Keacy Carty and Brandon King hit Hundreds in a Crushing eight-wicket Victory as the West Indies Defeat England to Win the ODI Series

In a 209-run partnership for the second wicket, Brandon King (102) and Keacy Carty (128no) both scored magnificent hundreds; the latter’s was his first for the West Indies in his 28th ODI cap.

King was bowled as a late consolation wicket by Reece Topley (1-55), ending the partnership, but Carty stayed on to help the hosts win with seven overs remaining.

Jofra Archer (38no off 17 balls) then slammed three sixes in a dazzling cameo at the back end, and Phil Salt (74) and Dan Mousley (57) initially helped save the innings as England, who had stumbled to a 24-4 start after being inserted, seemed to have some momentum going into the run chase.

However, as early as two balls into the West Indies’ reply, the writing was nearly done. King boundaries were hit off Archer to set the tone for the rest of the match.

The opening two games of the five-match T20 series between the two teams will also be played at the Bridgetown Oval. The series begins on Saturday at 8 p.m. (UK and Ireland).

Alzarri leaves field in sulk with his skipper

In the ODI series final, Shai Hope’s choice to bowl first was undoubtedly justified as his string of quick bowlers destroyed England’s top order in the first ten overs. However, a heated argument between the West Indies captain and Alzarri Joseph somewhat dampened the excitement of the start.

The side was briefly reduced to 10 men after Alzarri (2-45) bounced out Jordan Cox (1) with a snorter of a delivery and then scurried off the pitch of play in a pout at the end of the over, apparently disgruntled at the pitch he’d been set.

In the end, Alzarri’s absence was inconsequential because Romario Shepherd (2-33) had England reeling after dismissing Jacob Bethell (0) with his first ball, helped by a brilliant catch from Roston Chase, and then adding Liam Livingstone (6), the match-winner from the second ODI. The first domino to fall was Will Jacks (5), who lost against Matthew Forde (3-35).

Salt and Mousley rescue England innings from 24-4

Sam Curran (40) and Salt gradually recovered, adding 70 for the fifth wicket, but Curran was killed when attempting to break free from the shackles against Chase’s off-spin, holing out to mid-on as he attempted to take on the fielder.

Soon after, Salt reached his fifth and most comfortably slow half-century in ODI cricket, scoring 79 balls. In the very next over, he had a chance to go for fifty-two, but Chase missed a difficult chance low to his left at backward point.

Rather, the opening batsman for England shared in another 70-run partnership, this time with 23-year-old Dan Mousley, who scored his first fifty in just three ODI appearances.

Before Alzarri put the finishing touches on, Salt eventually left for 74 in the 41st over to a spectacular relay catch on the long-on boundary that displayed all of King’s agility, yet it still didn’t make him grin.

England benefited from an injured Shepherd who had to be taken off the pitch after he slipped poorly when bowling the first ball of his seventh over, while Mousley continued to score and Jamie Overton (32 off 21) and Archer delivered some lusty blows late on.

Part-timer Sherfane Rutherford now had to find the better part of four overs, and England took full advantage, scoring 57 runs off his spell, including 25 from Archer’s penultimate over.

Carty maiden ton carries West Indies to series win

However, King and Evin Lewis’s (19) brilliant start, which saw 27 runs scored off the first three overs, allowed the hosts to regain the initiative rather than take that momentum into the West Indies run-chase.

Among these was a brilliant straight six from Lewis off Archer that forced the fast bowler to leave the attack too soon. Overton (1–17) took his place and dismissed the West Indies opener in his first over.

With the exception of a Livingstone lbw ruling against Carty on the first ball on 13, which was promptly overturned on DRS after an inside edge was spotted, England never really threatened to build on that breakthrough.

The captain’s bowling also produced a Salt drop of King on 44. Cox would also put King in the covers of Archer on 86, but the game and series had long ago been lost by then.

All that remained were the well-earned hundreds for both West Indies batsmen. Carty scored his first off 97 balls, which was a first in ODI cricket, and King reached his third an over later, off 113 deliveries. The two batsmen’s partnership also crossed the 200-mark.

Carty, appropriately, was there at the end to smash the winning runs to complete a series victory after Topley overthrew King late in the game.