Liam Livingstone lamented the importance of the toss after England sank to a fifth successive series loss in the Caribbean as West Indies cruised to an eight-wicket win in the ODI decider.
England were initially 24 for 4 on a tricky pitch after Livingstone’s poor call in Barbados gave the Windies seamers a tennis ball bounce and lateral movement.
England recovered to 263 for 8, but batting conditions eased considerably once the reply began under lights. The tourists had to battle the evening dew as Brandon King and Keacy Carty produced centuries to bring the Windies home with seven overs remaining. .
As the hosts celebrated their 2-1 win, England captain Livingston pointed out that the team that won the toss has won the match every time, having batted first in two ODIs in Antigua and once here. Distinct disadvantage.
difficult conditions
“Conditions were not very good for the second-leading team bowling,” he said.
“There is no excuse. If we hadn’t scored enough but ultimately we got 350, it wouldn’t have mattered.
“The pitch was very slow at the beginning, but by the end I was completely soaked. Both balls were soaked and I replaced them in the middle, and they were also soaked inside the over.
“I have played a lot of cricket around the world and I have never seen a game where things change so much from innings to innings.
“It is not surprising that the team that tossed twice in the series won. This time of year, it’s pretty difficult to bat first and defend the score.”
match action
Will Jacks, who won the 124 not out in Antigua at the weekend, and Livingstone were both caught behind drives aimed at deliveries that moved the slightest and gave them the edge.
There was little Jordan Cox could do after being gloved by Alzarri Joseph’s merciless lifter, and Jordan Bethell was well caught by Roston Chase as England were 4th down inside the powerplay.
Phil Salt curbed his attacking instincts to score 74 off 108 balls, while Dan Mousley delivered 57 off 70 balls to score his first international fifty.
Jamie Overton, with 32 off 21 balls, and Jofra Archer, with 38 off 17 balls, had explosive cameos at the back end, but England’s bowlers were largely incompetent and put to the sword by King and Carty.
England lost not only the white-ball series last year but also the Tests and T20s in 2022, and it was the 13th upset in 20 ODIs for the team who gave a young and inexperienced team a chance on this visit.
disappointment
“We are disappointed.” Livingston said.
“There are a lot of young boys on this trip who I hope have learned a lot about the game of international cricket. Hopefully, that will do it for us.
“I think we’ve taken a step forward in the way we play cricket and I think we’ve got a lot of people coming back to this team in the future.”
Livingstone was dropped for the first time ahead of the ODI series against Australia in September, but was recalled and since then he has brought fresh energy back to his 50-over career with some stunning knocks.
“I think (his ODI career) was almost dead three months ago,” the 31-year-old added. “I am enjoying cricket. I feel like he handles the bat really well. That’s all I can do.
“I am now at an age where I can no longer control my career. If you are selected, you will do your best to win for England, and if you are not selected, you will not be selected. “I have proven over the last two series that I am good enough to be in this team.”
Read more: The twin hundreds help West Indies win the ODI series against England.
