West Indies vs England: Third ODI tips and suggested bets

James Richardson
7 December 2023

The West Indies vs England ODI series will be decided at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, with the scores tied at 1-1 going into the final match.

West Indies didn't fire batting first on a used pitch in the second ODI, which allowed England back into the series.

England have played 14 ODIs at the Kensington Oval stretching back to 1986, with their most recent visit in 2019 ending in defeat.

All but one of those 14 matches saw them face the West Indies, but England also lost a 2007 World Cup match to South Africa in Barbados.

England have won eight of their 14 ODI matches at the Kensington Oval.

Meanwhile, the West Indies have won 18 of their 41 ODIs at the Kensington Oval and only one of their last four 50-over matches at the ground.

West Indies vs England Third ODI: Suggested bets

If you backed Shai Hope as the West Indies' top scorer in each of the two previous ODIs, the skipper would have delivered for you even if he couldn't help seal a series win in Antigua.

Hope is the West Indies man for a crisis and the most reliable batter in their lineup. The home fans will want other players to step up, but the safe bet remains Hope.

Harry Brook might have been a little discouraged that the West Indies' modest total meant he couldn't get a realistic run at ending up as the top scorer.

That demonstrates the advantage an in-form top-order batter has over the middle-order finisher.

Will Jacks and Brook will likely be in a shootout to end up the top scorer for England in both the third ODI and the series.

Sam Curran delivered the performance we expected in the first ODI in the second ODI and showed that he is a player that can bounce back from adversity.

However, at the Kensington Oval, spin can be a real weapon, and this could be the shot at a statement performance in ODI cricket that Rehan Ahmed has been looking for, while Liam Livingstone has shown that he can bamboozle the West Indies' batters.

Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the bowlers the last time the West Indies were in Barbados for an ODI engagement, taking 3/36 against India.

It could be a track for leg-spin again, and the West Indies leggie is already on track to end as his nation's top wicket-taker in the series.