Event of the Day: West Indies versus England

Our event of the day is the first ODI between the West Indies and England at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. The West Indies are in high spirits after a surprising Test series victory against an in-form England. However, the ODI format is England’s realm and they have been in dominant shape. Meanwhile, the West Indies are seeking their first ODI series victory since 2014. With the cricket World Cup looming, this is a match you won’t want to miss. England come into this five game ODI series looking revitalised. The rally began with a resounding victory in the third and final Test of their tour of the West Indies. After failing to find traction in the first two Tests, England recorded a 232-run victory over a West Indies side that took its foot off the gas. They followed that with a resounding victory in Monday’s warm up match against the University of West Indies Vice Chancellor’s XI, with Joe Root and Jason Roy both hitting centuries. Hoping to shine in this ODI series is Adil Rashid. Rashid has been relatively unimpressive across his 19 Test caps; taking no wickets and allowing 117 runs in his single Test appearance during this tour as an example of this. However, when it comes to ODI cricket, Rashid is one of the best. He is England’s leading spinner with 119 wickets in ODI play and is a go-to for ODI captain Eoin Morgan. England will look to maintain their recent form in the format before the World Cup in June.

Meanwhile, the West Indies limp into this ODI series after flying high in the Test series. The hosts will be without three regulars and thus have been forced to make amendments to their team. Furthermore, the ODI format has not been kind to the West Indies. They last met England in the format in late 2017, suffering a 4-0 series loss. Since then, they have won a total of nine ODI matches. Six of those wins came during the qualifiers for the Cricket World Cup. The last ODI series won by the West Indies was in 2014 against Bangladesh. In contrast, England have won every ODI series they have played since that 2017 win against the West Indies. With the start of the World Cup 100 days away, both teams will have the ODI-based competition on their mind. For England, the aim will be to show the other competitors what they will be up against. For the West Indies, the next few months will be all about showing the world that they can compete on the world stage. This ODI will be one you won’t want to miss.

Honourable mentions around the globe go to the UEFA Champions League, where Atlético Madrid host Juventus for a Round of 16 match at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. Atlético Madrid will face off against their old nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo, who joined Juventus last year, has been the scourge of Atlético Madrid for the last decade. As part of Real Madrid, Ronaldo helped eliminate Atlético Madrid from the Champions League every year between 2013 and 2017. The Portuguese international has 22 goals against the Spanish side and will look to add to his tally tonight in a game that is expected to be a defensive battle. This will surely be an exciting masterclass of European football. Elsewhere, in the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Boston Bruins at T-Mobile Arena. On the ATP Tour, the Delray Open continues at the Delray Beach Tennis Center in Delray Beach, Florida. In NCAA basketball, 1st ranked Duke host 8th ranked North Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!

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Photos by ICC Cricket

 

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