Yet Curran’s belligerence could not prevent England from being outhit once again. On Thursday, they lost the sixes count 14-6; in Grenada, it was 13-8 – still a deficit of 30 runs.
“We are trying hard, we are close and today we are a couple of good hits away from a win,” said head coach Matthew Mott. “We played good cricket again for 90 per cent of the match. We had them under control up to the 15th over mark and unfortunately, as West Indies can do, they hurt us in those couple of overs.
“We’ve got the artillery there. They have just executed a bit better than us in the last two games.”
A midweek afternoon game – the National Cricket Stadium in St George’s does not have floodlights – was never going to produce a crowd to match sold-out Kensington Oval 48 hours before, with fewer locals and travelling supporters alike. But, with a notably more local feel to the music at the ground – that is to say, a playlist that extended beyond Sweet Caroline on loop – the crowd filled up as Grenadians, many waving national flags, popped to St George’s after work. As sunset approached, they could cheer more signs of a West Indies revival under new head coach Darren Sammy.
They particularly delighted in Powell’s evisceration of Sam Curran in the 16th over – he flat-batted a ball over long off, hit like a tennis shot, and then cleared long on, long off again and then hit straight behind the bowled. In the middle of the sequence, Curran bowled a wide too. Even though Powell failed to time the final delivery, which fell into the hands of Harry Brook at long on, the over still conceded 30. Curran’s 4.1 overs this series have now yielded 61 runs.
The decimation of Curran helped to transform West Indies’ innings. After stumbling to 72-4 off 12 overs, West Indies looted 104 from the last eight. Brandon King was a constant throughout, treating Ahmed with disdain – using his feet aggressively and slog-sweeping – to thrash 35 from the leg spinner’s final two overs. Rashid had no such concerns, snaring Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer – the first with a classical leg break, the second with what looked like a faster top spinner – within his first eight balls and claiming 2-11 from four masterful overs.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
