England need 246 to claim ODI series clean sweep against West Indies

Independent

2 days ago

England need 246 to claim a 3-0 clean sweep of the West Indies in the Metro Bank one-day international series following fifties from Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie in a reduced contest.
After arriving to the ground late for the third ODI at the Kia Oval because of heavy traffic in the area, the Windies fell to 28 for three and then 154 for seven, with Adil Rashid taking three wickets.
Rutherford had missed the Windies' defeats at Edgbaston and Sophia Gardens after deciding to stay at the Indian Premier League but he provided some much-needed ballast following their top-order failure.
After his dismissal for 70 off 71 balls, Motie (63) took the baton alongside Alzarri Joseph (41) in a blistering 91-run stand off 68 deliveries to lift the Windies to 251 for nine – with England needing five runs fewer on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.
A combination of a couple of broken down buses, a traffic lights failure and roadworks over a River Thames bridge contributed to the Windies' tardiness from their hotel three-and-a-half miles away, which – along with a 95-minute rain delay in their innings – led to a shortened 40-over game.
The tourists' practice time was shortened as play got under way half-an-hour after the scheduled start and they were quickly three down in next to no time as Evin Lewis, who was back following a groin injury, and fellow opener Brandon King miscued to catchers in the ring.
When captain Shai Hope was bounced out by Saqib Mahmood for the second time in the series, it seemed they could vanish without trace.
Rutherford led the recovery well, finding some fluency through the off-side while he was strong off his hips and put on 62 with Keacy Carty, before the Cardiff centurion perished for 29 shortly after the rain break when chopping on off Rashid, who then claimed two in two balls.
Justin Greaves was caught well low down by Ben Duckett, who put down two catches at Cardiff, while Roston Chase hung out his bat to his first ball and nicked to Joe Root, who also spilled a catch last time out.
Number eight batter Motie smoked Rashid's hat-trick ball for six but Rutherford departed when pulling Brydon Carse to Harry Brook, who took an excellent chance diving to his right at mid-on.
England's hopes of a quick finish to the innings were dashed by Motie and Joseph, though, with the lower-order pair feasting on some wayward bowling, with the hosts guilty of overusing the short ball.
Mahmood then Carse were both pulled into the stands by Motie, while Will Jacks was taken to task by number 10 Joseph, who top-edged to Matthew Potts at short third to end a buccaneering union.
Motie was then castled from the final ball of the innings, through his shot as he was deceived by Potts' back-of-the-hand delivery.