WI vs ENG 2024/25, WI vs ENG 3rd T20I Match Preview - Blogging Sole

Big picture: sedentary England flavors the series

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. England’s T20 World Cup defense didn’t exactly go as expected in the Caribbean five months ago, but at least by reaching the semi-finals they can say they fared better than the hosts. The West Indies were imbued with rare hope and expectation heading into the tournament, but they failed to make it out of the Super Eights – thanks, in large part, to the the last time these two teams met at Daren Sammy Stadium.

It seemed like an anomaly at the time: a spectacular and efficient victory for England, led by Phil Salt’s thumping 87 from 47 balls, and a return to the dominant style with which they had turned their white-ball fortunes over from their previous World Cup cycles. . But that eight-wicket victory has since been matched in Barbados by two equally emphatic victories – by eight and seven wickets respectively – which took England’s T20I side to the brink of only their second bilateral series victory in two years.

Salt once again played a central role in England’s success against the West Indies. His outstanding century in the opening match was his third in five innings against them, and when his record was dented by a golden duck in the rematch, England captain Jos Buttler was ready to step into the breach with an 83 no less wild. 45 balls – which in itself was a good riposte to his own opener in the first match.

West Indies’ prospects were not helped by two damaging dropped tosses – even after posting a seemingly daunting score of 183 in the first match, England reached that target with 19 balls to spare. But they also had to deal with internal disruptions: the two-match suspension handed out to Alzarri Joseph for his bizarre throwing attack in the ODI series, and the loss of Andre Russell who twisted his ankle in the first T20I .

But if England looked tactically bereft during the ODI leg of the tour, they found an encouraging mix of continuity and confidence in the shorter format. Their remarkable array of all-rounders was better deployed over 20 overs than was the case over 50, notably in the first match, when the loss of Reece Topley to a knee injury barely caused a ripple in the Buttler options.

And while the full depth of their hitting has yet to be tested, the fact that Sam Curran, Dan Mousley and Jamie Overton are all waiting for their first hit of the series is clearly preferable to them being forced to throw endless rescues. England have three chances in St Lucia to claim their first series win in the Caribbean since 2019, in any of the three formats. Judging by the direction taken so far, it would take a real collapse of resolve to deny them in the long term.

Form Guide

West Indies FAVLA (last five T20Is, most recent first)
England WWWLL

In the spotlight: Rovman Powell and Will Jacks

“Are we bringing enough individuals to the table? Rovman Powell’His team’s assessment ahead of the third game could have turned into an astute self-analysis after a poor run of form over the past month. Low scores in T20 cricket are an occupational hazard, but Powell’s problem has been his failure to start a series of starts: five innings between 13 and 43 since the series began in Sri Lanka in October, with a strike rate of 115.92. that’s a far cry from his career mark of 140. Top-scoring with 43 from 41 balls in the final match in Barbados, he showed glimpses of his true self – most notably launching Liam Livingstone for a 102-yard six, but by then he had broken through a path to 18 from 28 balls in an atypically heavy display. If he can pick up where he left off, England’s challenge will be even greater.

He was rewarded last month with the central contract that eluded him in 2023-24, but Will Jacks continues to play as if he is on the outside looking in. England know and admire the explosive qualities he brings to their game, and Jos Buttler’s decision to go at No.3 is a clear invitation for the Jacks to unleash themselves in whatever manner left Virat Kohli eyes wide with wonder following his 41-ball century for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL earlier this year. But since making two half-centuries against Australia in September, Jacks made 101 runs at 14.42 in the next seven innings, less than a run of the ball. With the pressure for places being felt, particularly for the Champions Trophy, the time is near to reaffirm its credentials.

Team News: Alzarri returns from suspension

Shamar, Joseph in; Shamar Joseph absent… it’s been a bit of a roller coaster for the West Indies in recent days. Versatile player Shamar (Springer) has been called up to replace Andre Russell, while (Alzarri) Joseph’s return from suspension means his near namesake is surplus to requirements. Terrance Hinds has had a difficult start in Barbados and is also expected to make way.

West Indies: (possible) 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Rovman Powell (captain), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Shimron Hetmyer / Roston Chase, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Gudakesh Motie, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 years old Matthieu Forde

England are unlikely to significantly alter the series within their reach, although their options have been limited, with Jafer Chohan and Jordan Cox leaving the team ahead of their Lions and Test commitments respectively. Reece Topley is hoping he might still be fit after banging his knee in the first game (and being fined for smashing a chair as he left the field). With Jofra Archer’s workload still closely managed, John Turner – unused since the ODIs – could be in contention for a debut format.

England: (possible) 1 Phil Salt (week), 2 Jos Buttler (captain), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jacob Bethell, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Dan Mousley, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Jofra Archer / John Turner, 10 Saqib Mahmood, 11 years old Adil Rashid

Location and conditions: Wet, wet, wet?

Wet conditions could be expected following recent heavy rain. The St. Lucia outfield is less renowned for its drainage, so fingers crossed for a dry spell.

Statistics and anecdotes

Shimron Hetmyer needs 67 runs to reach 1000 in T20Is.

Quotes

“England played better than us in the first two games, but I’m rallying St Lucia to come out and become an extra 12th man. We haven’t played winning cricket, but we have the manpower in this dressing room to win.
Daren Sammythe head coach of the West Indies, expects a response on the site which bears his name.

WI vs ENG 2024/25, WI vs ENG 3rd T20I Match Preview – Blogging Sole