BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – In the third and final one-day international against the West Indies on Wednesday, England showcased resilience, posting a total of 263 runs for the loss of eight wickets. This achievement came after a shaky start to their innings, thanks in part to significant contributions from Phil Salt and Dan Mousley, who each scored half centuries.
After England lost the toss and was put into bat, Salt managed to score 74 runs at the top of the order. He formed crucial partnerships, notably a 70-run stand with Sam Curran, who contributed 40 runs. Mousley also played a vital role, marking his first ODI half-century with a score of 57.
With Jamie Overton adding 32 runs off 21 balls and Jofra Archer finishing with an impressive unbeaten 38 runs from just 17 deliveries, England managed to accelerate their scoring, accumulating 100 runs in the last ten overs of their innings. “The new ball was tricky, but it got easier once it softened up,” Salt expressed, feeling confident in the total reached. “I believe we’ve set a defendable score.”
Interestingly, tension arose during the game as West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph was seen leaving the field after a heated exchange with his captain, Shai Hope, regarding field placements. Their argument lasted for several minutes before the umpires intervened to encourage play to continue. Following an incident in the fourth over, where Hope and Joseph clashed verbally, Joseph briefly exited the field before returning.
West Indies coach Daren Sammy had to step in, moving to the boundary line to diffuse the situation between the bowler and his captain. Meanwhile, England faced early trouble, stumbling to 24 runs for the loss of four wickets within the first ten overs, largely due to some fierce bowling from Joseph, who appeared visibly frustrated during the match. He claimed the wicket of Jordan Cox with a fierce delivery clocking 148 kph, which Cox was unable to evade, resulting in a catch for Hope.
Salt navigated through a series of wickets falling around him before establishing a stable partnership with Curran, preventing further collapse. Curran’s excellent form continued, having already scored 37 in the first match and 52 in the second. Salt reached his fifth half-century in ODIs after 79 balls, and his innings ended when he was caught out following a remarkable piece of teamwork between Brandon King and Joseph.
The partnership between Salt and Mousley concluded at 70 runs, as Mousley reached his milestone with 64 balls faced. In a thrilling finish, Archer hit three sixes in his explosive innings before West Indies found themselves a bowler short due to an injury to Romario Shepherd. Sherfane Rutherford, who stepped in for Shepherd, struggled significantly, conceding 57 runs across just 3.5 overs.