Summary

  • West Indies chase down 326 to go 1-0 up in three-match series

  • Hope anchors Windies chase with brilliant 82-ball century

  • Shepherd's big hitting (48 off 28) gives late impetus

  • Ahmed bowls well (2-40) for England

  • West Indies openers put on 104

  • England post 325 all out on two-paced pitch

  • Brook top-scores with impressive 71

  • Crawley (48) run out after misunderstanding with Brook

  • Curran (38 off 26) and Carse (31* off 21) put on 66 for eighth wicket

  • Buttler's poor form continues (3 off 13 balls)

  • Salt's 45 off 28 balls gets England off to flier

  1. Postpublished at 15:49 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2023

    Daniel Norcross
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Buttler had an abysmal World Cup with the bat and would have been hoping for a pitch with good pace and bounce to rediscover some form and timing. This is very much not that pitch.

  2. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 33.3 overs

    Buttler c Athanaze b Motie 3 (Eng 191-5)

    That is out though!

    Jos Buttler's struggles continue. He gets into a bit of a tangle attempting the reverse-sweep and can only glove the ball up to Alick Athanaze at first slip.

    This is turning into a very good fightback by West Indies.

  3. Eng 188-4published at 32 overs

    England's run-rate has dipped below five an over as the West Indies find a bit of control.

    Gudakesh Motie continues to find a bit of grip and turn, with just a single coming off his eighth over.

    Hold on...

    We have just seen an Ultra-edge replay showing that Jos Buttler had got a feather of an edge as he attempted a cut shot, but Shai Hope spilled the chance behind the stumps.

    Has to go down as another missed opportunity.

  4. How's stat?!published at 15:40 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2023

    Jos Buttler's presence at the crease is a crucial one.

    If he's still there with 10 overs remaining, West Indies will be in real trouble. At the death overs, Buttler has a strike-rate of 172.32 against pace and 159 against spin, averaging more than 47 against both types of bowling.

  5. Eng 187-4published at 31 overs

    Brilliant shot from Harry Brook.

    It is slightly overpitched from Oshane Thomas but Brook plays a lovely wristy drive that dispatches the ball wide of mid-off for four.

  6. Eng 183-4published at 30 overs

    Jos ButtlerImage source, Getty Images

    Out comes skipper Jos Buttler, who will be looking for a score to try and move on from that disastrous World Cup.

    All of England's batters so far have got a start before losing their wicket. Harry Brook is still there on 36, he may have to go big if they are to get close to 300.

  7. Postpublished at 15:34 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2023

    Daniel Norcross
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Never a run there. Brook was having none of it, wisely. Crawley finally ran out of lives.

  8. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 29.1 overs

    Crawley run out (Athanaze) 48 (Eng 181-4)

    Zak CrawleyImage source, Getty Images

    Village! That was a bit of a nightmare for England.

    Zak Crawley pushed the ball square into the off side and immediately set off to run. Harry Brook was going nowhere though, forcing Crawley to turn and head back to his crease. Unfortunately for him by that point Alick Athanaze had already fielded the ball and thrown it to Shai Hope to whip off the bails.

    Crawley wasn't even in shot.

  9. Eng 180-3published at 29 overs

    Shai Hope turns back to Oshane Thomas to try and break this partnership, which is already worth 68.

    The final delivery of the over keeps very low and gets Zak Crawley in a bit of a muddle. No need for a review as the ball was angling down leg, but the two-paced nature of this pitch will be of a concern to the batters waiting to come in.

  10. Eng 178-3published at 28 overs

    Chance! Harry Brook goes for the reverse-sweep but edges behind towards Brandon King at first slip, but he cannot get a hand on the ball despite a full stretch dive and it runs away for a rather fortuitous four.

  11. Postpublished at 15:22 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2023

    Daniel Norcross
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    At last! A boring middle over.

  12. Eng 170-3published at 27 overs

    More sloppy fielding, this time from Oshane Thomas as he attempts to cut the ball off with his boot but let's it bobble past him.

    There's ironic cheers a couple of balls later when a drive by Zak Crawley is successfully stopped at mid-off.

    West Indies coach Daren Sammy has a rueful smile on his face.

  13. Postpublished at 15:20 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2023

    Daniel Norcross
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Crawley’s unwilling to leave his crease to the spin of Cariah, so instead finds himself lurching leaden-footedly at the ball. It’s ugly stuff, but somehow he’s still there.

  14. Eng 167-3published at 26 overs

    Thanks, Ffion.

    Yes, that wasn't great from Keacy Carty. The old long barrier was needed there.

    Meanwhile, England are remaining relentlessly positive even on a pitch that is doing a bit. Zak Crawley misses a couple of booming slog-sweeps that could sent that ball out of the ground had he connected.

    As it is, England have to settle for four singles.

  15. Postpublished at 15:18 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2023

    Daniel Norcross
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    That is a horrible misfield from Carty at long off. Dropped catches, bad ground fielding, perhaps we’re seeing why the West Indies failed to qualify for the World Cup. Dreadfully messy stuff.

  16. Eng 163-3published at 25 overs

    Oh, that's bad. So bad.

    A simple push up to long-off from Zak Crawley should be an easy single but instead, he's gifted a boundary thanks to a lazy, casual piece of fielding from Keacy Carty that sees the ball leak through his hands.

    And on that despairing note, I'm going to hand over to Tom Mallows to take you through the second half of England's innings.

  17. Eng 158-3published at 24 overs

    Harry Brook bravely executes a reverse sweep for four, but Shai Hope applauds his bowler from behind the stumps. It's a risky option, playing against the spin, and one that led to the departure of Ben Duckett earlier.

    The partnership between Crawley and Brook now stands at a very useful 48 from 50 balls.

  18. Postpublished at 15:09 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2023

    Daniel Norcross
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    The pitch is getting ever more capricious with each passing over. How England are still going at over 6.5 an over beats me.

  19. Eng 152-3published at 23 overs

    Zak CrawleyImage source, Getty Images

    The dropped chances aren't bothering Zak Crawley that much. He lofts Romario Shepherd's pace over mid-on for four more.

    Shepherd then gets one to grip in the pitch and hit Crawley's bat very high, the ball almost plopping up back to the bowler, before the next one stays very, very low.

    It's not the easiest to bat on, and if West Indies could hold on to their chances, England would be in a bit of a pickle.

  20. dropped catch

    Crawley dropped on 33published at 22 overs

    Eng 144-3

    Another life for Crawley! Albeit a much harder one.

    He drives at Yannic Cariah, gets a thick outside edge and it just bursts through the outstretched hand of slip, perhaps just reflecting off the keeper's gloves as well.

    Would've been a cracker if it had stuck. Cariah is bowling beautifully and not having much luck - that's the second drop off him.