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Ahead of what is likely to be a busy summer transfer window, Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly facing the prospect of losing another key man alongside Matheus Cunha.

Wolves transfer news

Whilst Wolves’ main aim is undoubtedly survival this season, there would have still been plenty of frustration over how their FA Cup run came to an end against Bournemouth last time out. Having levelled things up through a sensational strike from range, Cunha commenced his side’s downfall when he left the referee with little choice but to hand him his marching orders.

Going on to lose on penalties without their star man, Wolves are without a place in the last eight of the FA Cup and will be without Cunha for the next three Premier League games in what is arguably a far bigger blow.

It’s something that Cunha should be desperate to rectify if this is to be his final season in the Midlands. With a £62m release clause in his new contract, the Brazilian has already attracted the reported interest of Arsenal, Chelsea and others to create quite the race for his signature when the summer arrives. And he’s not the only player who could depart Molineux.

According to Record, as relayed by Sports Witness, Benfica are now set to advance their talks to sign Nelson Semedo on a free deal following the expiry of his current Wolves contract at the end of the season.

Wolves have finally found their new Raul Jimenez and it's not Cunha

Wolves may have replaced Raul Jimenez with a current first team star.

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By
Ross Kilvington

Mar 3, 2025

Yet to sign an extension in the Midlands, the right-back could yet reunite with former Wolves manager Bruno Lage and return to one of his very first clubs back in Portugal.

Wolves, meanwhile, look increasingly likely to bid farewell to another captain and another experienced player without profiting. With a matter of months left until his contract expires, Semedo seems destined to bow out.

Wolves need Semedo's experience

If Wolves are to lose Cunha this summer, then keeping hold of the likes of Semedo is suddenly more important than ever. Vitor Pereira needs no reminding of the right-back’s importance and experience, having handed him the captain’s armband following his arrival and Mario Lemina’s ill-discipline in the final stages of Gary O’Neil’s tenure.

Pereira reiterated his desire to keep hold of Semedo in January, telling reporters: “Because I have time, I’m finding the personalities that I want as leaders in the team. At the moment, I’m not changing the captain and I’m okay with him, but I’m studying the personalities and I need some time for that.

“He’s a good player, he’s professional, he has the skills that I like, so it means that if the club was to ask my opinion, I would want to stay with him.

“There have been no discussions because there have been a lot of things to fix and to work on, so it’s difficult for me to think about everything. But we will have time to sit down and discuss.”

Whether the time has passed for those discussions over renewing Semedo’s £80,000-a-week contract remains to be seen, but it seems as though Benfica are wasting little time in negotiations of their own in pursuit of his signature.

Sunderland have now suffered another injury blow regarding a “brilliant” player alongside the recent issues for Enzo Le Fee and Dan Ballard.

Latest Sunderland news

The Black Cats are preparing for another important Championship assignment later this week, with Regis Le Bris’ side making the trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Friday evening.

Sunderland are arguably playing the Owls at a good time, however, following back-to-back defeats to Coventry City and Burnley, and the visitors will know that only a win will do, in terms of keeping their fading hopes of automatic promotion alive this season.

Injuries are proving to be an issue for the Black Cats currently, with key figures such as Le Fee and Ballard among those who are unavailable, as well as long-term absentee Alan Browne, who suffered a broken leg last year.

When it comes to recent transfer news, Ahmet Gurleyen has been linked with a summer move to the Stadium of Light, with the centre-back plying his trade at Hansa Rostock. On the flip side, Leeds United are thought to be eyeing a move for Wilson Isidor at the end of the season, which would be a blow for Le Bris.

Big injury setback for Sunderland

According to the Roker Report, Sunderland loanee Jayden Danns may not play at all between now and the end of the season because of injury.

The update claims that “sources inside” the Black Cats’ academy believed the 19-year-old’s campaign could be over, due to the back problem that has seen him return to Liverpool to undergo rehabilitation.

This would be an enormous blow for everyone concerned, not least Danns, who left Anfield during the January transfer window in order to pick up some invaluable experience.

Instead, the young striker is yet to make a single appearance for Sunderland, robbing the Black Cats of a talented player who Marc Albrighton hailed earlier this year, following a goal for the Reds against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round: “Jayden Danns loves a goal and getting in those positions.

“That was brilliant from start to finish. He expected the rebound and he finished it well first time. You can see how much it means to him – a great moment for the young lad.”

For Sunderland, it is a major setback, considering Danns was brought in as a player who could add precious firepower to Le Bris’ squad between now and May, having scored 24 goals in 33 appearances for Liverpool’s Under-18s.

Instead, it now looks like the teenager may end up not playing a single minute for the Black Cats, instead staying put on Merseyside and potentially earning a loan move elsewhere in the summer when he is fully fit again.

Sunderland now eyeing summer swoop to sign 25 y/o defender in bargain deal

The Black Cats could make their move…

By
Tom Cunningham

Feb 21, 2025

While Sunderland could arguably again try to snap him up at that point, this current situation may act as a word of warning to them, meaning they look elsewhere at loan options.

The Red and Whites secured the Argentinian's signature on a two-year contract.

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• He will now join a growing list (six) of Argentine managers in Liga MX
• Guided Atlético Mineiro to the Campeonato Mineiro title in 2024
• Milito is expected to be officially unveiled in the coming days

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chivas have finally ended their search for a new manager. Argentine coach Gabriel Milito will lead into the Apertura 2025, as confirmed by multiple sources, following a disappointing Clausura campaign in which the team failed to reach the Liguilla and cycled through two managers without success.

  César Luis Merlo, who first reported the news, revealed the Guadalajara-based club improved its initial offer to Milito – who had turned them down days earlier – and ultimately secured his signature on a two-year contract. The 44-year-old Argentine had also attracted interest from Boca Juniors, but opted for the challenge of leading Chivas through what has been described as a critical phase of restructuring.

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  Milito takes over at a turbulent time for Chivas. The club not only missed out on the Liguilla, but also failed to qualify for the Play-In round in the Clausura 2025, leading to the dismissal of then-coach Gerardo Espinoza. In the aftermath, Chivas explored various options to fill the vacancy. Talks were reportedly held with Guillermo Almada, Domenec Torrent, and Juan Carlos Osorio, but none of the negotiations proved fruitful. Other names like Jaime Lozano and former club icon Matías Almeyda were also mentioned but ultimately passed on the opportunity.

  After a series of unsuccessful attempts, the Guadalajara-based club has finally secured a new leader in Milito—a former FC Barcelona defender known for his tactical discipline and emphasis on structured play. His challenge will be not just to deliver results, but to help reshape a team that has struggled to define its identity in recent seasons.

  Chivas began their preseason this week, and Milito is expected to be formally introduced and integrated into training sessions in the coming days, once all contractual details are finalized.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Milito arrives at Chivas carrying a well-rounded managerial background. The Argentine tactician has helmed clubs such as Estudiantes, Independiente, and Argentinos Juniors in his home country, along with O’Higgins in Chile. Most recently, he led Atlético Mineiro in Brazil, guiding them to the Campeonato Mineiro title in 2024. While his coaching résumé is impressive, this marks his first foray into Mexican football. He will now join a growing list of Argentine managers in Liga MX, including Eduardo Berizzo (León), Nicolás Larcamón (Necaxa), Pablo Guede (Puebla), Guido Pizarro (Tigres), and Antonio Mohamed (Toluca).

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHIVAS?

  will kick off their Leagues Cup campaign on July 31 against the New York Red Bulls. The group stage will also see them face MLS sides Charlotte FC and FC Cincinnati.

A clinical bowling performance led by Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland and Alana King helped Australia romp to a dominant eight-wicket win over West Indies and a 2-0 ODI series triumph. But their victory at Junction Oval was slightly overshadowed by two controversial TV umpiring decisions.Sutherland claimed three wickets, while Garth, King and Tahlia McGrath picked up two each as West Indies were bowled out for just 103 inside 31.4 overs after being sent into bat. Then a 57-run opening stand at better than a run-a-ball between Phoebe Litchfield and Alyssa Healy laid the foundation for a comfortable chase with Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney finishing the job untroubled with 34.3 overs to spare.The only concern for Australia came when Ashleigh Gardner copped a blow on the thumb in the field, which required an x-ray, but she was cleared of any damage.West Indies were thoroughly outclassed by Australia but controversial decisions from TV umpire Claire Polosak did them no favours, although it is highly unlikely they had a significant impact on the result.West Indies were 38 for 2 in the 12th over, after Garth had struck twice early including the big wicket of skipper Hayley Matthews for 23, when the first of two decisions went against them. Stafanie Taylor chipped a return catch back to Sutherland, which dipped at the bowler’s feet in her follow-through. Sutherland did very well to get her right hand down but the ball appeared to wedge in her fingers after brushing the ground first. However, Polosak took a long look at various slow-motion replays and was satisfied that Sutherland had got her fingers under the ball to complete the catch cleanly and Taylor was given out.Annabel Sutherland took a controversial sharp, low return catch to send back Stafanie Taylor•Getty Images

Two balls later, in the next over from King, Polosak was called on again. This time, Shemaine Campbelle had been given out lbw by onfield umpire Eloise Sheridan and she immediately reviewed the decision. Campbelle was trying to defend King on the front foot with her bat and front pad very close together. Again, Polosak needed a long look at the slow-motion replays to determine whether Campbelle had hit the ball before it struck the pad. It looked clear that the ball had deflected off the bat as there was evidence both on UltraEdge and on the replay to show the ball deviating. But Polosak determined that the ball touched the front pad first before hitting the inside edge and then deflected. After deeming it hit the pad first, ball tracking showed three reds, with the ball smashing middle stump well under bail height.The decision caused Matthews to walk out of the team dugout and voice her frustration to the fourth umpire on the boundary edge.West Indies coach Shane Deitz was interviewed by broadcaster Channel Seven shortly after. He said he believed Taylor’s catch did not carry but he was measured in his analysis of the lbw decision.”[It] definitely looked like there was some bat and deviation from bat into the pad, but it’s hard to say,” Deitz said. “We just have to accept the decision and move on. The umpire on the side can’t do too much about it so we will just wait after the game and get clarification. But it’s out, so we just have to move on.”It left West Indies in tatters at 39 for 4 and without any reviews left after Matthews had earlier burnt one on her plumb lbw off Garth. Although they were out of reviews, they did not need them despite the next three batters also falling lbw. Chinelle Henry and Aaliyah Alleyne were both trapped plumb in front playing from the crease to straight balls from Sutherland.King continued on from where she left off on Thursday, causing West Indies batters all sorts of problems with her immaculate control. She had Rashada Williams dropped at slip by Mooney after inducing the edge with a beautiful legbreak but later trapped Shabika Gajnabi at the crease with one that skidded on straight.Captain Healy strangely opted not to continue with the destructive duo of Sutherland and King despite the pair having claimed five wickets between them, following six last Thursday, and pulled them from the attack with West Indies teetering at 80 for 7. With Gardner unavailable because of her thumb injury, Healy opted to give Georgia Wareham and McGrath a bowl instead, the latter having not bowled since the second T20I in Sydney.Wareham did pick up Williams for 25 when she skied a slog straight up in the air to leave the visitors 84 for 8. But Cherry-Ann Fraser provided some plucky resistance striking a huge six off Wareham over deep midwicket that bounced off the concourse and out of the ground on to Lakeside Drive. Karishma Ramharack struck a blow lofting McGrath over cover to find the rope but fell trying to repeat the dose holing out to Wareham, who had been placed there shortly after. Fraser was the last to fall, chipping McGrath to mid-off.The chase was a straightforward affair with Healy and Litchfield barely taking a risk while finding the boundary at will with some lovely drives and flicks. West Indies helped the Australian duo with some woeful ground fielding. Both openers fell trying to accelerate proceedings. Perry and Mooney took no such risks to see Australia home.

England captain draws line under “watershed” Ashes, onus on growing competition for places

Andrew Miller30-Aug-20230:35

How ‘unique’ Mahika Gaur could be the future for England

Heather Knight says that England’s T20I series against Sri Lanka marks the start of the team’s new cycle, in the wake of a transformative Ashes campaign this summer, and that the aim of the coming weeks will be to create competition for places ahead of next year’s T20 Women’s World Cup in Bangladesh.Speaking on the eve of the first T20I at Hove on Thursday, Knight talked enthusiastically about the “freshness” within a youthful squad, from which several notable names will be missing – among them Sophie Ecclestone (who had been due to sit out the series even prior to her shoulder dislocation last week), Sophia Dunkley and Nat Sciver-Brunt.In their place come two uncapped youngsters: Mahika Gaur, the 17-year-old left-arm seamer who impressed for Manchester Originals having made her international bow for the UAE as a 12-year-old, and Bess Heath, Northern Superchargers’ hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter.Freya Kemp, one of the break-out stars of England’s 2022 season, returns (as a batter only) after a back injury, while Knight promised that one of the main beneficiaries for this series would be Maia Bouchier, the talented 24-year-old whose opportunities at international level have been limited to 19 T20Is since 2021, but whose haul of 268 runs at 38.28 in the Hundred was a key factor in Southern Brave’s maiden title.”We’ve obviously rested a few senior players so that gives us a chance to give opportunities to few youngsters, and try and grow the pool of players that we’re picking from,” Knight said. “Maia deserves an opportunity because we’ve been carrying around for a long time and she’s been amazing in the Hundred as well.Mahika Gaur has been impressive for Manchester Originals•Getty Images”We want to see how these girls adapt to international cricket, how they are around the group, how they react to things. I think it’s really exciting. The more players that we can have, knocking down the door and keeping everyone on their toes … I think really good teams have that competition.”The most exciting name on the squad-list, however, is Gaur, whose remarkable physical attributes, allied to her extreme youth, mark her out as a potential superstar of the future.”She’s unique, a left-armer that’s actually six foot three, which is pretty mad,” Knight said. “I think she’s had a growth spurt since the first time I met her a couple months ago. She obviously brings that, and she’s got a pretty good action and swings the ball late.”Knight confirmed that Gaur would be handed her England debut at some stage of the campaign, but acknowledged that, as captain, she would be obliged to ease her new recruit into the action and not expect too much, too soon.”She’s obviously very young, so we’ll have to manage her pretty carefully and make sure we’re looking after her as a person and as a cricketer,” Knight said. “Younger players coming in adds that freshness, and tests my skills as a captain.”She’s certainly exciting, but I don’t know her super well, so I’ll just try to keep her calm, really, and do the things she’s done domestically that have been so impressive.Related

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England Women get match fees hike to be equal with England Men

“It always feels different internationally. There’s more pressures, more scrutiny. So it’s about how they cope with that and just trying to play the cricket that we want them to play, that fits in with the team.”The series will be the first in which England’s women will receive equal match fees to their male counterparts, a development which Knight said felt like due “reward” for a remarkable summer in which they matched Australia blow for blow in an 8-8 Ashes campaign, and attracted 110,000 fans across the seven matches.”That [series] felt like a real watershed moment,” Knight said, adding that the challenge for her players now was to keep moving forward, given that Australia’s world-beating team will doubtless be seeking their own improvements ahead of the World Cup, after being run so close this summer.”With the World Cup a year away, Australia and other teams are going to be looking to get better and improve. There’s a lot of areas that we can still get better in, come Bangladesh in October next year, so this is the start of that that post-Ashes cycle.”Despite the absence of some big-name players, Knight insisted that England would not be taking Sri Lanka lightly, especially in light of their impressive display in the last T20 World Cup in February, where they beat the hosts and eventual finalists, South Africa, in their opening match at Newlands.”They’ve just beaten New Zealand for the first time ever too, so they’ll be pretty confident and on a high from that,” Knight added. “They’ve got a world-class better in [Chamari] Athapaththu, who can be really hard to stop when she gets going. And they’ve got some wily spinners in the middle so we’ve certainly been preparing for that as a batting group.”We’ve obviously rested a few players but that’s not because we’re taking Sri Lanka lightly. But that World Cup is our next big focus, and you don’t always get the opportunity to be able to try new players. We saw this, at the back end of a pretty busy summer, as a chance to do that.”

Leeds United have now suffered a fresh injury concern alongside captain Ethan Ampadu, according to a new update from manager Daniel Farke.

Leeds frustratingly held by West Brom

The Whites had another opportunity to pull further clear at the top of the Championship on Saturday afternoon, as they hosted West Brom at Elland Road.

In the end, though, it proved to be a frustrating day for Farke and his players, with Junior Firpo’s opener cancelled out by a Darnell Furlong header before the break, and the scoreline remained 1-1 in the end.

The result was far from a disaster, though, and Leeds are still in a wonderful position, despite the fact that Sheffield United won 2-1 away to Queens Park Rangers. The Whites are three points clear of the Blades, and perhaps more importantly, eight ahead of third-place Burnley, who have one game in hand.

Injuries can have the potential to define any season, so Farke will be keeping his fingers crossed that as many key players stay fit as possible, but a worrying update has emerged regarding one individual.

Leeds suffer fresh injury blow

Speaking after the West Brom game on Saturday, Farke confirmed that Leeds ace Mateo Joseph has now picked up an injury alongside the influential Ampadu: “[We have] a few concerns over Mateo. He rolled his ankle a little bit. Hopefully it’s not so bad.”

Losing Joseph for a sustained period would be an undoubted blow for the Whites, but the manager does at least sound relatively hopeful about his absence not being too lengthy.

The 21-year-old may not always have been a regular this season, but he has still been an important squad player, chipping in with three goals and assists apiece in the Championship. He has made 23 appearances from the substitutes’ bench, adding quality when opposition legs are tiring, while Whites pundit Kris Smith has lauded him, saying:

“I have no doubt in my mind that Mateo Joseph is going to be a Premier League-quality striker in the near future. I don’t think he’s going to take him that long to get there. But the only thing standing in his way right now, for me, is being given the patience to work through his current weaknesses.”

At 21 years of age, there is still an understandable rawness to Joseph’s game, but he has a high ceiling as a player and would hopefully prove to be a hit for Leeds in the Premier League, as Smith alludes to.

There is still plenty of work to be done in the Championship promotion battle this season, however, and the Spaniard can have a big say in ensuring that his side swiftly return to the top flight.

Farke must brutally axe 3/10 Leeds star who won’t cut it in the PL

The Leeds star had fewer touches than Meslier against West Brom on Saturday lunchtime.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Mar 1, 2025

The sooner he returns from his ankle issue the better, and Farke will hope that he is available for next Sunday’s trip to Portsmouth, in another massive game, especially with Patrick Bamord showing no signs of returning.

The PCB’s proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup is likely to be approved by the Asian Cricket Council

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2023The PCB’s proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup is likely to be approved by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), with Sri Lanka as the neutral venue where India can play their games. The model sees four – and possibly five – of the tournament’s 13 games being played in Pakistan. All the India-Pakistan games will be played in Sri Lanka, as will the final if India is involved.ESPNcricinfo understands an official announcement is likely after the weekend. The window set aside for the tournament currently is between September 1-17. For the Pakistan leg, the games are likely to be played in Lahore.The likely approval represents a significant breakthrough in an impasse which has not only dragged on for some time but has also threatened fallout for ICC events, most pressingly the World Cup in India this year but also the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. There is a possibility now that an agreement here could ease Pakistan’s path to traveling to India for the World Cup.The hybrid model was proposed as a solution due to India and Pakistan unwilling to travel to the other’s country. India’s refusal to tour Pakistan prompted Pakistan to go with this model in order to retain the hosting rights.Pakistan initially offered UAE as a second venue citing the lucrative opportunity for gate receipts during Pakistan-India matches in the tournament, but Bangladesh raised concerns over the extreme weather in the middle east in September.The PCB head Najam Sethi had presented details of the hybrid model to Pankaj Khimji, head of Oman Cricket and the ACC’s vice-president, in a meeting in Dubai a couple of weeks ago. It was the solution the PCB had proposed to account for the fact that India will not travel to Pakistan for the tournament because of ongoing political tensions between the governments of the two countries.Those political ties have led to a long and cumbersome path to this solution – the PCB, as appointed hosts, have been keen to ensure that at least part of the tournament is played in Pakistan. The UAE was in the running as a neutral venue, and Sri Lanka was keen to host the entire tournament. At one stage the BCB and SLC had said no to a hybrid model.India and Pakistan have been grouped together along with Nepal in the six-nation Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in the 50-over format as preparation for the World Cup. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in the other group.A total of 13 matches, including the final, are expected be played across 13 days. Like the format from 2022, it is expected that the top two teams from each group will advance to a Super 4s round, before the top two teams from that contest the final. That leaves open the possibility of India and Pakistan playing each other three times, should they make the final.

Quadricep tear could force her to miss eight of Sydney Sixers’ 10 league games

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2024New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr has been ruled out of the remaining two ODIs against India after tearing her left quadricep muscle. Kerr picked up the injury during the opening game on Thursday, which India won by 59 runs, and is expected to take approximately three weeks to recover. She will not be replaced in the ODI squad.This also puts her WBBL participation in serious doubt for Sydney Sixers with the tournament set to start on Sunday. Amelia was a big-name pre-signing for Sixers as a platinum-category pick and could miss eight of Sixers’ 10 league games even if she recovers in three weeks.An NZC release stated Amelia was taken for scans on Friday morning, which revealed a grade-one quadricep tear, and that she would return home on Sunday to start her rehabilitation.”We’re really gutted for Melie,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said. “Injuries are always a challenging time for a player and we know how disappointed she is to not be able to play these games.”Everyone knows how much of an integral part of this team Melie is so we’ll certainly miss her but we’re wishing her a speedy recovery.”Soon after playing a pivotal role in New Zealand’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 15 scalps, Amelia was New Zealand’s best bowler in the opening ODI too, taking 4 for 42 before scoring an unbeaten 25 off 23 in the chase. The remaining two ODIs are on October 27 and 29, also in Ahmedabad.Amelia’s absence could hurt New Zealand’s hopes of climbing the Women’s ODI Championship table, where a top-six finish will ensure direct qualification for the ODI World Cup in 2025. New Zealand are currently placed sixth out of 10 teams and will next play Australia in December.

Fans of both Ted Lasso and Mumford & Sons were taken by surprise as an unexpected collaboration took place on stage during a Kansas City concert.

• Ted Lasso cast joined Mumford & Sons on stage
• They sang the show's theme tune
• Season four filming is underway

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lead actor Jason Sudeikis and other members of the Ted Lasso cast such as Hannah Waddingham made a show-stopping appearance on stage during the concert to sing and dance along to the show's theme song, as promotion continues for the upcoming fourth season of the iconic show.

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  Sudeikis is a Kansas City native himself and so this was the perfect location for a surprise guest appearance. The much-loved show, which follows American Ted Lasso on his unexpected journey into football management in England, is gearing up for a fourth season after much critical acclaim and many awards won during the first three seasons, including 13 Emmys.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TED LASSO?

  This on-stage appearance will only have done more to build anticipation for fans for the next season of the show when is does hit screens across the globe. Maybe we will see Sudeikis and Co. make more surprise public appearances before then.

West Indies made light work of their run chase under the Kensington Oval floodlights, centuries from Keacy Carty and Brandon King setting up a dominant eight-wicket win that sealed a 2-1 series victory over England.Carty’s maiden hundred, from 97 balls, made him the first cricketer from St Maarten to reach the landmark for West Indies. He was followed to three figures by King, who made the most of being dropped twice with a timely knock, his first 50-plus score in ODIs since the World Cup Qualifier in July 2023. Their double-century stand, eventually worth 209, was the highest for West Indies against England in the format.England had scrapped their way up to what might have been a competitive total after a nightmare start saw them 24 for 4 at the end of the first powerplay. Phil Salt knuckled down to play his longest international innings, in terms of balls face, while Dan Mousley was inventive on the way to a maiden ODI fifty. With an injury to Romario Shepherd forcing Shai Hope to turn to Sherfane Rutherford – whose 3.5 overs at the death disappeared for 57 – England had at least given themselves a glimmer.It took one ball of the reply to suggest that conditions for batting had eased, as King spanked Jofra Archer’s opening gambit through the covers. He did the same to the second delivery, with Archer’s first three overs eventually costing 24 – and although Jamie Overton claimed a first ODI wicket with his third legitimate ball, Evin Lewis bounced out for 19, West Indies were already up and running.King finished the powerplay by bashing Reece Topley for two fours in three balls, putting West Indies ahead of the asking rate at 65 for 1 after ten. And while Carty, who picked up his first four by gliding Topley behind square in the same over, had some uncertain moments against the legspin of Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone early on, the second-wicket pair were soon motoring towards the target.Rashid’s first three overs had gone for just seven, but King pumped him down the ground for six to mark a shift in the mood. An edge off Livingstone evaded Salt’s gloves when King was on 44, and the West Indies opener went to a 60-ball fifty in the next over, clubbing Rashid emphatically through midwicket.Carty had been given out lbw to Livingstone’s first ball, but reviewed in the knowledge that there was bat involved. He cut and swept consecutive boundaries in the same over, and later launched Rashid over the deep midwicket boundary as West Indies steadily brought the required rate down while negotiating England’s seven bowling options. After bringing up a 61-ball fifty, Carty again took back-to-back fours off Livingstone, before doing the same to Sam Curran.A muscular pull for six off Topley ended up in the crowd at deep midwicket, as Carty overtook his partner, followed up by a flat-batted four down the ground. Having surpassed his previous ODI best of 88, he reached his hundred with a glide for four off Jacob Bethell’s left-arm spin – removing his helmet and raising his arms aloft as applause rolled around the ground.The moment was repeated at the start of the following over as King, who also saw a cut off Archer burst through the hands of Jordan Cox in the covers on 86, swatted the same bowler through fine leg to raise his third century in the format. King was bowled by Topley with 13 required but the result was beyond doubt.The alacrity with which West Indies hunted down their requirement amply demonstrated why both captains had wanted to bowl first at the toss. Shai Hope, who grew up at Kensington Oval, said he was “not sure what we’re going to get” from the surface – but his seamers certainly knew how to exploit the conditions, leaving England four down and tottering inside the first powerplay.The main source of discomfort for West Indies early on came via an extraordinary on-field contretemps between Alzarri Joseph and Hope, the fast bowler seemingly unhappy with the field set for England’s No. 3, Cox. Joseph could be seen repeatedly remonstrating with his captain from the top of his run-up, and he took his frustration out on the batter, Cox barely seeing a 148kph/92mph lifter that flicked the glove on its way through. Joseph didn’t celebrate and walked off at the end of the over, briefly leaving West Indies with 10 men on the field.Matthew Forde had already struck in his second over, responding to being driven for four by Will Jacks with a similar delivery that went away just enough to take the outside edge. Shepherd then enjoyed immediate success when replacing Joseph, as Bethell slashed at a wide delivery only to be spectacularly held by the leaping Roston Chase at point. When Livingstone fell to another catch at the wicket trying to force a drive off Shepherd, England were flatlining at 24 for 4 with one ball left in the powerplay.One of the England batters still standing was Salt. His half-century in the second ODI was the first time he had batted through the powerplay since June 2022, but he backed up that effort in Barbados – albeit 11 not out off 26 balls told of England’s struggle.He found useful allies in Curran and Mousley, adding consecutive stands of 70 for the fifth and sixth wickets. Curran, again up the order at No. 6, was proactive from the outset but fell looking to take on Chase’s offspin. Mousley then continued the rebuilding effort, with Salt grinding away to a 79-ball fifty – by far the slowest of his five in ODIs.England were 163 for 5 at the end of the 40th but lost Salt in the following over, King’s athleticism at deep midwicket resulting in a comfortable relay catch for Joseph. Shepherd then collapsed after catching his studs in the turf and had to be helped from the field, as the momentum shifted again. Mousley fell shortly after reaching fifty but lower-order cameos from Overton (32 off 21) and Archer (38 not out off 17) saw Rutherford’s medium-pace take a battering and 100 runs bleed from the last ten overs. That ended up as a footnote after King and Carty took charge.