BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Debutant seamer Matthew Forde sparkled in a Man-of-the-Match effort. At the same time, lion-hearted Romario Shepherd once again proved his mettle as West Indies tasted their first One-Day International series success over England on Caribbean soil in 25 years with a nervy four-wicket win here late Saturday.
Chasing a revised target of 188 from 34 overs under lights in the rain-affected third ODI at Kensington Oval, West Indies looked in danger of defeat when they plunged to 135 for six in the 26th over, despite Keacy Carty’s 50 off 58 balls and Alick Athanaze’s 45 off 51 deliveries.
However, the right-handed Shepherd flexed his muscle in an unbeaten 41 not out off 28 balls in a crucial 56-run, unbroken seventh wicket stand with Forde (13 not off) as the home side sneaked home with 14 balls to spare under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.
The contest was still in the balance with 33 required off the last 24 balls, but Shepherd blasted successive sixes from the first deliveries off the 31st over from pacer Gus Atkinson (2-58), which leaked 24 runs, to put the game firmly in West Indies’ favor.
“There’s so much history in cricket it’s hard to keep up sometimes, but any time we win, especially on home turf, [is pleasing],” said West Indies captain Shai Hope.
“We need to defend our home turf, so it’s great to see the guy putting up these performances, and hopefully, this will cheer the West Indian fans.”
The hometown lad Forde had earlier produced a stunning effort with three for 29 to help limit England to 206 for nine in a game initially reduced to 43 overs per side and then further reduced to 40 overs following another break for rain.
Ben Duckett top-scored with 71 from 73 deliveries while Liam Livingstone chipped in with 45 from 56 balls, but England lost wickets in clusters and never really found their stride after being sent in.
Fast bowler, Alzarri Joseph supported Forde with three for 61 while pacer Shepherd chimed in with two for 50, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie helping to dry up the runs in a stingy eight-over spell which yielded only 23 runs.
It was the 21-year-old Forde who blew away England’s top order in a devastating new-ball spell, taking the first three wickets to fall as the visitors slumped to 49 for five in the 10th over after being sent in following a delayed start.
He had the dangerous Phil Salt (4) taken at mid-off by Joseph with the sixth ball of the evening, got Zak Crawley (0) to glove one, which bounced awkwardly to Athanaze at second slip in his next over before getting one to straighten and take Will Jacks’ (17) edge, wicketkeeper Hope completing a straightforward catch.
More tragedy followed for England in the tenth over. First, Harry Brook was run out by Joseph’s direct hit at the non-striker’s end for one, the six-foot, five-inch Antiguan pivoting on the follow-through and throwing down the stumps with the batsman short of his ground in the hunt for a quick single.
And two balls later, Joseph rushed Jos Buttler into an ill-advised pull, the England captain holing out to Motie at fine leg off the first ball he faced.
Duckett and Livingstone then came together to pull their side off the ropes in an 88-run, sixth-wicket partnership, laying the foundation for a competitive total.
The left-handed Duckett struck a half-dozen fours and a six while Livingstone, a right-hander, clobbered a brace of fours and sixes as England surged in the middle overs.
Shepherd broke the stand with the first delivery of a new spell, getting Duckett to pick out Brandon King at mid-wicket in the 26th over, and he struck again in his next over when Livingstone holed out to Sherfane Rutherford at mid-on.
Following a break for rain at 161 for seven after 33 overs, Joseph quickly knocked over Rehan Ahmed (15) and Sam Curran (12) on the resumption to leave England floundering on 171 for nine in the 36th over.
However, the last pair of Atkinson (20 not out) and Matthew Potts (15 not off) put on 35 in a bold stand to get their side past the 200-run mark.
In reply, West Indies suffered an early setback when King (1) drove loosely at Atkinson and provided cover with a simple catch, with two runs on the board in the second over.
Athanaze led the West Indies rebuild with a typically breezy knock, the 25-year-old striking seven fours in a 76-run second-wicket partnership with Carty, who counted five fours and a six.
Dominican Athanze was eyeing his second fifty of the series when he perished lbw to a full-length delivery from Atkinson, his dismissal triggering a slide that saw West Indies lose five wickets for 57 runs.
Hope (15) put on 21 for the third wicket with Carty before pulling leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed to mid-wicket in the 17th, Shimron Hetmyer (12) slashed off-spinner Jacks (3-22) to point in the 22nd before Rutherford (3) holed out in the deep, also off Jacks in the 24th.
Much rested on Carty’s shoulder, but the right-hander departed two balls after chalking up his second ODI fifty, clipping a return catch to Jacks, leaving West Indies in a deep hole with 53 runs still required off 50 balls for victory.
But Shepherd arrived to belt three fours and three sixes while Forde played the supporting role, the pair frustrating England in the critical stages of the encounter to earn West Indies their first series win over England in 16 years.
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