In Cardiff, Joe Root delivered an outstanding performance, remaining unbeaten on 166, to secure a thrilling victory for England by three wickets against the West Indies in the second One Day International (ODI) at Sophia Gardens. This win allowed England to clinch the series.
Chasing a target of 309 set by the West Indies, who were all out for 308 in 47.4 overs largely due to Keacy Carty’s explosive 103, England compiled 312-7 within the final seven balls of the match. Despite a challenging start with England struggling at 2-2 and later at 133-5, Root’s formidable innings, which included 21 fours and two sixes, alongside a crucial 49-run contribution from Will Jacks, propelled England to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
During his remarkable 139-ball innings, Root surpassed Eoin Morgan to become England’s all-time leading run-scorer in ODIs, amassing 7,082 runs to overtake Morgan’s previous record of 6,957 runs. Root expressed his continued commitment to the team, stating, “I want to give as much as I can for England for as long as I can. I’ve still got a lot to give and a lot more runs in there and, hopefully, an innings like that shows that.”
Captain Harry Brook, who contributed 47 runs, savored his first series victory as England’s full-time white-ball leader. Earlier in the game, the West Indies benefited from solid efforts by Brandon King with 59 runs and Shai Hope scoring 78. However, England’s bowlers, Adil Rashid with a 4-63 haul and Saqib Mahmood taking 3-37, ensured the opposition lost its last eight wickets for 103 runs.
The English side appeared compromised initially when three of its top five batters were dismissed without scoring, including openers Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett, alongside Jos Buttler. Nevertheless, Root’s 18th ODI century, his highest in the format, turned the tide in favor of England. Alzarri Joseph was the standout bowler for the West Indies, capturing 4-31 over his 10 overs.
Root’s extraordinary sole performance concluded fittingly as he struck the winning boundary against Jayden Seales, sealing England’s victory to cap off what he described as one of his finest innings across all formats, especially considering the precarious position the team was in at the start.
Due to an enforced change, England replaced the injured Jamie Overton with seamer Matthew Potts after Overton broke a finger during England’s emphatic 238-run win in the first ODI at Edgbaston. Meanwhile, the West Indies adjusted their lineup by bringing Shimron Hetmyer into the middle order to replace Amir Jangoo.