West Indies hammer England in series decider

Third ODI, Barbados

England 263-8 (50 overs): Salt 74 (108); Forde 3-35

West Indies 267-2 (43 overs): Carty 128* (114), King 102 (117), ; Overton 1-17

West Indies win by eight wickets; win series 2-1

Scorecard

West Indies claimed a series victory over England after defeating the tourists by eight wickets in the third and final one-day international in Barbados.

Keacy Carty and Brandon King both scored impressive hundreds as West Indies cantered home in pursuit of 264 with seven overs to spare.

Sint Maarten batter Carty blitzed his way to his maiden international ton in 97 balls and stayed unbeaten on 128, while King made his third ODI century in 113 balls.

England’s 263-8 looked reasonably healthy considering they crumbled to 24-4 in 10 overs after being asked to bat first.

Phil Salt’s watchful 74 dug them out of a hole with Sam Curran scoring 40 and Dan Mousley impressing with his maiden ODI half-century.

Jamie Overton added 32 while Jofra Archer remained unbeaten on 38 as England recovered to post a total which had looked challenging until the intervention of King and Carty.

With Jos Buttler returning as captain, England will hope to regroup as they prepare for the five-match T20 series, which kicks off at the same venue on Saturday.

Salt watched on from the non-striker’s end as West Indies ripped through the England top order.

After the tourists were forced on to the back foot early, the opener played an uncharacteristically sedate knock to lend some respect to the England total.

Matthew Forde had found some early movement to dismiss Will Jacks in third over before Jordan Cox’s troubles against the short ball continued as he gloved a 92mph bouncer from Alzarri Joseph to Hope behind the stumps.

Jacob Bethell went for a duck, with captain Liam Livingstone joining him in the dressing room inside the powerplay, leaving England up against it.

They were grateful for the patient display from Salt, who hit just one boundary in his first 52 balls before hoisting Romario Shepherd over mid-wicket for his only six to bring up a precious 50-run partnership with Curran.

It took the opener 79 balls to reach his fifth and the slowest ODI half-century before falling to Forde on 74, but only after providing the springboard for England.

Mousley built on that momentum and carved out his maiden half-century in 64 deliveries, accumulating the bulk of those runs on the leg side before falling to Joseph as England stepped on the gas.

Overton’s 32 from 21 balls and Archer’s 17-ball 38 helped the visitors ransack 100 in the last 10 overs, including 21 off the final over.

Though England ultimately fell well short, Salt’s back-to-back fifties will give him confidence heading into the T20 series, where he will retain the gloves despite Buttler's return.