A thrilling counter-attacking 91-run partnership for the 8th wicket between Gudakesh Motie and Alzarri Joseph powered the West Indies to a serviceable total in the rain-affected third ODI at The Oval, but England responded emphatically to seal a convincing 7-wicket victory via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method and complete a clean sweep of the three-match series.

Motie, coming in at number eight, delivered a swashbuckling innings of 63 runs off just 54 balls, smashing 5 fours and 3 towering sixes. His aggressive knock was brilliantly complemented by Joseph’s fiery 41 from 21 deliveries, decorated with 5 fours and 2 sixes. The duo came to the rescue of the Windies after a precarious 154 for 7, steering their side to 251 for 9 in the allocated 40 overs.

Earlier, Sherfane Rutherford laid a solid foundation with a patient 70 off 71 balls, following the visitors’ shaky start when they slipped to 28 for 3. Keacy Carty also contributed a valuable 29. England’s spin spearhead Adil Rashid led the bowling attack, claiming 3 wickets for 40 runs, while Saqib Mahmood, Mathew Potts, and Brydon Carse chipped in with two wickets apiece.

Chasing a revised target of 245 under the DLS method, England’s openers Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett set the tone with a blistering 93-run stand. Smith blasted a whirlwind 64 off just 28 balls, while Duckett supported well with 58. Middle-order stalwarts Joe Root (44) and Jos Buttler (41*), along with captain Harry Brook unbeaten on 26, ensured a smooth chase as England finished on 246 for 6 in 29.4 overs.

The West Indies bowlers saw Joseph, Motie, and Roston Chase take one wicket each, but the early damage done by England’s powerful batting proved too much to overcome.

The match had a dramatic start, delayed by half an hour due to heavy traffic chaos in London. A traffic light failure in Vauxhall and the closure of Lambeth Bridge forced the England players off their team bus to reach The Oval on e-bikes. The West Indies endured a longer journey from their hotel in Chelsea, delaying the toss by 40 minutes. The Caribbean captain joked about the ordeal, saying, “We probably should have walked.”

With the ODI series wrapped up, both teams now turn their focus to the upcoming three-match T20 International series starting this Friday.