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The Independent
an hour ago
- General
- The Independent
Jamie Smith in a ‘great place' to attack India in marquee Test series
Jamie Smith heads into England's marquee Test series against India with a spring in his step after a boom-or-bust approach helped to seal a one-day clean sweep of the West Indies. Promoted to open in the Metro Bank series, Smith repaid the faith by crunching 64 off 28 deliveries – his first ODI fifty – on his home ground of the Kia Oval as England clinched a 3-0 victory in style. His barnstorming innings was all the more impressive following a duck at Sophia Gardens 48 hours earlier but Smith is prepared to tread the fine line between success and failure. 'There will be times when it is a bit like feast or famine,' he said. 'It's probably the nature of how I'm going to go about it. I won't be consistent by blocking or things like that to try and get a score. 'I'll always be trying to be positive and put us on the front foot regardless of if I've had a few failures or not. That's how I'll be judging myself. 'It's not a natural role. I was a little bit surprised (to be chosen to open). I guess for me it is a stepping stone. If that spot is at the top of the order, I'll happily do that.' Before last week, Smith had never opened in List A cricket before but he believes facing the new ball in ODIs represents ideal preparation for his next assignment of facing India's Jasprit Bumrah and co. 'There's an opportunity there to go and play and experience opening when the ball is still swinging and nipping around against quality bowlers – it's definitely great practice for India,' Smith said. 'The majority of my experience hasn't been great for Surrey when I opened when I was a little bit younger and a bit afraid to hit the ball. So it was nice to go out there and play with the freedom.' With Smith not in England's squad for three T20s against the Windies, he can now devote all his attention to the much-awaited five-Test India series that gets under way at Headingley on June 20. Surrey team-mate Gus Atkinson is a major doubt for the opener with a right hamstring strain he suffered in last month's win over Zimbabwe, with fellow quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood also on the sidelines. Atkinson was withdrawn from the ODI series squad to face the Windies but England had expected him to be fine to spearhead their fast bowling attack against India following a breakout 2024. England will announce their squad in the next few days, with Smith certain to resume wicketkeeping duties and batting down the order, meaning he does not immediately have to go up against Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler. 'Hopefully down at seven, I can watch other lads go and face him first, but it's certainly a challenge,' Smith added. 'It feels like we're close to it now, we're almost there. 'One sort of knows the magnitude of what you've got coming up but if we can try and stay in the present then it's a good time to test ourselves against the best. 'We feel in a really good place and I think everyone's really excited and in a great place to go and attack them.'
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Jamie Smith reveals England's future potential after clean sweep over West Indies
Jamie Smith 's barnstorming 64 off 28 deliveries helped England clean sweep the West Indies 3-0 in Harry Brook's first series as full-time white-ball captain. Smith bludgeoned 10 fours and three sixes for his first fifty in his 13th one-day international as England cantered to a revised target of 246 in 40 overs, with seven wickets and 62 balls to spare at the Kia Oval. The Windies had recovered from 28 for three and 154 for seven to post 251 for nine after arriving to the ground late because of traffic which – combined with a 95-minute rain delay – meant a reduced contest. Adil Rashid took three for 40 while there were two wickets apiece for pace trio Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts but the Windies' tail wagged through Gudakdesh Motie and Alzarri Joseph. After Sherfane Rutherford's 70 led the first rebuild, Motie (63) and Joseph (41) put on a blistering 91 off 68 balls but that was put in the shade by Smith and Ben Duckett's 93-run union in 43 deliveries. After Smith's blitz, Duckett made 58 off 46 balls before Joe Root, Brook and Jos Buttler got England over the line for their first ODI series whitewash since beating the Netherlands 3-0 in 2022. England's new-look opening pair made ducks as the hosts sealed a Metro Bank series win on Sunday at Sophia Gardens but Smith – averaging 17.63 from his first 12 ODIs – grabbed the bull by the horns on his home ground. He got off the mark with a streaky inside edge but was on top thereafter, taking eight fours from his first 17 balls off the wayward Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales, who was hooked out of the ground for six. Smith was put down at short midwicket from Motie's first delivery and crashed four-six-four-six en route to a 25-ball half-century before the slow left-armer ended an eventful over by finding the base of off-stump. Duckett, who dropped two catches and fumbled a run-out at Cardiff, contributed just 19 to the opening stand but found some rhythm with three sixes off Alzarri Joseph, having been put down on 15. Duckett swept, cut and pulled Motie for three successive fours but then picked out cover off Chase, who then spilled a simple chance at backward point to reprieve Brook when he was on just four. It was largely a procession from that point, even if Root, fresh off a career-best 166 not out at the weekend, perished with 46 needed after top-edging Alzarri Joseph to Shamar Joseph for 44. Buttler then took centre stage, blazing an unbeaten 41 from 20 balls, finishing matters with a towering leg-side six off Seales, as Brook grabbed a red-inker of his own on 26 not out. A combination of broken-down buses, a traffic lights failure and roadworks over a River Thames bridge contributed to the Windies' earlier tardiness from their hotel three-and-a-half miles away. They arrived to the ground at 12:40pm – 10 minutes after the scheduled toss – and a 1:30pm start meant a truncated practice. They stumbled out of the traps after losing the toss as the fit-again Evin Lewis and Brandon King miscued to catchers in the ring. Captain Shai Hope was bounced out by Mahmood for the second time in the series but Rutherford led the recovery well. He was fluent through the off-side and strong off his hips but lacked support as Rashid bowled Cardiff centurion Keacy Carty via an inside edge shortly after the rain break and then had two wickets in two balls by dismissing Justin Greaves and Chase, who recorded a second golden duck in a row. Motie smoked Rashid's hat-trick ball over long-on and then led another Windies wave of resistance alongside Alzarri Joseph after Brook took an excellent diving catch to end Rutherford's defiant knock. While not entirely comfortable with England's short-pitched tactics, Motie dispatched Mahmood and Carse into the stands to go to his ODI best score from number eight, while penultimate batter Alzarri Joseph proved a capable foil as the Windies ended their 40 overs with a flourish.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Jamie Smith inspires as England clean sweep West Indies in ODI series
Jamie Smith's barnstorming 64 off 28 deliveries helped England clean sweep the West Indies 3-0 in Harry Brook's first series as full-time white-ball captain. Smith bludgeoned 10 fours and three sixes for his first fifty in his 13th one-day international as England cantered to a revised target of 246 in 40 overs, with seven wickets and 62 balls to spare at the Kia Oval. The Windies had recovered from 28 for three and 154 for seven to post 251 for nine after arriving to the ground late because of traffic which – combined with a 95-minute rain delay – meant a reduced contest. Adil Rashid took three for 40 while there were two wickets apiece for pace trio Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts but the Windies' tail wagged through Gudakdesh Motie and Alzarri Joseph. After Sherfane Rutherford's 70 led the first rebuild, Motie (63) and Joseph (41) put on a blistering 91 off 68 balls but that was put in the shade by Smith and Ben Duckett's 93-run union in 43 deliveries. After Smith's blitz, Duckett made 58 off 46 balls before Joe Root, Brook and Jos Buttler got England over the line for their first ODI series whitewash since beating the Netherlands 3-0 in 2022. England's new-look opening pair made ducks as the hosts sealed a Metro Bank series win on Sunday at Sophia Gardens but Smith – averaging 17.63 from his first 12 ODIs – grabbed the bull by the horns on his home ground. He got off the mark with a streaky inside edge but was on top thereafter, taking eight fours from his first 17 balls off the wayward Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales, who was hooked out of the ground for six. Smith was put down at short midwicket from Motie's first delivery and crashed four-six-four-six en route to a 25-ball half-century before the slow left-armer ended an eventful over by finding the base of off-stump. Duckett, who dropped two catches and fumbled a run-out at Cardiff, contributed just 19 to the opening stand but found some rhythm with three sixes off Alzarri Joseph, having been put down on 15. Duckett swept, cut and pulled Motie for three successive fours but then picked out cover off Chase, who then spilled a simple chance at backward point to reprieve Brook when he was on just four. It was largely a procession from that point, even if Root, fresh off a career-best 166 not out at the weekend, perished with 46 needed after top-edging Alzarri Joseph to Shamar Joseph for 44. Buttler then took centre stage, blazing an unbeaten 41 from 20 balls, finishing matters with a towering leg-side six off Seales, as Brook grabbed a red-inker of his own on 26 not out. A combination of broken-down buses, a traffic lights failure and roadworks over a River Thames bridge contributed to the Windies' earlier tardiness from their hotel three-and-a-half miles away. They arrived to the ground at 12:40pm – 10 minutes after the scheduled toss – and a 1:30pm start meant a truncated practice. They stumbled out of the traps after losing the toss as the fit-again Evin Lewis and Brandon King miscued to catchers in the ring. Captain Shai Hope was bounced out by Mahmood for the second time in the series but Rutherford led the recovery well. He was fluent through the off-side and strong off his hips but lacked support as Rashid bowled Cardiff centurion Keacy Carty via an inside edge shortly after the rain break and then had two wickets in two balls by dismissing Justin Greaves and Chase, who recorded a second golden duck in a row. Motie smoked Rashid's hat-trick ball over long-on and then led another Windies wave of resistance alongside Alzarri Joseph after Brook took an excellent diving catch to end Rutherford's defiant knock. While not entirely comfortable with England's short-pitched tactics, Motie dispatched Mahmood and Carse into the stands to go to his ODI best score from number eight, while penultimate batter Alzarri Joseph proved a capable foil as the Windies ended their 40 overs with a flourish.
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
England thrash Windies to seal 3-0 series win
Third one-day international, Kia OvalWest Indies 251-9 (40 overs): Rutherford 70, Motie 63; Rashid 3-40England 246-3 (29.4 overs): Smith 64, Duckett 58England won by seven wickets; win series 3-0Scorecard England romped to a 3-0 series clean sweep over West Indies with a seven-wicket victory in the third one-day international at The 246 in 40 overs after rain, Jamie Smith crashed 64 from just 28 balls - his first ODI half-century - as England reached 100 after just eight was the joint-fourth quickest any men's side has reached three figures in the format and they were able to complete their chase with 10.2 overs to spare with Ben Duckett hitting 58 and Joe Root 44. Smith's assault quickly eradicated fears England would be punished for letting a good position slip in allowing West Indies to post 251-9 in their rain-interrupted 40 an innings split in two by a 90-minute rain delay, Gudakesh Motie's 63 at number eight rescued an innings that was floundering at 154-7 despite Sherfane Rutherford's Adil Rashid took 3-40 and, despite the bowling lacking accuracy throughout, England secured their first ODI series win since before their white-ball downturn began at the 2023 World captain Harry Brook will look to continue his perfect start in charge in the three-match T20 series which starts in Chester-le-Street on Friday.
The Independent
19 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
England need 246 to claim ODI series clean sweep against West Indies
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.
