Root set to miss World T20

Joe Root has been ruled out of the Twenty20 series against West Indies and, in all probability, the World Twenty20 to follow after x-rays revealed he had suffered a broken thumb in the deciding ODI in Antigua on Wednesday. It means Ian Bell, who last played Twenty20 cricket in January 2011, is in line for a place in the World T20 squad.

Although the ECB announcement did not rule Root out of the World T20 in Bangladesh - it just stated that he would be returning to the UK to see a specialist, the recovery time frame means he appears to have very little chance of being available. England's first group match is against New Zealand on March 22.

Root was struck by a Ravi Rampaul delivery third ball of his innings and the medical staff wanted him to retire hurt during a rain break, but Root insisted on resuming and scored a superbly-paced maiden ODI hundred to help England to a series-winning total of 303 for 6.

He also opened the bowling, removing Kieran Powell in his first over, but soon left the field and spent the majority of West Indies' innings in the dugout with a large ice pack strapped to his thumb. His all-round performances in the ODIs earned him the Man-of-the-Series award.

Given the way Root was used to open the bowling in the one-day series against West Indies - with considerable success - it appeared he was in line for the role in Bangladesh while he also has a batting strike of 139 from his seven T20Is, including a career-best 90 not out. Although he has become bogged down at the crease during his Test career, he can manipulate the field, has deceptive power and is electric between the wickets.

Bell has already joined up with the England squad, which arrived in Barbados on Thursday, having been called in as cover for Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan who picked up injuries before the one-day series.

Ashley Giles, the England coach, said that he wanted a batsman who could fill a variety of roles and who was adept at playing spin, but Bell's selection was odd given he has not played a Twenty20 for anyone since January 2011 - an international against Australia.

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IPL schedule will be 'finalised' on Friday - Biswal

IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal has confirmed that the decision over the venues and scheduling of the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League will be "finalised and announced" on Friday. Bangladesh and South Africa have emerged as contenders to host the away leg of the IPL, if required, depending on the union home ministry's decree.

Though Biswal declined to discuss the details over whether the IPL - which clashes with the Indian federal elections - will be held in one or more countries among India, South Africa, Bangladesh and UAE, ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCCI has prepared two options, based on the directive from the home ministry. A senior BCCI functionary on Wednesday is believed to have discussed the possibility of the IPL returning to India at the start of May - once the polling in a few IPL-hosting states is over - with a bureaucrat in the home ministry.

If union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who had recently declared the inability to provide security till the elections are over, allows IPL games to be staged in states where polling is completed, then the BCCI is contemplating to stage the first 16 matches in the latter half of April in the neighbouring Bangladesh. "Logistically it would make a lot of sense," said a BCCI insider. "We won't end up wasting a lot of time between the overseas and home legs in such a case. However, ultimately the ball is in the ministry's court."

If the home ministry sticks to its earlier stand, then the BCCI will be forced to stage at least two-thirds of the tournament away from home. In that case, South Africa emerges as the likely host for the overseas leg due to the availability of infrastructure and the experience of 2009, when the IPL was shifted there for the same reason.

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Mathews overcomes the finisher's jinx

Angelo Mathews has had his share of heartbreak in chases, but lately he has shown a thirst to do whatever it takes to ensure Sri Lanka come out the victors

Pressing forward to a length ball from Shakib Al Hasan, Angelo Mathews bunted the ball into the off side and ran, ran like he'd just lit the fuse of a firecracker. Thisara Perera, sprinting to the batsman's end, may well have feared the cricketing equivalent of a loud explosion in his face. Perera had barely got halfway down the pitch when Arafat Sunny, running in from point, was poised over the ball, shaping for an underarm flick to the keeper.

Sunny failed to pick up the ball, and Perera glanced anxiously at the undisturbed stumps as he jogged into the crease. At the other end, Mathews barely acknowledged the fact that he'd reached 50. He probably knew, though. He probably knew as soon as he'd set off for that suicidal single. It was harebrained, it put his partner at risk, but it showed, perhaps, how much he had wanted it.

Mathews had walked in with Sri Lanka 47 for 4, chasing 205. They were now 164 for 6, needing 41 runs from 47 balls. At this point, Mathews would have wanted desperately to remain at the crease till the end. All batsmen do, of course, but Mathews had more reason than most to really, really want it.

Before this match, Mathews had scored six half-centuries in run-chases. He had remained not out in three of those innings. All three of those unbeaten half-centuries had taken Sri Lanka to famous victories.

Back in the 2010-11 season, at the MCG, Mathews and Lasith Malinga came together with Sri Lanka 107 for 8 chasing 240. They put on 132, and Mathews was unbeaten on 77 when Sri Lanka sneaked to a one-wicket win.

In June 2012, Mathews had remained not out on a 76-ball 80 as Sri Lanka sneaked to a two-wicket win over Pakistan in Colombo, with Mathews slapping the winning four over point with two balls remaining. Five months later, Sri Lanka had to chase a revised target of 197 in 33 overs against New Zealand in Pallekele. They had romped home with 11 balls remaining and seven wickets in hand, with Mathews unbeaten on a 47-ball 54.

Mathews, however, has also been unfortunate enough to score three half-centuries in Sri Lankan defeats. In Hobart last year, he was dismissed for 67 when Sri Lanka needed 61 from 36 balls; they went on to lose by 32 runs. Against England in 2011, Sri Lanka needed 17 from 12 balls when he miscued a Jade Dernbach slower ball high above Manchester. Mathews was out for a 64-ball 62. Dernbach dismissed Malinga next ball to win the game and the series for England.

Most heartbreaking of all, though, was Perth, two years ago. Then, Sri Lanka needed six runs from two balls when Mathews was last man out, caught at long-on. With wickets falling all around him, his innings of 64 had kept Sri Lanka in the hunt all the way.

Mathews' mixed fortunes with half-centuries in chases is only one aspect of a broadly disappointing second-innings record. When Sri Lanka bat first, Mathews averages just over 40. Of late, he's become an expert at applying the finishing touches to Sri Lanka's first-innings totals.

In his last 13 innings when Sri Lanka have batted first, Mathews has made five half-centuries. In that sample, he's been not out six times on 40-plus scores. In five of those six innings, he's ended up with a strike rate of over 100. Those are the numbers of a top-class number six. While chasing, however, Mathews' average drops to just over 30. He's got most of the ingredients a world-class finisher needs, but he's still working his way towards becoming one.

Now, he had a chance to improve that record. He had come in with Sri Lanka in trouble, and the team suffered another setback when they lost Lahiru Thirimanne to find themselves 75 for 5. Conditions weren't easy to bat in either. Ziaur Rahman was in the middle of a testing spell, getting the odd ball to bounce awkwardly from just back of a length.

One of these deliveries had consumed Ashan Priyanjan and Mathews was a touch lucky to survive another, his edge screaming past the right glove of a diving Anamul Haque. Whether it was plain old conservative captaincy or because of Mathews' reputation, Mushfiqur Rahim, had declined to give Ziaur a slip despite how often he was threatening to create that precise sort of chance and despite the fact that Sri Lanka were 80 for 5.

Mathews ground on, most of his runs coming through a steady drip of leg-side singles against the spinners. Occasionally, Sunny dropped short, and he punched those balls to the off-side sweeper. Once, out of the blue, he stepped out to Ziaur and smashed him over long-off for six. But it was an otherwise subdued Mathews at the crease. The body language of Bangladesh's fielders, though, deflated steadily with each over he spent there, and Chaturanga de Silva made things worse for them with a 52-ball 44.

Soon after reaching his fifty, Mathews gave Bangladesh a half-chance, edging Mahmudullah past the keeper. His heart rate would have gone up a little more when Perera ran himself out with Sri Lanka needing 12 from 18 balls.

But Mathews had done the hard yards, and he'd brought Sri Lanka too close to falter. When he swatted Sunny across the line to bring up the winning boundary, Mathews restricted his celebrations to a quiet hug with Sachithra Senanayake. His body language didn't show it, but just being there at that moment must have meant a lot to him.

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Bangladesh devoid of form, balance and confidence

Bangladesh's struggle to strike a balance between ball and bat has hurt the team badly, contributing to them losing seven ODIs in a row

Bangladesh's loss to Sri Lanka in their last Asia Cup game was their seventh consecutive ODI defeat. Given their impressive form in the home series against New Zealand, this slump is a drastic downturn in form. Worryingly for Bangladesh there has been a massive drop in confidence among the players.

The last time they suffered this long a losing streak was between March and August 2011, beginning from their last World Cup game. After being bowled out for 78 against South Africa, Bangladesh were crushed 0-3 by Australia and then Zimbabwe took a 3-0 lead in a five-match series. This time they lost 3-0 to Sri Lanka and were blanked in all four Asia Cup matches.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim did not consider this the worst phase of his career. Instead, he lauded his team for bouncing back from the defeat against Afghanistan, even though they lost the following games narrowly to Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

"As per the results, we are not doing well and not playing up to our strength," Mushfiqur said. "We have played well in the [last] two matches. Hats off to boys for the way we have come back after the debacle against Afghanistan. There were ifs and buts. It is not an excuse but we have put on an improved show. As a team we have more capability. In the series against Sri Lanka, we could have won the first match. We have been unlucky in some aspects."

Between the end of the last slump to the start of this one, Bangladesh had developed faster in one-day cricket than in Tests and Twenty20s. Mushfiqur was made captain two games into this period, and won 10 out of 24 matches. His highlights included a place in the 2012 Asia Cup final, bilateral series wins over West Indies and New Zealand, and a 1-1 draw in Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh have also suffered crippling injuries in the last 17 days. Already without Tamim Iqbal, they used 17 players in seven ODIs, and had Shakib Al Hasan for just four games due to a suspension. Nasir Hossain and Shamsur Rahman losing form did not help, neither did the bowlers and fielders struggling.

Nasir and Tamim were Bangladesh's top batsmen during their successful period. Over that time, the average of bowlers who had taken more than 20 wickets was between 24 and 30. During this slump, only Arafat Sunny averages less than 35 for his six wickets.

During the previous poor run too, Tamim batted at an average of 22.14, which affected the team's balance at the top of the order. Shamsur's batting form has also dipped and despite Anamul Haque batting well, it has still not worked for Bangladesh.

Their biggest difficulty has been coordinating the three disciplines. When Bangladesh bowled well, their batsmen failed. Similarly, when the batsmen scored Bangladesh's highest ODI total, against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, the bowlers were poor.

After Bangladesh had reduced Sri Lanka to 8 for 3 in this game, there was hope the streak would be broken with an efficient bowling performance. But Sri Lanka put together partnerships and then Al-Amin dropped a simple catch after five wickets were down. It took away the momentum once again, and Sri Lanka walked away with a win. This has been Bangladesh's story over the last 17 days. They have put themselves in some winning positions but given it away.

Mushfiqur said after the Sri Lanka game that one win would fix everything. If it comes against Afghanistan in the opening game of the World T20, it will keep Bangladesh in the tournament till the end of March. For the short-term that would be appeasing, but it will be nothing compared to long-term progress.

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'When I told the team, it was a really tough night'

After 10 years, 11 months and 16 days, 117 Tests, 60 wins, 9265 runs, 27 hundreds and more press conferences, training sessions and autographs than you can count, Graeme Smith had one word to describe his international career: privileged.

"When I look at my Test cap, it's worn down and it's been through a lot but it's been a privilege," Smith said after his last day as a Test cricketer. "Today is a day I would like to celebrate. The challenges of captaining are well documented but I only see it as a highlight. I've been extremely proud of captaining South Africa."

Smith is Test cricket's longest-serving captain and under his leadership, South Africa grew from a team that threatened to achieve into one that achieved. They won series in tough places, members of their squad became world leaders in their disciplines and they became a unified unit.

Smith began thinking about retirement in June, when Gary Kirsten's tenure as coach ended. Smith wasn't sure if it was just Kirsten going, Mark Boucher gone and Jacques Kallis about to go that sparked the idea, or whether he really wanted to call it quits. "It's been a period of time of trying to understand that because everyone kept telling me you're only 33," he said.

If any cricketer has proved that age is really nothing but a number, that person is Smith. He took over the captaincy at 22 and played at the highest level for 11 years. Smith had said he did not want to play until the same age as Jacques Kallis (38) or Sachin Tendulkar (40) and perhaps that is how old he feels already. Once he accepted that, it was just about doing what he considered the right thing.

"The hard part is to have the courage to make the decision," Smith said. "It felt like the time is right. I realised this is the place where I wanted to finish. I didn't want to hang on too long and finish it in a place where it didn't feel right. It just took courage to hang on to that last 5% and make the decision.

"I haven't had my best series. I felt really good in the two past series but knowing that the end was near made it difficult for me to find the space to keep performing."

Before the second innings against Australia at Newlands, Smith needed to call time. His first duty was to tell his charges. It was also his most difficult task. No player in that change-room knew a Test captain other than Smith. His concern was that they would feel abandoned. "When I told the team, it was a really tough night. I didn't get too many words out," he said. "The hardest part was saying goodbye to the team. For so long the Proteas have been my family. I've grown close to players and I will cherish those relationships for the rest of my life."

Knitting close bonds is what Smith's leadership was really about. As his captaincy matured, his focus shifted away from results and towards team building, which he realised would ultimately bring results. "To create the culture and to see it grow has been really special," Smith said. "And there's been so many wonderful victories around the world. Our record away from home is something I am proud of as a leader as well."

Smith also places value on things that cannot be measured. As his captaincy reached its later stages, he spent time emphasising team culture and the importance of representing the country the best way possible. He stressed that political challenges had nothing to do with his decision to step down. "I am hugely proud of the diversity and the quality of players that have come through and stand their ground against anyone in the world. The diversity of this team is our strength," he said.

He thinks it will continue to be that way but South Africa's most important challenge will be filling the gap left by the retirements of three stalwarts: Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis and himself. "There's some important things that need to be tightened and an environment needs to be created that can create success. The leadership group and how they galvanise the players and get them in the right direction will be important," Smith said. "Yes, the team has lost a lot of experience but there are guys who have played well around the world."

He will be around to offer advice when needed. "There are certain challenges on the exterior that need to be met. I'd love to play a role in helping. I have gained a lot of experience over the years and I'd love to share that."

For now, though, he has something he needs to do: let go. While South Africa's lower-order batted out the final hours of Smith's international career and attempted to increase his unbeaten series run to 15, the former national captain found out how difficult it bowing out really was. "We've become good at never letting go," Smith said.

Smith's days as a South African cricketer are over but he left the way he arrived -fighting. "We found a way to take it as deep as possible. It would have been a wonderful fairytale if we hung in there but I saw enough qualities to know South Africa will be strong for a long period of time."

In that knowledge, Smith can walk away a satisfied and proud man. He is choosing to walk away feeling privileged instead.

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Ryan Harris vows to return

If Ryan Harris never bowls again, he will be immortalised as Australia's hero of Newlands, conjurer of the last two wickets on one functioning leg and another months overdue for the surgeon's knife. But he has vowed to return after that extensive knee surgery, expressing his desire to again experience the elation that washed over him and the rest of the touring team as they won the match and the series over South Africa with a mere 27 balls to spare.

By merely being in South Africa, Harris had already delayed his hospital check-in date. He felt increasing discomfort in his knee across a wildly successful Ashes at home, where he was instrumental in the securing of the 5-0 sweep. His difficulties increased across the tour, and were further compounded by a hip ailment so painful that he was unsure if he could even bowl in the second innings.

But Harris has awed his teammates for some time with his ability to fight his way through pain barriers that would rule out any other player, and he did so again in their hour of need in Cape Town. His bowling on the final day went well beyond any expectations, as team management had reckoned him capable of only another 8-10 overs. Harris ended the match in his 25th.

"Yesterday I didn't think I was going to bowl another over to be honest," Harris said. "I had a bit of a niggle in the hip flexor which was quite sore. A bit of painful treatment yesterday and last night got me up and going this morning. Now it's worth it with the win, but it's something I had to get through and got through okay. The doc [Peter Brukner] was dry needling me, I think I had 30-odd mills [of fluid] drained out of my knee yesterday as well which wasn't great. But it's all worth it now. To get through that and come out on top, it's worth all that pain.

"It was ridiculously sore, but a couple of Panadeine Fortes helped, and dulled the pain a bit. If the captain tells you to bowl you need to bowl, especially Test matches like that, that's our job to win Test matches, but when you've got bowlers at the other end like Mitch, if you say no then it would have been embarrassing."

Harris had already gone beyond his limits by defeating AB de Villiers with the second new ball. But his penultimate over in the final session had all the hallmarks of a last failing effort. He had made Dale Steyn play at only two of six balls, and was withdrawn by the captain Michael Clarke. At this point, Harris felt he was finished, but resolved to be willing should Clarke call again. Desperate for a wicket, he did.

"I thought I was done," Harris said. "I wasn't sure, I thought Michael would turn to me and say 'I need you to bowl two or three'. I was hoping he wasn't going to say that because I was feeling a bit sore, but when he turned to me and said 'can you give me three' I wasn't going to say no. All the pain I went through last night and the night before is all worth it now.

"All I know is I was trying to bowl as fast as I could. I didn't even know I'd bowled Steyn until the boys celebrated. Personally it was great to get through it, the pain threshold. To be honest, the knee wasn't much of a factor today it was more the other thing, but as a team it was getting close. I thought we really deserved the win. Mitch and Patto bowled really well, Mitch bowled 30 overs which is really ridiculous for a quick, but to get through and win it was all worth it.

"There was a spell where I think at times I was really struggling to get to the wicket. I was working on different ways to run. I haven't really run with a proper running action because the knee won't let me fully extend my leg. I worked out ways of trying to dull the pain, some balls were really painful and some weren't. I had to keep going and if Michael said to me I had to bowl I had to bowl, simple as that, it's my job."

Now, Harris' job is to get fit again in time for next summer. The coach Darren Lehmann wants to keep him operational until the Ashes in England in 2015, and Harris is adamant that he will push for that goal. Moments like Newlands have provided him with the greatest possible incentive.

"I get back Friday, have a couple of days at home and head down to Melbourne on Monday and have it done Tuesday," he said. "I've got a few bone spurs rubbing on my PCL and ACL so they'll shave a bit of that off, and apparently because they're shaving bone it's going to be quite tender for a bit. It's not exactly a clean-out, it's a bit more than that - hopefully get rid of the bone that's floating around in there which is the one I keep unlocking every now and then.

"It's going to take a bit of time, but I've worked out we've got five and a half months I think before hopefully Zimbabwe if I'm considered for one-day stuff then hopefully Dubai. I've got plenty of time so the first 10 days I'll be feet up and on crutches and then go from there. The good thing is living in Brisbane I've got the NCC with all the facilities there waiting for me, and the physios and everything up there so I've got the best people there looking after me.

"I'm bloody going to enjoy a break, I can tell you that. But knowing that, it's going to take a lot of hard work to get up and going again. I've said all along that long breaks aren't good for me but this is an enforced one and it's something I'm looking forward to. Coming into this series I was a little bit underdone fitness wise, I need a good pre-season to build up some strength. My right quad, which I need to be strong is really small - it needs to be be big and I've got a lot of time to do that now. I want to keep playing here as long as I can - moments like today, there's nothing better."

Clarke, for one, cannot wait for Harris' return. "Ryan is one of a kind, he will run through a brick wall for me and for this team," the grateful captain said. "He seems once he gets on the field the pain is gone, I don't know what he has done to himself, I don't know how bad it is. He just seems to find a way, you ask him to bowl he will bowl, he's got no energy left his body is killing him he will find a way to take a wicket for us.

"As captain you can't ask for more and that's where I am extremely fortunate with this team, no matter what the results are going forward, we will lose a lot of games, lets hope we will win a lot of games as well but I have players in this team who will jump off a bridge for me."

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Ball change leaves England under cloud

A cloud of suspicion hung over the England team after umpire Marais Erasmus changed the ball due to "unnatural deterioration" during the West Indies innings in the third ODI.

Erasmus, clearly suspecting that the wear to the ball was due to factors beyond those expected when it is used on an abrasive pitch or hit to the boundary, exchanged strong words with the England captain, Stuart Broad, in the 35th over but did not identify any specific culprit.

The match referee, Andy Pycroft, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the ball had been changed on the basis of playing regulation 42.1.2 - which comes under 'Fair and unfair play' - and that, as captain, Broad had been issued with a first and final warning that any further occurrence in the series would result in a five-run penalty and the reporting of Broad, as captain, to the ICC. As the series has now ended, that threat of penalty has disappeared.

While the England camp denied any warning had been issued, rule 42.1.2 b) states that, when the ball is changed in such circumstances: "The bowler's end umpire shall issue the captain with a first and final warning."

The decision infuriated Broad. He insisted any wear had been caused simply by England bowling cross-seam deliveries and complained that the replacement ball was newer and harder than the original one, thereby proving easier for the batsmen to hit boundaries.

"I'm very confused as to why it was changed," Broad said afterwards. "And I made my confusion well known. It's not like the ball was reversing for us and they gave us a ball that was [only] 10 overs old. You saw Denesh Ramden got hold of it much better. The softness of the original ball made it difficult to hit and they gave us a brand new ball that was easier to hit.

"Yes, the umpire said the ball had been changed for that reason and, after I bowled three cross-seam deliveries with the new ball, the same wear was arriving on that ball. So I said 'Take a picture of that ball as well'.

"I just saw no logic to it at all and I made my feelings pretty clear, as politely as I could without risking too heavy a fine. The ball at the other end was in a worse nick than the one that was changed. I'm baffled by it.

"I don't think they're suggesting we tampered with it. They are just saying it was unnatural wear which may just be that the wicket was ripping the ball up more than expected."

Ramdin, whose 128 carried West Indies to within sight of an unexpected victory, also confirmed that the newer ball had been "a bit harder and came off the bat a bit better".

It is not the first time in recent memory that England have had the ball changed. Most notably, umpire Aleem Dar changed the ball during the Champions Trophy defeat against Sri Lanka, although on that occasion there was no warning and no public mention of "unnatural deterioration". But, despite a plethora of photographers and television cameras at all international fixtures, no evidence exists to suggest England have been guilty of ball tampering.

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England's spring shoots of regrowth

Victory in a short and, at times, low quality one-day series should not be over-hyped but all recoveries have to start somewhere and England's may just have begun in Antigua

The road from Durham to North Sound has been long and has claimed several casualties. But, after a miserable and momentous winter, Antigua may just have witnessed the first signs of recovery from England.

In the seven months since they clinched the Ashes in Durham, England have lost the coach, the spinner and the middle-order batsman who did so much to achieve their period of relative success. They have had to abandon their long-held plans and begin again with fresh faces and lower expectations. They are at the start of a journey that may be hard and will not always be pretty.

But they have, at last, won their first series since that day in Durham. Not only that, but they have come from behind and won two games in a row for the first time since September. The harsh might point out that they have hardly won one in a row since September.

But it was not just the result that was significant here. It was the architects of the result.

For this was a victory forged by those young men who have been identified as the future of this side: Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Moeen Ali, among them. All three registered their highest ODI scores, all three demonstrated the class that will surely win bigger games on bigger stages and all three have their best years ahead of them. On such men, will England's new team will build its foundations.

Root, with a century of class and composure, displayed not just his quality but a toughness and bravery that the boyish exterior could easily conceal.

He sustained a nasty blow to his right thumb off the bowling of Ravi Rampaul when he had scored just 1 and, when rain took the players off the pitch a few minutes later, was advised to retire hurt and allow Eoin Morgan to bat in his place. But he insisted on continuing and, with the pain forcing him to limit his game, deflected and nudged his way to a maiden ODI century.

In the short-term, he may well be proved unavailable for the World Twenty20 after an X-ray in Antigua on Thursday morning, but in the long-term he surely has a bright future at international level.

"One thing that Joe wouldn't mention is that his was an incredibly brave knock today," Stuart Broad said afterwards. "His thumb was very ugly and Eoin was going to go out after the rain break, but then two minutes before the resumption, Joe wacked his helmet on and stormed out. It was clear for everyone to see the discomfort he was in.

"That is the sort of commitment and desire you want people to have in playing for England. We've tried to make a big point of that within this squad about how much it means to play for England and how it must not be taken for granted.

"Here we got a real-life example of someone putting themselves through the pain barrier and showing that level of desire. And you saw the passion he showed when he reached a 100. That's the sort of thing that will help England going forward."

Buttler was equally impressive. While known for his outrageous invention and strength, here he also showed admirable restraint and composure. After 11 balls he had scored only 1 and looked less than confident against the wiles of Sunil Narine.

But he retained his calm, built his innings and, towards the end, unleashed the shots of power and ingenuity that will surely become familiar over the next few years. Just as impressively, he did so against the bowling of Narine and Dwayne Bravo that had previously caused him such difficulty. Such skill, such character and such ability to learn quickly bodes well.

Ben Stokes contributed, too. While he again failed with the bat - England's No. 3 position has now contributed 91 runs in eight ODI innings since Jonathan Trott's departure - he took one fine catch and showed wonderful commitment in diving forwards to attempt another.

Some perspective needs to be maintained. England have still only won only four of their last 11 ODIs. They have still lost 16 of their last 21 games in all formats against Test-playing opposition. This was still their first ODI series win since they left New Zealand a year ago.

Nor was this a particularly high-quality series. It contained some poor death bowling and a batting collapse from England in the first ODI and some poor batting from West Indies in all three games. Both teams will face sterner opposition in higher-pressure situations.

There are clear areas of improvement required, too. England's reluctance - or inability - to bowl yorkers is a significant weakness (Hawkeye suggests they delivered three in the West Indies innings here) and will continue to hurt them. The preferred policy, at present, is to deliver bouncers of various speeds and hope for the batsmen to make an error. It is like shopping in Harrod's. It was telling that when Bresnan did, at last, deliver a yorker, it ended Denesh Ramdin's outstanding innings. "We could have bowled a few more," Broad admitted afterwards.

But the mood of the England squad has been notably lighter on this trip. With young faces replacing the tired and in some cases cynical ones of recent times, there is a heightened sense of enjoyment and purpose that has been reflected in the much-improved fielding performances. That old adage about the fielding reflecting the mood of the side so often rings true.

Root and Buttler and Moeen and Stokes are all raw at this level. There will be days, as they learn their trade, that they make mistakes and England fail. The World T20 surely comes too soon in the rebuilding process.

But, after a grim winter that has ended the careers of huge figures in England cricket, such players represent hope and progress. And at the end of a winter that has at times been hopeless, such qualities are worth a great deal. Spring is on its way.

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Spectators deserve a better pitch

The pitch in Antigua, which will be used for the third time, is doing the spectator few favours but all the players can do is take their chance. Ravi Bopara did that two days ago, winning a game he may not have done in the past

Young guns need to step up for WI and England

Cricket's governing bodies are a curious bunch. Try to take a soft drink into a game in many places and you can be refused entry; wear a branded top in some places and you face the prospect of being accused of ambush marketing. During the 2007 World Cup, a fellow had his lunch taken from him because the baguette he carried was deemed to be a weapon.

But when it comes to the really important thing - the product that is the game of cricket - they, at best, do nothing.

Dull pitches represent a greater threat to the future of the game than drugs, spot-fixing, ambush marketing or websites seeking to celebrate and propagate cricket. Dull pitches will result in dull matches that risk losing the interest of spectators and failing to attract the next generation of supporters. And that was, of course, the original point of limited-overs cricket.

So it should come as a disappointment to learn that West Indies and England will contest the deciding ODI of their series in Antigua on the same begrudging surface that hosted the first two games. The same surface that yielded just nine fours in West Indies' innings in the second ODI. The same surface where part-time spinners have proved so effective in stifling the scoring. The same surface where where strokeplay and pace are punished and where patience and accumulation are rewarded. Where anti-cricket thrives. ODI cricket was not meant to be this way.

It is no coincidence and should be no surprise that attendances have declined in the Caribbean since such pitches became the norm. This ground has only been filled once. And that was when Kenny Rogers took his love to town.

There is, in this case at least, some mitigation. The conditions here are expected to be similar to those in Bangladesh where, in a couple of weeks, these two sides will be starting their World T20 campaign. But it is a shame that spectators have been asked to sit through - and pay for - a training session in desultory cricket.

That is not to say that both this sides are not desperate to win. They are like two old heavyweights slugging it out on the undercard; battling not so much for glory as to sustain an ebbing career. They craze confidence and momentum after chastening months and, quite rightly, see each other as opposition ripe for the taking. This has not been a high-quality series.

But both sides could be strengthened for this game. Marlon Samuels is not 100% but will be considered for selection by West Indies in the place of the horribly out of sorts Kirk Edwards, while Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan have now trained for three days in succession and are close to a return. Luke Wright looks most vulnerable. In a series typified by weak batting, all three would be welcome.

One man who can already take some confidence from this series is Ravi Bopara. His match-winning partnership with Stuart Broad in the second game might not, in the grand scheme of things, be remembered as one of the great innings - he scored 38 in 59 balls, after all - but in the context of his England career, it might prove quietly significant.

As things stand, the defining moment of Bopara's career is the Champions Trophy final. With England on course for victory - they required 20 to win from 14 balls - Bopara, the last experienced batsman, pulled a long-hop from Ishant Sharma to square-leg. England lost by five runs and their long wait for that first global ODI trophy remains. It is a memory that might bother the whole team for the rest of their lives.

It is an uncomfortably accurate summation of Bopara's career, too, which has to date promised rather more than it has delivered. And certainly the memory of it bothers Bopara.

"We came so close in the Champions Trophy," he said. "We had a chance to win a global competition. That would have been amazing for the team. For all of us, really. Not winning was heartbreaking. It's right up there with the worst disappointment I've had.

"When you're out there, you don't think back. You don't think 'this is what happened in the Champions Trophy'. You just play the situation. You play the ball. But every now and then I'll be sitting watching TV and I'll think about the Champions Trophy final and think 'maybe I could have done this or that'."

He appears to have learned from the experience.

"When we needed three to win the other day, Darren Sammy came on as the top bowlers had bowled out," Bopara said. "He bowled me a short ball and I took the single and got up the other end, looked at square leg and thought 'You know what, I could easily have hit that straight at him.' If I'd just pulled it, it would have felt nice coming straight out of the middle of the bat, you think, alright that's going for four, but it goes straight to the bloke. That could easily have happened again.

Such episodes bode well for England. If Bopara, who says he has "never been more hungry" to return to Test cricket, can find the composure to complement his talent, he could yet win many games for England. Perhaps in all formats.

"I feel stronger and tougher," he said. "I don't question myself as much as I used to. I went through that that period when things weren't right with my life and I took my eye off the ball. I had a lot of time to think about what I want to do and why I'm here and why I started playing cricket. I realised that the most important thing in my life apart from my family is cricket. Finishing my career saying I've played 13 Tests and 100 ODIs; that doesn't satisfy me."

Winning this ODI series may not satisfy these teams, either. But it will provide something of a foundation stone at the start of a long rebuilding process.

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Warner thrives on sledges

Throughout their long and legendary careers, it was a common dictate of bowlers and fielders not to sledge Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. In the case of Tendulkar, the verbals seemed to have no effect. In the case of Lara, they often served to rouse him to feats of batsmanship that may not have been seen had the opposition kept their mouths shut.

David Warner is still a long way from emulating either man in terms of run-making, but he too can be added to the 'do not sledge' ledger. Following the ball-tampering allegation he raised on Australian radio, Warner was not only fined by the ICC but warned by South Africa's captain Graeme Smith to expect a hot reception at Newlands. His response has been definitive, twin centuries in a dominant Australian display to cap the finest series of his career thus far.

While tempering some of his earlier excesses of quote-ability, Warner was frank in expressing his delight in making himself a target, then backing his ability to fight off his assailants, no matter how riled they may be. So much does Warner thrive on confrontation that he admitted to looking to start one if it was not already there.

"You don't always want to play like that but when there is a little bit of pressure on I do find another gear," he said. "It does help me sometimes but I think the other thing is that when I get out there and they start giving me a little bit of banter I love that I am in the contest then.

"If they are not going to talk to me when I am out there I will try to niggle them, I will try and say something when I bat. I've ventured away from that because now I have given ammo out in the media or in previous games. I love it when they come at me it is a challenge.

"Sometimes I think when I do deliver something in the media I probably do say it in a way where it does get misunderstood. But I've been brought up to be honest, I'm always going to continue to be honest and not cross that line. I've got to keep working on my ability to do that, and not give you guys ammo to write things."

It will never be forgotten that Warner made his start via Twenty20, having been held out of the New South Wales Sheffield Shield team long after his talent was apparent. On the advice of Virender Sehwag and the initiative of Greg Chappell, Warner was pushed towards longer form priorities in 2011, and after periods of adaptation and indiscipline is now taking up the lofty perch Sehwag had imagined for him.

"It goes back to that conversation I had with Virender Sehwag. He said to me I'd be a better Test cricketer than shorter format because all the fielders were in close," Warner recalled. "If you're going to take on fast bowling and the best bowling in the world you have to try and score runs and with my game I look to attack first before I'm defending and that's the way I've always played my cricket and that's how I will always play my cricket."

"I do feel respected, and the other thing is they know if they miss their mark that I'm going to start going after them as well. I've still got to be careful and respect the bowler in the conditions that we face. With the conditions that we've had here, the wickets have probably been batter friendly, but I've known my game and trusted my game [so] I can go after the bowlers."

Asked whether he could now consider himself the world's best opening batsman, Warner smiled, but for now allowed modesty to rule his ego. "I'll let you answer that question," he said. "I'm just elated that I'm in good form, I'm probably playing the best cricket I have in my career so far. It's fantastic to feel like you know when you go out there you can take on the world's best as I have so far. It's an amazing feeling but it'll be even better if we win this game."

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