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By Stephan Shemilt
Fact - the summer is not over until the end of the cricket season. So, with the help of those lovely chaps from the West Indies, we're staving off the winter until Sunday. Marvellous.
So, for those of you keeping count, Graeme Swann becomes England's fifth captain of the summer on the day that their World T20-winning skipper Paul Collingwood says that he thinks his international career is over.\u00a0Shame that, I think he's been a little harshly treated since he called time on his Test-playing days.\u00a0\u00a0
TOSS NEWS
New captain Swann has won the toss and elected to field.
TEAM NEWS
England have made three changes to the side that beat India at Old Trafford last month. Stuart Broad and Eoin Morgan are injured, with Kevin Pietersen rested. In come Steven Finn, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow.
Test Match Special has just taken to the airwaves, so I will remind you how you can join in the fun this evening. You can email us at tms@bbc.co.uk (with "For Stephan Shemilt" in the subject line), text 81111 (with "CRICKET" as the first word), or if you are a Twitterer, tweet us with the hashtag #bbccricket.
From David in Toledo, Spain, TMS inbox: "Not sure I can agree with your "fact". Alternative fact: final Test match, last night of the Proms, then it's winter\u00a0until the following cricket season."
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From Andrew Richmond, TMS inbox: "The leaves are falling from the trees, the sun is starting to set and the central heating has just come. And yet we are playing cricket! Perhaps we can arrange a Boxing Day fixture to be played on the frozen Thames?"
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It looks pretty clear overhead at The Oval, so I'm optimistic we can get through without the weather playing its part. The players have taken the field for some football-style pre-match handshakes and Swann has delivered a teamtalk in the huddle. Tim Bresnan has the ball, the visiting openers are Dwayne Smith and Johnson Charles.
With captain Swann posting two slips, Charles gets the Windies underway with a mishit pull that goes for a single.\u00a0Bresnan is on the mark, going past Smith's outside edge with a beauty,\u00a0but the batsman responds with a two and a single on the leg side. It's an old pitch, but there's some good carry.\u00a0
"I think Tim Bresnan is a 'proper bowler' he's skilful, hits the pitch hard and rarely lets you down."
Steven Finn, on England T20 debut, shares the new ball. The Middlesex man has been bowling with good pace recently, and whistles one past Smith. After a single, Finn beets Charles for pace with one that goes through at 92mph - I guess that's what strength and conditioning training can do for you. Finn cranks it up to 93mph for the final ball and Charles is beaten again. Good start by England.
From Dan: "The Proms in the Park was rained off this year. Sounds like summer to me."
Did I say good start by England? Smith has ruined that. He flicks Bresnan to fine leg for four and then, after a very wide wide, mows a length ball over cow corner for six. Great strike. A drive through point brings him four more and then, amazingly, picks it up for six over square leg with the\u00a0laziest pull shot you'll ever see. Brilliant. 22 off the over. Windies up and running.
From Nicholas Harris, TMS inbox: "Stephan - On this evening of a fresh faced England line-up, would yours happen to be the only fully fledged day-boo? If so then congrats & welcome \u2013 interested to know what the beeb emblem of recognition is."
Why thank you. Strictly not my England debut, but my first T20. No initiation just yet, but will keep you posted.
Charles gets in on the act by flat-batting Finn back down the ground for four. Windies looking confident here and the track looks good. After two to third man, Charles laces a drive through mid off for four more. That came down at 93mph, but it whistled back past Finn twice as fast. Four over mid on follows, and new captain Swann has plenty to think about.\u00a0
Jade Dernbach on to replace Bresnan and, from his second ball, Smith drives\u00a0in the air\u00a0to the Surrey paceman's left. It's about head height, but the diving Dernbach can't hold on. Dernbach's already going through his full array of slower balls, and Johnson is about five minutes too early on an attempted heave over the leg side. Good over, just two off.
"The first four overs were typical of Twenty20. A couple of quiet overs but suddenly crash, bang and 42-0 after four overs is an exceptionally strong position to be in."
Captain Swann opts for spin, but instead of himself he\u00a0goes for the slightly rounder Samit Patel. Good start from Patel, but he's unlucky. A mis-field from Finn turns a single into a two, with Smith edging the next ball for four. Unlucky? The final ball of the over pitches on leg stump, turns and clips the top of off. Smith is bamboozled, and Patel has taken his first T20 international wicket with an absolute jaffa.
You know how I said this is a used pitch? It's turning square. Swann brings himself into the attack and rips one into Charles' pads. New man Marlon Samuels takes a single, and then Charles cross-bats into the leg side for two. Think of a game lasting for 18 days in Mumbai, then you might have an idea of how much it's turning.
More good stuff from Samit, with Charles looking very, very confused. Just three come from the over and Swann will be looking around wondering if he can get anyone else in his side to bowl some spin.
From Tony in Liverpool: "It's conceivable that England could field a team of Bell, Bopara, Bairstow, Buttler, Bresnan, Broad, Borthwick and Briggs. Just need three more for the full set."
Swann continues, and, after a tight single to short fine leg, Charles decides the long handle is the way to deal with the sharp turn and gets one in the leg side. Two more singles are exhanged, then Samuels aims to drive inside-out over the off side. You can't do that to Swann on a turner, and the ball comes back between bat and pad and tickles the timber. Classic Swann.
"Again big turn, with both dismissed batsmen dismissed by the amount of movement. But this pitch shouldn\u2019t worry the West indies players as they have played on low, turning wickets of late. They have to avoid panicking, play sensibly and play themselves in because Charles needs some support."
The brilliantly named Danza Hyatt is the new man, and captain Swann is on the attack with a slip in place. It's good again from Patel, and the Windies can only manage three singles from the first four balls. Patel goes past Hyatt's edge, and wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter is screaming for caught behind. Nothing doing, and a further single ends the over.
From Dave: "Tony - bring back Botham, Boycott and Butcher?"
Swann on the money again, and the boundaries have well and truly dried up for the Windies. The seamers went miles earlier on, so it really seems like the batsmen need pace on the ball to score quickly. Five singles off the over.
(On England perhaps regretting not picking more spinners) "This is where home advantage should pay off and you should pick the right side but I'm not sure whether anyone could have predicted just how much it would turn."
Ravi Bopara into the attack to replace Patel, and Hyatt greets him with a big off drive to long off for a single. Just that small change up in pace and the batsman looks so much more comfortable. Bopara does well though, mixing his pace up, and three times in succession Charles fails to connect properly. A slower ball to finish the over is another dot.
Hyatt's clearly had enough of struggling against the spin, and greets the first ball of Swann's final over with a straight driven six. A wide and a couple of dots follow, then Hyatt gives it the beans again. A huge slog sweep sails over the leg side boundary for six more. Swann's tries mixing up his pace, the next delivery barely reaches the batsman, but a quicker ball is edged for four. Expensive over.
From Anon: "I bet they whished they had picked Danny Briggs, one of the shining lights in a poor season for Hants."
Charles follows Hyatt's example and skips down the track to the returning Patel and clears the ropes over wide long on. He tries to repeat the dose, but doesn't get near the same connection, picking out Steve Finn on the straight boundary. That's the end of Patel, and his 2-23 represents a good effort, albeit in helpful conditions.
From Harriet Marlow, TMS inbox: "This is turning on a sixpence, and the ECB had the cheek to deduct Hampshire eight points for a pitch that did about half as much, lasted four days and ended in a draw!"
Nkruma Bonner is the new man (anyone remember Packie Bonner, the old Rep of Ireland goalkeeper?), and he's greeted by the returning Jade Dernbach. Dernbach decides to bang it in, allowing Bonner to hook for three, even after some dodgy running by the Windies. A Dernbach slower ball leaves Hyatt looking as confused as a giraffe in a polar bears-only nightclub, and only a further single comes from the over.
Bopara back into the attack, and he starts with a slower ball that Hyatt punts for a single. Next ball, Ravi goes past the Bonner's inside edge and finds the stumps via the batsman's pads. Good from Bopara, and a good move from Swann to get him on.
Christopher Barnwell is the new man, and Kieswetter, who was standing up, stands back. Bopara's first ball to the new man is quicker and finds the edge, with the diving Kiswetter taking a brilliant one-handed catch diving to his right. Superb from the Somerset keeper, and great cricket from England.
"West Indies got 54 off three overs and only 49 off the other 12 so it's been feast or famine on this pitch. England must wish they had Briggs or Borthwick to offer more overs of spin."
Dernbach continues and gives new man Andre Russell the hurry up with a bumper. Russell and Hyatt exhange singles, that is, after a Hyatt waft outside off stump. Russell edges for four, then is thoroughly out-witted by a slower ball that is followed up by a rapid yorker. He does well to keep that out. Windies heading for a below-par score?
Hyatt heaves straight off Bopara and Russell turns for two. Great pick up and throw from Ben Stokes and Russell, after a look from the third umpire, is on his way. Windies losing their way.
A huge swipe from Hyatt from the very next delivery sees his stumps disturbed and Bopara has his third wicket. It's been brilliant from Ravi, and good captaincy from Swann to recognice that he needs to keep the pace off the ball.
From Marcus Foley, TMS inbox: "Don't remember Paddy Bonner but there was a Packie Bonner around Italy 90."
Thank you, and I've amended accordingly. I remember him playing in Italia 90, which was my earliest sporting memory.
This really is good stuff from England. From the second ball of his final over, Dernbach delivers a 90mph yorker to Derwin Christian. The wicketkeeper has no answer for that, and he's gone for a blob.
England are now taking wickets quicker than I can type. Dernbach isn't happy about a wide that is called from Devandra Bishoo's first ball. The next ball Bishoo punts to point and sets off. He's sent back by captain Darren Sammy, but is marooned by a direct hit from Jos Buttler. Brilliant fielding from a wicketkeeper. I'm a wicketkeeper, and I can hardly throw.
Fidel Edwards must be wondering what the other lads have been playing at. He laces his first ball through the covers\u00a0for four, then gets two from the final ball of the over to keep Sammy on strike for the final over.\u00a0
"West Indies were 54-1 when a run a ball would have taken them to 135. Admittedly it's not easy being that logical in the middle but they have chased a bigger score, 160 or 170, and they'll do well now to get to 130."
From Rachel Tyrell, Lincoln: "I miss India already, they put up more of a fight than this lot!"
Bopara bowls the last over - who would have thought that before the game? Sammy and Edwards exhange singles, then Sammy aims a heave into the leg side. The Windies captain can't get hold of it, and Jonny Bairstow takes a simple catch in the deep on the leg side. The Windies are 125 all out, and Bopara, with 4-10, has the best figures by and Englishman in international T20 cricket.
You have to say that it looked a totally different game as a soon as the pace was taken off the ball. The Windies struggled to manipulate the bowling, and at times it was six-or-out cricket. Skipper Swann will be pleased, England are big favourites at the halfway stage.
From Mark, TMS inbox: "Just put the kids into bed. Missed 9 wickets."
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From Michael in Bargteheide, Germany, TMS inbox: "You young whippersnapper. My earliest sporting memory was Ann Packer and Mary Rand at the Tokyo Olympics 1964."
The Windies have taken to the field, with England openers Craig Kieswetter and Alex Hales hot on their heels. If I was Darren Sammy, I'd be thinking about chucking the new ball to one of my spinners...
Quite clearly, I'm not Darren Sammy. For a start, he is talented enough to be an international all-rounder (and captain) and I was born in Stoke-on-Trent. Therefore, it's his prerogative to open the bowling with himself. Perhaps he should have listened to me though, because Hales cuts the first ball of the innings for four. The England openers then exchange singles, and the home side are up and running.
From Alan, TMS inbox: "My earliest sporting memory is watching WG Grace making his maiden century. Seems like yesterday."
Sammy couldn't even be tempted by some spin from the other end, and the slingy pace of Fidel Edwards begins with a wide. A poor ball is glanced to fine leg for four by Kieswetter, then Edwards oversteps giving England a free hit. The Windies paceman tries a slower ball, but Kieswetter, stepping back heaves the ball high and long over cow corner. A huge hit. At the danger of this coming back to haunt me, the tourists look beaten already.
Andre Russell replaces Sammy and, after a wide, is accurate, causing Kieswetter to be watchful. England pick up a couple of singles, and Russell continues his good start with a clever slower ball that Hales has to defend. Alas, it can't last for the Windies, and a horrible mis-field gives Hales four through mid off.
From Alan Pointon, TMS inbox: "My earliest sporting memory is watching W G Grace making his maiden\u00a0century.....seems like yesterday!!"
From Gordon, TMS inbox: "My dad took me to see the Olympic football final, Wembley 1948 \u2013 I was 7. Sweden beat Czechoslovakia."
"The West Indies will have to deal with a bit of dew and possibly the ball getting damp so it won't be easy for them."
Sammy back into the attack but, perhaps in protest at the fielding when he was bowling, Russell allows England to take two to third man. More sloppiness from the Windies comes when burly keeper Derwin Christian allows the hosts\u00a0an overthrow. England aren't flying, but they're in no trouble either.\u00a0
More from Edwards, and Hales begins the over with a sumptuous on drive for four. Great shot from the Notts man. Fidel is getting loose now, and, after a single, gives Kieswetter the hurry-up with one that touches 91mph. Oh dear, another no ball allows England another free hit, which Kieswetter slices over the off side for three. A deflection to fine leg gives Hales four more, and England are coasting.
"I don't think I've seen anyone trying to hit the ball harder than Craig Kieswetter, it's almost a violence. You've got to try to score off the free hits but you also need a bit of control. Hales and Kiewsetter are very different, Hales trying to use the ball's pace."
From Jeremy, TMS inbox: "Alan whose first cricketing memory was WG Grace\u2019s maiden century: Was that his first Test century on 6 September 1880 or his maiden century for the Gentlemen v Players in 1865?"
Like a man playing with his own ball and not wanting to give anyone else a game, Sammy persists with himself. Get some spin on skipper. England take a couple of singles, then Kieswetter scoops over short fine leg for four\u00a0to bring up the 50 partnership before finishing off the over with two to third man.
From John Kirriemuir, TMS inbox: "I spent my thirties being bored by England continually losing. Now I'm\u00a0spending my forties increasingly bored by England continually winning."
This is becoming slightly baffling. The powerplay is over, but Sammy continues with the military medium pace of Russell.\u00a0As if to prove my point, Hales pulls over square leg for six then laps one round the corner for four.\u00a0ICC Emerging Player of the Year\u00a0(and leg-spinner) Devandra Bishoo yet to feature on a pitch spinning more than Alastair Campbell.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
"I'm amazed it's taken West Indies this long to get spin into the attack. But there's no scoreboard pressure - England need about 5.5 an over with wickets in hand."
From Luke in New York, TMS inbox: "My earliest sporting memory was watching Chionis of Sparta jump 15.85m in the triple jump in 656 BC. Right, that ends that conversation. I win."
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At last, Bishoo is in to the attack. Sammy posts a slip for the leggie, but England, now under no scoreboard pressure, are happy to move the ball into the gaps. A boundaryless over is a minor triumph for the Windies, but the hosts still manage to take seven from the over.
Sammy ignores the spin of Nkruma Bonner at the other end, instead opting for the pace of Christopher Barnwell. Sigh. More milking from England, with\u00a0Hales and Kieswetter playing as\u00a0if this was a Sunday friendly against Little Snoring 3rd XI. Again boundaryless, but six off.\u00a0
From Gareth, TMS inbox: "England winning will never bore me. In the three major sports we invented we\u2019ve only won on a world scale a measly 3 times in my 55 years and it's never really in the bag until the end. Expect some nail-biting moments yet."
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Good from Bishoo, bar a wide, but he's not finding the same amount of turn that England's spinners enjoyed. Quiet over again from England, but Hales and Kieswetter keep the scoreboard ticking sufficiently enough for me to think that this will be\u00a0done well inside 20 overs.\u00a0
Maybe I was hasty in thinking that Bonner needed to be introduced into the attack. The leg-spinner begins with a no-ball. He then begins to test out the middle of the pitch with a variety of long hops. It's so bad, that England can barely hit him off the square. Always good to see innovation, but I can't imagine that Sammy's instructions were "the only thing that can save us know are long hops". Seven off.\u00a0
"There's a saying - sit on a bad leg-spinner and attack a good one. With the bad ones you know you'll get opportunities to score and don't want to muck it up by dancing down the wicket and getting yourself out."
Bishoo shows Bonner how it should be done, bowling a good length and keeping England honest. Hales sweeps and gets four thanks to some comedy fielding from Edwards, then repeats the dose from the next ball to bring up his maiden international 50. Very well played by the Notts man. Another sweep brings him two more, and England are on the home straight.
From Jonny in Edinburgh: "My earliest sporting memory is of Noah becoming the first man to circumnavigate the globe in a boat. I win, actually."
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Amazingly, Bonner gets another over - and begins with another no ball. Kieswetter takes advantage of the free hit, dancing down the track to leather a huge six straight back over the bowler's head. A single gives the Somerset man 50, and England are closing in on a 10-wicket win.
From Mia, aged 3 and a 1/4, TMS inbox: "Ask me in a few years and I'll tell you tonight's game."
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England take singles from the first two balls of Bishoo's over, prompting the leggie to bring long on into the circle to try and save a single. Problem is, he bowls a no ball. No prizes for guessing where Hales aims the free hit, but he misses, with Bishoo actually bowling him. Not out of course. A single into the leg side concludes the over.
From Andy, TMS inbox: "Hang on a minute. Finished well inside 20 overs? Weren't the Windies only two down at this score?? I do happen to agree with you, but there's no need to tempt fate!"
Sammy has some mercy on Bonner and withdraws him from the attack. The pace of Barnwell is on, and he does well to limit England to only a single from the first three balls. Better is to come, with Kieswetter outfoxed by a slower ball. The England\u00a0keeper gathers himself to take one to third man, allowing Hales to pull to fine leg for four. Two to win.
And just like that, it's all over. Kieswetter laces Dwayne Smith through the covers for four to complete what has been a complete hammering by England. The home side are the world champions, and have played as such. The Windies have played like a rounders team who have turned up at the wrong ground.
From Henry in\u00a0London, TMS inbox: "Never thought T20 would be dull..."
West Indies captain Darren Sammy: "The first six overs we were right on course, but we lost our way. As soon as the spinners came on we lost crucial wickets and we didn't rotate the strike well enough. We were always on the back foot. A number of our guys were playing here for the first time, it's a young team and we can take positives from our openers. If we can build from the start, bowl and field better, then hopefully we can compete."
England captain Graeme Swann: "I asked the boys to go out there and give it everything, and they did that. Ravi Bopara has been getting me out in the nets for two years and I've been telling people he should bowl more. I was worried when Dwayne Smith was whacking it around, but I was pleased with how Samit and Jade Dernbach bowled. It was an important knock for Alex Hales too. We'll go into Sunday wanting to win the game, and it may come that an extra spinner is required, we'll look at that then."
"It looks as if they'll be using the same pitch on Sunday. By then it will be two days dryer and should turn even more so a few players might be knocking on management's door. Steve Finn might just have bowled his final ball of the summer."
From Nick in Washington DC, TMS inbox: "Nice work in your maiden T20. With your innate inability to invoke commentators\u2019 curse you are welcome back any time."
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Well that's all from me folks, at the end of what has been England's first ever 10-wicket win in a T20 international. For the full lowdown, check out Michael Da Silva's match report and then be back here on Sunday, when Mark Mitchener will guide you through the action. \u00a0
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