| Team name | Score |
| England Women | Yet to bat |
| West Indies Women | 43 – 3 (12.3 overs) |
| View full scorecard | |
Tanya AldredSat 7 Jun 2025 12.40 BSTShare
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Rain, rain, rain
Raf: “It’s brightened a bit, but umbrellas are still up around the ground. There was meant to be an inspection at 12.45 but then it rained again…”Share
Hello Ant Pease!
“The good thing about Em Arlott’s grimace after her first wicket is its versatility, for example:
Q: So, how’s the weather looking in Taunton?”
This is a very funny email but unfortunately I can’t access the attached photo of Arlott’s face. So you’ll have to use your imagination.Share
The rain continues to fall – I’m just going to make a coffee, back shortly.Share
Liam Dawson’s second coming
Liam Dawson’s four for 20 last night against West Indies men put the icing on the cake of his unexpected England recall, a career which has been more stop than start since he debuted in 2016.
“I had got to an age where I probably thought international cricket was gone,” he admitted. “In my domestic career, I’ve tried to go out there and just enjoy playing for whoever I’m playing for. It was about going out there and not worrying about playing for England.
“I think that can hamper you sometimes so I’ve not really worried about that. I’m at an age now where I know that I’m close to finishing. I’m on the edge of that. So now it’s just about enjoyment, trying to work smarter in your training and just believing that you’re good enough.”Share
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ContinueRemind me in July
Raf reports that the covers are on and the groundsmen are applying bricks to stop them blowing away … the umpires are out in the middle and examining the damp grass under umbrellas.Share
Sophie Ecclestone to take a break from domestic cricket to prioritise well being and manage injury
And just like that, an update on Ecclestone from England:
“England spinner Sophie Ecclestone will take a break from domestic cricket in order to manage a minor quad injury and prioritise her well-being. She remains available for selection for England Women’s upcoming series against India.
“England Women’s Head Coach Charlotte Edwards said: ‘Sophie has been managing a quad niggle over the past week but more importantly she wants to take a step back from cricket for a short period to look after herself. We’re totally behind that. We want to be able to select Sophie for the India series but the most important thing for her at the moment is that she feels in a better place. We all agree that a break now could be beneficial for her to achieve that.’”Share
Updated at 12.07 BST
While we wait for the weather to improve – an update on Sophie Ecclestone, who wasn’t picked for the series – ostensibly because she wasn’t yet fit, possibly also in a power move by Charlotte Edwards. She didn’t play for Lancs on Tuesday against Hampshire because of a quad problem. England’s white ball series against India starts at the end of this month.Share
Rain stops play
12.3 overs: West Indies 43-3 (Joseph 21, Campbelle 18) And on come the covers as the rain finally becomes too hard to ignore.
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Updated at 12.22 BST
12th over: West Indies 43-3 (Joseph 21, Campbelle 18) The groundstaff are lurking…Joseph puts front leg forward and has a huge heave across the line, Filer ends up flat on the deck again. Applies generous handfuls of sawdust to the guilty area and retorts with a screaming short ball that Joseph top edges just short of Jones who runs back, but can’t quite make the distance.Share
11th over: West Indies 40-3 (Joseph 20, Campbelle 16) A double bowling change, as Charlie Dean comes on at the end of the power play. Just two from the over.Share
10th over: West Indies 38-3 (Joseph 20, Campbelle 15) Time for some pace from Filer, who was so excellent in the last match. She falls over immediately in her follow through – both bony elbows bandaged up in case of impact. She’s not quite mastered her run-up yet this morning. Joseph whips one off her boots for four, and another next ball – bosh! The last delivery is a short ball which Joseph – and Filer at the other end.Share
9th over: West Indies 30-3 (Joseph 12, Campbelle 15) Another tidy over from Cross.
Some interval reading:
‘I was locked in the bathroom sulking’: Temba Bavuma on his path from township to WTC finalRead moreShare
8th over: West Indies 28-3 (Joseph 11, Campbelle 13) The crowd sigh, thinking Dunkley has dropped a catch at cover, but Campbelle had slammed Arlott’s delivery into the grass first. Ooof – Campbelle is hit in the ribs by a rising delivery that darts in. Campbelle jags to move out fo the way but the ball follows her – arrowing in at the body. She cries out in pain and falls to the ground – but will continue.Share
7th over: West Indies 26-3 (Joseph 11, Campbelle 12) West Indies settling a little – a boundary for Joseph this time – a heave past the diving Sarah Glenn.Share
6th over: West Indies 21-3 (Joseph 6, Campbelle 12) Two fours from Arlott’s over, as Campbelle fights back. The second a drive that screams through the covers.Share
5th over: West Indies 12-3 (Joseph 6, Campbelle 4) The drizzle seems to have got a little harder out there at Taunton – the spectators under umbrellas, but Sue isn’t letting anyone off the hook. Another excellent over from Cross.
And an excellent stat from Syd Egan: “NSB carded to open the batting for England. The only other time she has opened in an international was the final T20 of the Covid series, also v West Indies, in Derby in 2020. That match was also rain-affected – a 5-over thrash, which England just won.”Share
Updated at 11.29 BST
4th over: West Indies 8-3 (Joseph 2, Campbelle 4) Campbelle is greeted by a jaffer from Arlott that jags outside defensive prod. These are perfect bowling conditions, the ball nibbling with intent. But Campbell breaks the tension with a straight four off the last ball of the over.Share
Updated at 11.22 BST
WICKET! Taylor lbw Arlott 1 (West Indies 4-3)
Sue Redfern thinks about it – and raises the finger. Taylor reviews… we see Arlott swinging one in, Taylor thudding front foot forward, ball cannoning into pad.. and into middle stump.
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Updated at 11.29 BST
3rd over: West Indies 4-2 (Joseph 2, Taylor 1) The seagulls cry as they float around the ground – perhaps they’ve seen the heavy rain clouds approaching from the Quantocks. Neat and tidy from Cross, and West Indies survive their first over without losing a wicket.Share
2nd over: West Indies 2-2 (Joseph 1, Taylor’ 0) Em Arlott returns to the side and takes the new ball from the pavilion end. Replays show her pulling an embarrassed face at her wicket – but it did exactly what it had to, even if James made a bit of a hash of her stroke.Share
WICKET! James b Arlott 0 (West Indies 2-2)
Full, accurate, dips under the bat and into the stumps!
Share
Updated at 11.28 BST
1st over: West Indies 1-1 (Joseph 0, James 0) : Kate Cross with the new ball, in the crowd children pull their hoods closer. She starts with a wide, but has a wicket two balls later.Share
WICKET! Grimmond c Jones b Cross 0 (West Indies 1-1)
A smidgen of movement and Grimmond can’t resist. International cricket pricking any bubbles – cruel mistress that it is.
Share
Updated at 11.28 BST
Out come the players – as the raindrops freckle the camera lens.Share
Starting on time
Heather Knight is commentating today – after injury ruled her out of this series. Of the strength of this West Indies side, she says, “They’re obviously without a few big players and they’re going through a transition period. I thought Hayley Matthews put it really well during the T20 series – the West Indies haven’t had a huge amount of cricket domestically, so the players are having to learn in the international arena.”Share
It’s drizzing at Taunton, the skies are dishwater grey.Share
West Indies XI
West Indies: Qiana Joseph, Realeanna Grimmond, Zaida James, Stafanie Taylor, Shemaine Campbelle (c, wk),Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Aaliyah Alleyne, Jahzara Claxton, Karishma Ramharack, Ashmini Munisar.Share
Updated at 10.51 BST
England XI
Three changes for England and a real jig of the order – NSB will open the batting.
England: Amy Jones (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Emma Lamb, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Alice Davidson-Richards, Em Arlott, Charlie Dean, Kate Cross, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Filer.Share
Updated at 10.51 BST
No Hayley Matthews for West Indies
West Indies are still without Hayley Matthews, so Shermaine Campbell captains again. She’d have bowled first too – and reports that Qiana Joseph is fit again and will open. Ashmini Munisar also plays, Afy Fletcher and Cherry-Ann Fraser miss out.Share
Updated at 10.48 BST
England win the toss and will bowl!
Under very threatening skies.
“We’ve batted twice, says NSB, “ we decided to look a bit differently at the game. Three changes – Tammy, Lindsey Smith and Lauren Bell are missing out – Charlie Dean, Em Arlott and Sarah Glenn are back – while we’re giving some more opportunities to the batters who have missed out and some shuffling of the order as well.”Share
Updated at 10.47 BST
We have eyes, ears and pen in Taunton – Raf is ready and waiting:
“Having an iced coffee and a yoghurt flapjack in Tom Lammonby’s new cafe, 9/15, down the road near the Ring of Bells pub. Highly recommended! Weather currently dry. Iced coffee may be optimistic though.”Share
Preamble
Good morning! After a whirlwind few weeks, it all comes to an end today at Taunton, for the third and final ODI and the last match of this white-ball series against West Indies.
If England win today, they will be undefeated this summer, and the margins of victory – by over a hundred runs in the ODIs and T20 wins by eight and nine wickets, and 17 runs – show the gulf between the two sides.
England are bouncing – the collegiate captaincy of NSB working well, and some tasty performances from top – Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones – to bottom – Lauren Filer and Lindsey Smith. But there have been some bright sparks for West Indies too – not the least the sparkling half century by debutant pocket rocket Realeanna Grimmand in the last game.
Play starts at 11am, do join us.Share