ENGvWI
29th over: England 186-2 (Root 78, Stokes 56) Joe Root’s awoken from his cruise control. Nurse drags one down and is flayed through the off side. Next ball is given a bit of air and Root gets under it to slog-sweep into the crowd at midwicket. Stunning.
Brian Withington emails in: “Having missed the opportunity to express my unstinting man love for Jonny Bairstow, can I instead proffer a word for young Lawrence of Leytonstone, whose century after following on inspired Essex’s ninth win of the Championship at the Ageas this week. The excellent Rob Keys has been noticeably fulsome in his praise of this precocious Daniel - maybe too early to expose him to an Ashes tour but his time will surely come, and soon.” Oh Brian, you don’t need to sing the virtues of Lawrence to me. I’m a full paid up member to the Church of DL. Saw him score an excellent century against Surrey earlier this season and fend off a Lancashire attack of James Anderson, Kyle Jarvis and Ryan McLaren. Played one of my favourite shots of 2015:
#Wristspic.twitter.com/CJJdZR1e7C
28th over: England 173-3 (Root 67, Stokes 54) First bit of width from Powell is punished by Root, who arches back and cuts behind point for four.
27th over: England 167-3 (Root 62, Stokes 53) The first ball spins – mark it down: fiffth ball of the 27th over – but Root covers up well to push it into the off side for a single. That’s only one of four runs taken in the over. Had West Indies fielded a bit better, England might have been in a bit of trouble here. As it is, a steady enough platform is being built for that man Jos.
26th over: England 163-3 (Root 59, Stokes 52) Bit of part-time medium pace from Rovman Powell. The sprightly stuff you might face on a Saturday. Quicker when he’s shorter, moving when its full. Stokes and Root are good enough and in enough to counter it all, but the wicket-to-wicket line is proving hard to get away. In fact, Powell rattles off four dot balls in a row to finish the over.
Here’s that reverse sweep...
FIFTY! Fantastic innings @benstokes38! #EngvWI
How about this for a shot? pic.twitter.com/ChoJNN5Dkf
25th over: England 161-3 (Root 58, Stokes 51) Stokes’ initiative keeping England ticking. Nurse, around the wicket, bowling into leg stump, is whipped through point via another reverse sweep for four. A single down the ground takes Stokes to his 10th fifty of his ODI career. It’s also his ninth 50-plus score in all formats this summer.
24th over: England 152-3 (Root 55, Stokes 45) Bishoo carries on Nurse’s work... but only for four balls. Stokes brings up England’s 150 with a punch through cover off a flatter, shorter delivery that the left-hander plays easily off the back foot.
Re the Root record, we're still counting this as "summer" are we @Vitu_E?
23rd over: England 146-3 (Root 54, Stokes 40) After a 10-run over, Nurse responds with six darts to concede just one. Good comeback from him and the West Indies.
22nd over: England 145-3 (Root 54, Stokes 39) Tired of singles, Stokes jaunts down the pitch and uses his wrists to hammer a straight six that doesn’t get above the second storey of the flats down the ground!
21st over: England 135-3 (Root 52, Stokes 31) Three singles off Nurse. From affecting play up top, it looks like West Indies are just waiting for a mistake.
20th over: England 132-3 (Root 50, Stokes 30) Joe Root has his half-century, from 41 balls. Was tentative at first but has done that Joe Root thing of suddenly picking up runs in a hurry, without seemingly being in a hurry. Five fours and one six. “It seems to get easier and easier for him,” says Anderson. Also in this innings, the small matter of this accolade:
IT'S A RECORD!@root66 has now scored more runs in an English international summer than anyone else.
Going past Graham Gooch in 1990. pic.twitter.com/7t61jkb301
19th over: England 128-3 (Root 48, Stokes 28) Spin from both ends as Ashley Nurse comes on to bowl his off-breaks. Out comes the reverse sweep, as Ben Stokes whips it through Marlon Samuels at wide leg. Wonder if they’ve said hello yet...
18th over: England 122-3 (Root 47, Stokes 23) Collectively better from Bishoo, but Root and Stokes able to take singles off every ball. Something to worry about for Holder, considering the runs are taken to all parts. Bishoo might be one to target for a middle-overs burst.
17th over: England 116-3 (Root 44, Stokes 20) Sharp analysis from James Anderson – very good on comms – who reckons Miguel Cummins’ tentative run-up and short follow-through are robbing him of an extra 5mph. It also allows Stokes to stride out of his crease and hammer down the ground for a one-bounce four.
16th over: England 108-3 (Root 42, Stokes 14) Drinks followed by leg spin. Not very good leg spin, mind. But then again, it’s a bit like Mel Brook’s sex-pizza quip. It’s still pretty damn good. A fair few bad balls but the odd one grips.
“Great to hear The Spinners namechecked,” writes Peter Salmon. “My parents only had about 6 albums, there was Buddy Holly’s Greatest Hits, Holst Planets, Music to watch Girls By, Tchaikovsky 1812, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (featuring a cover of Please Mrs Henry) and The Spinners. Made it hard to pretend to be a rock star with my cricket bat, frankly.” Reminds me of a story from a few years ago at the Oval during a Championship match. Florence Welch was on the outfield during the tea break. Naturally, half the Surrey side gravitated towards her and ended up having a quick knock-about game of cricket in their interval. She had no idea who they were.
15th over: England 101-3 (Root 36, Stokes 13) For a moment, I was about to change tab and type up another wicket... instead, it’s a Root top edge for six! On a bigger ground he’s in trouble, but the swivel on the pull shot ensures Root gets it fine enough to go far enough.
An email from John Starbuck: “Well, at this rate we shan’t need to worry too much about the Windies run-chase being interrupted by rain around 5pm, shall we?” Pub by 3pm, dregs of the Sunday roast offerings. Easy.
14th over: England 93-3 (Root 29, Stokes 12) Stokes playing a shot-a-ball here – barring that early leave – as a back cut, off the toe of the bat, lands just short of Ashley Nurse at gully. Root, though, is starting to tick. Width from Holder is struck crisply through the off side for his fifth boundary.
Isn't it "England’s Limited Overs captain" @Vitu_E? No - on second thoughts you're right - "England’s limited overs captain". Very limited.
13th over: England 85-3 (Root 23, Stokes 10) Glorious from Stokes. Beats mid on, inside, with a well-guided on drive off Cummins and threads one through extra cover for three runs. “Sad to see Bairstow go as he is my absolute favourite England cricketer (thus cricketer per se),” writes Ian Copestake. “Is it just my misconception or has Jos Buttler had a lean run recently? Hope that changes today to make up for Bairstow’s demise.” I suppose by Buttler’s lofty standards, he has been on a lean run, certainly if we’re comparing his last 10 ODI innings to the 10 before that. Full innings list here. He’s due in next so should get the chance to build an innings rather than finish one off.
12th over: England 77-3 (Root 22, Stokes 3) I asked if Eoin Morgan needed to play at that ball. Ben Stokes, another leftie, leaves a similar length and angled delivery, first up.
Golden Duck for @Eoin16!
He's now scored 22 runs in last 9 innings in all T20s & ODIShttps://t.co/z8AuGD8DpRpic.twitter.com/QqNSCip4H0
A rotten run of form continues for England’s limited overs captain. His first ball is a cracker, to be fair: Holder moving one across the left-hander, forcing him to play and finding an edge through to the keeper. Had another look just now. Did he have to play at it?
WICKET Morgan caught behind off Holder first ball
74/2 #EngvWIhttps://t.co/Iokv5fMDtipic.twitter.com/apE3tMynzd
11th over: England 73-2 (Root 21) Miguel Cummins on for Jerome Taylor, immediately after the Power Play. He’s got a bit of extra pace but, perhaps because of his action, isn’t able to get the same kind of lateral movement as Taylor. As a result, Hales punches him down the ground for a glorious on drive. Reminscient of his one off Taylor in the ninth over:
The is lovely @AlexHales1
Now 65/1 after 10 overs #EngvWIhttps://t.co/Iokv5fMDtipic.twitter.com/g1cNmJnkgE
Excellent review from Jason Holder. Miguel Cummins, first change, gets the ball to nip back in off the surface. The ball makes it way through to the keeper but via the front pad. Replays show impact in line and the projected path had the delivery clattering into leg stump.
10th over: England 65-1 (Hales 29, Root 20) Strong end to the Power Play for England. The last five overs, despite seeing the wicket of Jonny Bairstow, also reaped 47 runs. Andrew Bentons is wondering about England’s record at Bristol. They’ve won the last 11 ODIs here.
“Simon McMahon’s sporting 5th over challenge is duly accepted (by the fraternal power of attorney vested in me at birth).” Morning Brian! “I think we can safely discount any suggestion that continued membership of the single market might be incompatible with state sponsored investment in our upper order. And unrestricted movement of labour from Eastern Europe has done little to restrict home grown opportunities at 2,3 and 5.”
9th over: England 61-1 (Hales 27, Root 18) Fifty up or England as Root watches an inswinger from Taylor onto the face of his bat and then away to the leg side fence. Hales takes over for the remainder of the over, driving superbly down the ground for four, then watching for the over-correction – shorter, wider – and flaying that over cover.
8th over: England 48-1 (Hales 19, Root 13) A bit of a clumsiness and a bit of class in the space of a few balls. Alex Hales in a nutshell. A plink down the ground – it sounded like he hit it with a bat you’d get at a seasside corner shop, with a ball and a set of stumps – *just* clears mid off, tracking back. Moments later, he plays a picture-perfect jab through midwicket for four.
7th over: England 40-1 (Hales 11, Root 13) Not a convincing start from Root, but with Taylor’s pace and swing, and a pitch that looks tough to trust, it’s understandable. An aerial flick through midwicket his hit hard enough to beat the fielder for height. A shorter ball from Taylor is pulled through square leg for a second, before a delightful whip along the floor through the same region makes it three fours in a row.
6th over: England 28-1 (Hales 11, Root 1) Another no ball – this time from Holder. Unlike Taylor, he’s unable to get away with the free hit. One in short is clouted over square leg for the game’s first six and Bairstow’s second boundary. Next ball, Holder ensures it’s his final one today. Joe Root in at three: plays and misses first ball, off the mark with his second.
“Ian Copestake would probably just say something inane like ‘change your hair change your life’,” writes Ian Copestake. “The kindly Brian Withington should go with his intuition.”
Just after feeling out of the middle, Bairstow is undone by a bit of bounce from Jason Holder. Attempts to work to the leg side but pops one back to the West Indies skipper.
5th over: England 19-0 (Bairstow 6, Hales 10) Still swinging for Jerome Taylor. And Bairstow’s still swinging, too. Hasn’t really felt one out of the screws so, last over, tries to hit the white off the ball, through square leg. Nothing but air. “Cocktails on Brian Withington’s brother if Jeremy Corbyn offers his thoughts on the Ashes squad in his speech next week?” Now there’s a gauntlet laid down by Simon McMahoan. “Plenty of lefties, lots of spin etc...”
4th over: England 17-0 (Bairstow 5, Hales 10) Both batsmen struggling to time the ball on this pitch. Perhaps Alex Hales’ form is desserting him?
Sure, he smoked it in the Royal London Cup and T20 Blast, but now against international quality, he’s been found wanting
Hales smashes Jason Holder through backward point for four. Pure class. Get him on the plane.
England’s Spinners brought out a classic of their own last week:
BRILLIANT: @MoeenAli and @AdilRashid03 get the giggles! #NoBoundariespic.twitter.com/vP0Jv4wnoS
3rd over: England 11-0 (Bairstow 5, Hales 4) Hales punches a no-ball off the back foot for two to wide third man. The free hit? Well, anything but... Taylor follows up with a stunning outswinging yorker that crashes into middle stump. The stats say this is the best ground for bowling swing in ODIs, since 2007. That swing almost brings about Bairstow’s demise as a leading edge flies in point’s direction. Luckily for England, it’s wide enough of Evin Lewis for the first boundary of the innings.
A thousand apologies. I’ve sold a lie to anyone buying. John Starbuck is on hand to put me right: “The Spinners were a four-man folk band and the members came from Liverpool, Lancashire and Jamaica. Not much Irish there, unless you accept, which many do (especially when they’re in The Beehive), that Liverpool is an Irish city.
2nd over: England 3-0 (Bairstow 1, Hales 1) Singles apiece for Jonny and Hales, both into the leg side.“Big dilemma,” starts Brian Whitington. “Cannot decide whether to proffer a stale ten penn’orth of opinion on the Ashes squad or attempt some riff on the Labour Party conference. Classic WWICS scenario - what would Ian Copestake say? Please keep us in suspense no longer...” Help us Ian Copestake. You’re our only hope.
1st over: England 1-0 (Bairstow 0, Hales 0) Shape straight away from the right-handers for Jerome Taylor. Decent nip, too. Needs it to be full otherwise it seems to be coming onto the bat nicely. That being said, Jonny Bairstow has trouble beating point with a couple of cuts. England get off the mark with a nudge off his hip to square leg.
“It’s Brizzle, not Brizzy!” writes Andrew Benton. “As in, rhymes with drizzle, though let’s hope for none of that. Where’s Brizzy?” What’s the OBO without a bit of creative license? Also, Brizzle doesn’t rhyme with “Breezy”. There you go.
Foo Fighters belting out around Bristol, as Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales take their positions. Bairstow facing the first ball. Jerome Taylor serving it.
Eoin Morgan drops the coin and then spins it incorrectly for Jason Holder to get a choice of going first. A bit of grass on the pitch – “odd-looking,” says Michael Atherton – and that’s enough for the West Indies to take the ball first. Morgan would have done so, too. England unchanged, West Indies bring in leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo for Keswick Williams.
ENGLAND: JM Bairstow, AD Hales, JE Root, EJG Morgan, BA Stokes, JC Buttler †, MM Ali, CR Woakes, AU Rashid, LE Plunkett, DJ Willey
BREAKING FROM BRISTOL
Terrible challenge by Adil Rashid on Jason Roy in England's football at Bristol. Straight red! Reminiscent of Owais Shah on Joe Denly....
Related: Setback for England as Joe Denly injures knee in football warm-up
Two ODIs played, England 1-0 up, one win away from taking an unassailable lead in this five-match series. Hope we’re all well on this Sunday morning. Vish here bringing you live action from Bristol, where it’s grey but keeping dry – West Indies cold but welcoming back Chris Gayle.
As ever, there are some matters at hand for England that extend beyond this format with an Ashes series on the horizon. Toby Roland-Jones, an Ashes banker, has come down with a stress fracture of his lower-back, opening opportunities up to the rest of the chasing pack. Steven Finn, with his eight-wicket haul for the last week for Middlesex, has pushed himself to the front of the queue. But what of Jake Ball or Liam Plunkett? The former has started this ODI series on the bench, while the latter’s red ball work hasn’t been all too great over the last year. Alex Hales has another opportunity to push his case for a middle order spot with some runs at the top of the order. New age team, 90s thinking right there.
Vish will be here presently.
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