Liam Livingstone has led from the front with a stunning unbeaten century as England successfully chased down 329 in Antigua to send their ODI series against the West Indies to a decider.
The stand-in England captain reeled off nine sixes and five fours to get the tourists home by five wickets with 15 balls to spare and set up a winner-takes-all match in Barbados on Wednesday.
After Phil Salt’s run-a-ball 59 and Jacob Bethell’s maiden international half-century, Livingstone put on 140 in 111 deliveries alongside Sam Curran to swing the contest firmly in England’s favour.
Curran was dismissed for 52 off as many deliveries with 29 still needed from the last 4.3 overs but Livingstone, with Dan Mousley for company, got the job done to finish on 124 not out from 85 balls.
Livingstone had earlier raised eyebrows by deploying nine bowlers for only the second time in England’s ODI history, with only wicketkeeper Salt and No.3 batter Jordan Cox not rolling their arm over.
Shai Hope anchored the Windies to 328 for six with a fantastic 117 off 127 balls, putting on a restorative 143-stand with Keacy Carty, before cameos from several of their big-hitters.
But his innings was overshadowed by the belligerence of Livingstone, who made sure England ended the day with a flourish after being set 100 to win from the final 10 overs.
They started brightly, too, as John Turner had both Windies openers back in the pavilion after 19 balls but Bethell, one of three fielders at point, grassed a half-chance over his head with Carty on eight.
The Windies rebuilt from 2-12, with Carty strong square of the wicket and Hope driving fluently, punching Turner and Adil Rashid then whipping a Bethell drag down for sixes.
Bethell’s extra bounce took the top edge of a cut when Hope was on 60 but Salt could not cling on while Turner put down Carty on 68.
While England had been able to keep a lid on the scoring up until then, the efforts of Carty and Hope allowed Rutherford, followed by Shimron Hetmyer and Matthew Forde, to go into attack mode straightaway.
The trio contributed nine of the Windies’ 14 sixes as the hosts collected 174 in the last 20 overs.
Hope reached a 118-ball hundred then deposited Rashid over deep midwicket before thumping to long-off but the Windies finished on top as Forde belted three consecutive sixes in Saqib Mahmood’s last over.
England required a ground record total to level the series, while they had not chased down 300-plus in nearly three-and-a-half years.
While Jacks perished early on on the pull, Salt’s timing was impeccable as he underpinned a robust powerplay total of 1-58.
Salt brought up a 42-ball fifty then amassed nine off his next 17 balls before a premeditated hack at Forde, with Gudakesh Motie doing well to take a steepler, but Bethell rebuilt alongside Livingstone.
Bethell has been earmarked as a superstar-in-the-making and showed a terrific aptitude, scoring all around the wicket but especially strong on the pull, muscling Roston Chase for six to bring up his first fifty in an England shirt.
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