NORTH SOUND, Antigua — Captain Liam Livingstone made a notable impact during the second one-day international by scoring his first ODI century, which, along with Sam Curran, contributed to a remarkable 140-run partnership that propelled England to a five-wicket victory over the West Indies on Saturday. This win allowed the teams to be tied at one apiece in the three-match series.

England successfully chased down a challenging target, finishing at 329-5 with 15 balls to spare. Livingstone, who had shown promising signs by scoring 48 in England’s previous match, truly stepped up, completing his century in just 77 balls and concluding with an impressive 124 not out off 85 deliveries.

Previously regarded as one of England’s most underutilized talents, Livingstone had managed only four half-centuries across 31 ODIs. However, his new role as the ODI captain seems to have revitalized his performance, demonstrating not just his capability but also leading England to achieve the second-highest successful ODI chase in the West Indies.

The target set by the West Indies, who were led by captain Shai Hope’s 117 runs, was a significant hurdle at 328-6. England had a strong start thanks to Phil Salt, who scored 59, alongside Jacob Bethell, who notched up his first half-century. Livingstone initiated his innings cautiously, yet as time progressed, he carried the momentum for England, surpassing his prior ODI best of 95. Notably, he scored 26 runs in the 45th over bowled by Jayden Seales and followed with 24 runs off Shamar Joseph in the 46th over before completing the chase decisively.

At one point in the game, with England at 176-4 in the 30th over, the match was at a crucial juncture, necessitating 7.5 runs per over for the win with Livingstone and Curran just starting their partnership. However, Livingstone expertly paced the innings, and Curran contributed significantly with a quickfire 52 off 52 balls before being dismissed in the 46th over with England on 300-5.

Reflecting on his performance, Livingstone expressed satisfaction, stating, “Certain things I’ve practiced led to this, and I felt I was getting back to my best. I’m just maturing a little bit, understanding my game well, and enjoying cricket — which I believe is the main thing. It was a pretty proud day today.”

The series moves to the final match, which will take place in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Wednesday.

On the bowling front, England’s young pacer John Turner created early trouble for the West Indies by reducing them to 12-2, dismissing Brandon King (7) and Evin Lewis (4) in quick succession after Livingstone opted to bowl first. This wicket was particularly significant as Lewis had scored an unbeaten 94 in the opening match, helping his team to victory.

Hope joined the action in the fourth over, focusing on stabilizing the innings alongside Keacy Carty, who scored 71. Hope exited in the 47th over as the West Indies rallied, adding 93 runs in the last 10 overs to set a strong target. The duo’s partnership amounted to 143 runs for the third wicket, with both batsmen starting carefully but gradually asserting control over the pace of the game.

Hope reached his half-century — the 42nd in his ODI career — off 66 balls, while Keacy benefitted from a chance at eight runs and grew into his innings, achieving his first fifty in five ODI innings. After Keacy fell at 155-3, Hope teamed up with Sherfane Rutherford, who scored 54, helping the West Indies reach 234-4 just as the last phase of the innings began.

Rutherford maintained his excellent form from West Indies’ recent series, where he had three consecutive half-centuries, and was quick to play his shots, reaching 50 off 35 balls. Shimron Hetmeyer also contributed with a brisk 24 off just 11 deliveries. Despite battling cramps in the warm conditions, Hope was eventually dismissed before reaching the 300 mark, but Roston Chase’s late contributions ensured the West Indies maintained their strong total, finishing with 20 not out off 22 balls. England, employing nine bowlers, struggled with dropped catches but Jofra Archer emerged as the standout with figures of 1-40 from nine overs.

The stage is now set for an exciting decider in the final match of the series.