England thrashed West Indies by 7 wickets in the third ODI at The Oval. With this win, they completed a clean sweep in the three-match ODI series. West Indies, batting first in a rain-affected match, posted 251 runs in 40 overs. Sherfane Rutherford anchored the innings with a solid knock, while Gudakesh Motie provided a powerful late boost. After rain interruptions, the target was revised to 246 under the DLS method.
Chasing the target, England got off to a flying start. Jamie Smith smashed a quick 25-ball half-century, his first in ODIs. He and Ben Duckett powered England to 100/1 inside a reduced eight-over Powerplay. Ben Duckett continued the momentum with a blazing half-century. Jos Buttler then came in and played a fiery knock, finishing the chase in style. Joe Root and Harry Brook also chipped in with useful contributions.
In the end, England chased down the target with 10.2 overs to spare, sealing the series in convincing fashion.
Match Start Delayed by Traffic and Rain
Initially, West Indies faced delays. Their team bus took nearly two hours to travel four miles due to road closures and traffic congestion in London. Moreover, rain interrupted play after 15 overs. At that point, West Indies were 83 for 3.
England Elected to Bowl First
Earlier, England won the toss and chose to bowl first. Consequently, they struck early and removed three top-order West Indies batters within seven overs. However, Sherfane Rutherford and Keacy Carty rebuilt the innings with a quick 50-run partnership.
Rain Shortens Game to 40 Overs Each
After the rain break, the match resumed with 40 overs per side. Then, Adil Rashid dismissed Carty in the 18th over for 29. Shortly after, Rashid created more trouble by removing Justin Greaves and Roston Chase in the 22nd over.
Even though West Indies were in deep trouble, Rutherford stood firm. He scored 70 runs and kept their innings alive. Still, his dismissal at 154 for 7 made the situation worse for his team.
Motie and Joseph Launch Counterattack
Nevertheless, Gudakesh Motie and Alzarri Joseph brought some fight. They added 91 runs off 68 balls for the eighth wicket. Impressively, Motie hit Rashid’s hat-trick ball for six and went on to score his highest ODI total. He smashed five fours and two sixes.
Meanwhile, Joseph’s shots were clean and powerful. He scored 41 runs—his second-best in ODIs—before getting out. In the end, Matthew Potts dismissed both batters to finish West Indies’ innings at 251.
Smith Gives England a Flying Start
In reply, England’s batters came out firing. Jamie Smith hammered a 25-ball half-century—his first in ODIs. He hit 10 fours and 3 sixes to make 64 runs off just 28 balls. Consequently, England raced to 93 runs in just 7 overs.
Although he was dropped once, Smith didn’t slow down. He smashed four, six, four, and six off one Motie over before getting bowled. Still, his knock put England in complete control.
Duckett, Root, and Buttler Complete the Chase
After Smith's dismissal, Ben Duckett carried the momentum forward. He scored 58 runs off 46 balls and played aggressively. Despite some early luck, he hit Motie for three consecutive boundaries. Eventually, he got out to Chase.
Following that, Joe Root added 44 with his typical fluency. Then, Jos Buttler closed the match in style. He hit 41 off just 20 balls and smashed the winning six.
Brief Scorecard
Player of the Series: Joe Root
England dominated with both bat and ball. Their aggressive approach, even after delays, left West Indies with no chance. With this win, England completed a perfect 3–0 sweep of the series. Next, England and West Indies will face off in a three-match T20I series starting on 6 June. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!