In a match affected by rain, the 21-year-old Barbadian impressed the home supporters and the majority English audience alike, claiming three wickets for 29 runs.This exceptional bowling performance limited the tourists to 206 for nine off 40 overs after being put in to bat.
As the West Indies faced a challenging revised target of 188 off 34 overs and found themselves at 135 for six, Forde, unbeaten at 13, teamed up with Romario Shepherd (41 not out) in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 56 runs. The crucial stand secured the Caribbean team’s first ODI series triumph over England in 16 years and their first at home against England in 25 years.
“This is a dream come true,” said an overwhelmed Forde, who was named ‘Man of the Match’, in reflecting on his contribution. “The wicket was a bit tacky so it was just about bowling the right line and length. And when I came in to bat, it was just about turning over the strike and getting Sheppy on strike as often as possible.”
Drafted into the team as a replacement for Oshane Thomas and entrusted with the new ball, the local talent made an immediate impact by securing wickets in his opening two overs. He clinched a third wicket in his fifth over, putting England on the defensive from the start.
Amidst the struggle, Ben Duckett emerged as the only substantial resistance, showcasing a resilient innings of 71. He found valuable support from Liam Livingstone (45) and together they forged an 88-run partnership for the sixth wicket after England had slumped to 49 for five in the tenth over.
Forde’s contributions were significant, dismissing Phil Salt with a low catch at mid-off and claiming Zak Crawley at second slip. He also removed the other opener, Phil Jacks, two overs later caught behind by the wicketkeeper.
Despite Jacks making a strong case for England with three wickets for 22 runs, including the dismissal of top-scorer Keacy Carty for 50, the slow-bowling options of Jacks, Rehan Ahmed and Liam Livingstone couldn’t break the partnership between Shepherd and Forde. The returning seamer Gus Atkinson’s 30th over saw 24 runs being smashed, effectively sealing the outcome of the match.
“We were a few short with the bat,” said England captain Jos Buttler in reflecting on the loss. “We fought hard with the ball but it just wasn’t enough. This is the start of a long journey for this side. Hopefully we can build something for the future.”
West Indies captain Shai Hopewho was named the ‘Man of the Series’ for his impressive total of 192 runs at an average of 96 in three matches, found encouragement not only in the final outcome but also in the noteworthy contributions from the younger players.
“It’s great to see these other guys chipping in with the bat and as long as we continue in this vein it can develop into a very good batting group,” he said.
(With AFP inputs)