West Indies v England
Sunday 30 January, 20:00
TV: live on BT Sport
West Indies search for balance
By the end of the series West indies might have learnt what their best side is. They are getting there. Shai Hope has been dispensed with for Kyle Mayers for example in the opening berth.
There could be other tweaks, too. Odean Smith, whose treatment has been bizarre de-spite protestations by coach Phil Simmons, could return. Smith, a bowling all-rounder, has played twice but bowled just six balls.
Similarly the hosts have been reluctant to use Kieron Pollard’s batting power. Jason Holder was the latest hitter promoted. Romario Shephered and Fabian Allen are exciting long-ball hitters, too but have been pricey with the ball.
Finding the balance is tricky. Smith could be a solution. Dominic Drakes, who played last time, is in too but has been expensive in his career.
Could it be worth playing a specialist bowler in Hayden Walsh given the spin threat in the series? Darren Bravo seems a wasted spot.
Possible XI: King, Mayers, Pooran, Powell, Pollard, Holder, Allen, Smith, Drakes, Hosein, Walsh, Cottrell.
Moeen fires England
England produced a classic CPL batting performance in game four. They were relatively becalmed in setting up a platform. And from which Moeen Ali launched an extraordinary assault.
Moeen’s 63 from 28 sounds murderous. And it was. But the word is not quite right considering the elegant strokeplay and artistic timing. By Jove he is a superstar. It’s a terrible shame he was not treated as such for a chunk of his career.
He then turned it on with the ball in tandem with Adil Rashid. Spin is important and England may consider recalling Liam Dawson to get more of it.
Possible XI: Roy, Banton, Vince, Moeen, Livingstone, Billings, Salt, Jordan, Rashid, Mills, Topley
Pitch report
Three games out of four have been bat-dominated. A lot of that has to do with a short boundary. Having been flummoxed by England’s collapse in game one we now have more faith that this is decent to hit on.
It was a used surface – the same as England’s one-run win in game two – so we could return to another used pitch. But the plan should be clear for both sides. Get a platform, then go for it. More than 170 is the minimum.
Sportsbook go 9/2, 10/1 and 22/1 that both teams score 180 or more, 190 or more and 200 or more. Bet on these markets here.
Bat first, win
We said before game four that the toss was key. And we stand by that. These are two well-matched sides as the 2-2 scoreline suggests.
So scoreboard pressure can make the difference. And if you want more to hang that on, if we have a whopping stat study there’s a 63% bias for the team batting first at this venue.
England are 1.738/11 with West Indies 2.3211/8. We don’t expect much change post toss so if West Indies win – and make the right call, by the way in batting first – they are fair.
Tops value
Moeen was 15/2 to top in game four for England. He is now 4/1. Another man of the match award is 9/1. Jason Roy and Mayers have been boosted for top bat to 3/1 and 7/2 respectively. Hitters who could also make an impression include Liam Livingstone and Rovman Powell. Both are 5/1. Bet on these markets here.
