Jacob Bethell shines as England starts Brook's captaincy with a dominant 238-run victory
Jacob Bethell shines as England starts Brook's captaincy with a dominant 238-run victory
England vs West Indies: England beat West Indies by 238 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series. Harry Brook also makes 50 and takes five catches in his first game as captain.
Jacob’s Bethell’s made a great chance and played a nice inning of 82 runs out of 52 balls only which led England to a victory of 400 for 8 which was their second highest score at Edgbaston, England dominated West Indies with a crushing 238-run victory to kick off the three-match ODI series.
It was kinda the first Harry Brook’s assignment when he is assigned as a limited-overs captain and undoubtedly the great start for him. Despite the one-sided nature of the match, England's dominant win boosts confidence as they begin a new era. The victory is especially significant, breaking their streak of seven consecutive losses.
However, Bethell, 21 is just arrived from the IPL after playing with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Stil, missed one of the match test match that was against Zimbabewe, he shifted into high gear, smashing most of his eight fours and five sixes in the latter stages, making a strong case for multi-format selection something head coach Brendon McCullum can't ignore. His second half-century in this format further highlights the immense talent England has gained from the Caribbean.
Bethell led the way in an innings filled with promising but incomplete starts, with Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Harry Brook also scoring half-centuries. The scoreboard pressure was intense even before Saqib Mahmood, born in Birmingham, delivered a fiery opening spell of 3 for 32 in his first seven overs. His final wicket was Shai Hope, brilliantly caught by Brydon Carse as he backpedaled near the deep square boundary.
Brydon Carse made a strong return to international cricket after a toe injury cut short his Champions Trophy campaign. He looked sharp with the ball, dismissing Brandon King with a well-placed delivery that edged through to Jos Buttler. His fielding was equally impressive, fitting into England’s energetic performance under Brook’s leadership.
Brook, stationed in the ring, grabbed five catches matching Jonty Rhodes' record for the most taken by a fielder in an ODI. He also became part of history as one of seven batters to score 30 or more in the same innings, a first in one-day cricket.
West Indies captain Shai Hope had no idea how one-sided the match would be when he won the toss and opted to bowl. His team faced a record chase and lost explosive batter Evin Lewis to a groin injury before the game. If not for the final-wicket stand of 38 between Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales who became the seventh No.11 to top-score in an ODI with 29 runs this would have been a record-breaking defeat. West Indies were eventually bowled out for 162, with 23.4 overs left.
England’s experimental batting lineup was a response to their struggles in the 2023 World Cup and uncertainty over automatic qualification for 2027. West Indies held their ground for most of their bowling innings but crumbled in the death overs. Seales, chosen over Shamar Joseph, endured a tough outing, conceding 84 runs in nine overs. His penultimate over was particularly brutal, going for 19 runs as Bethell and Will Jacks built a 98-run stand for the sixth wicket. Jacks, playing his first ODI since November 2024, contributed a solid 39 off 24 balls in his new No.7 role.
England’s batting lineup, though reshuffled, wasn’t entirely new. The spotlight was on Jamie Smith, opening for the first time in List A cricket. His struggles at No. 3 during the ICC Champions Trophy raised concerns about his ability to handle the new ball, but he proved his worth with crisp drives and confident footwork, validating McCullum’s belief in his technique. However, after racing to 37, his 24th delivery found Brandon King at midwicket, a sharp contrast to Seales’ earlier misjudged chance at mid-on.
Smith’s dismissal in the seventh over, with England at 64, should have signaled the need for someone to anchor the innings. Yet, the senior top-order batters failed to stay the course. Duckett looked the most composed, breezing to a half-century in 34 balls, but his dismissal in the 20th over courtesy of a stunning one-handed grab by Roston Chase left Root and Brook to build on an incomplete foundation.
The Yorkshire duo responded well. Root remained steady while Brook took on Justin Greaves, smashing two sixes in three balls one straight down the ground and another behind square. Root reached his 59th fifty-plus score in ODIs but then nicked Seales to Hope behind the stumps.
Seales struck again when Brook mistimed a loose shot to deep point. Jos Buttler arrived at the crease, stepping back into the lineup after stepping down as captain. His brief stand with Brook yielded 33 runs before Brook departed for 27 off 19 balls.
Buttler seemed poised for a grand return, showcasing his trademark aggression charging Greaves for a straight six, slapping a four, and ramping Seales down the line. However, a cleverly disguised cutter from Seales ended his innings, as his attempted leg-side heave landed safely in the hands of midwicket.
With 58 balls left, Jacob Bethell took charge, accelerating from 26 off 30 to put the game beyond West Indies' reach. He smashed a six in every over from the 43rd to the 47th, while Will Jacks joined the onslaught in the 47th over, hammering a six and four fours off Matthew Forde. This explosive five-over stretch added 86 runs, sealing England’s dominance.
Though the score could have been even higher, Jacks' dismissal courtesy of a well-directed bouncer from Justin Greaves and a brilliant running catch by Roston Chase off Jamie Overton kept Bethell off strike for the penultimate over. When Bethell regained strike in the final over, he edged a cut shot to Shai Hope, ending his innings.
West Indies nearly prevented England from reaching 400, but Jayden Seales’ yorker unexpectedly deflected off the footmarks, nutmegging Brydon Carse and racing to the boundary on the last ball of the innings.
England’s bowling attack dismantled West Indies early, with Harry Brook rotating his bowlers effectively. Jamie Overton, despite briefly leaving the field due to a hand injury, returned to claim career-best figures of 3 for 22. Bethell stepped in to complete Overton’s interrupted over, while Saqib Mahmood struck twice at the City End.
Overton resumed in the 16th over, bouncing out Chase (caught by Jacks at deep square leg) and Forde (caught by Mahmood at fine leg). He then deceived Gudakesh Motie with a slower ball, looping it to point for Brook’s fifth and final catch, capping off England’s commanding performance.