England vs West Indies 1st ODI 2025 – Match Summary & Highlights
It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t clean. But England got the job done.
On a cloudy afternoon in Leeds, the hosts opened their summer with a nervy 4-wicket win over a West Indies side that refused to go down quietly. The scoreboard may say England chased 222 — but this one was closer than it looked.
Let’s just say… they had to sweat for it.
The First Half: West Indies Collapse, Then Bite Back
The match started like many West Indies ODIs do these days — top-order panic. By the 10th over, they were 42 for 4. Woakes was getting movement. Topley bowled smart. It felt like the game might be over before it even began.
But then came Shimron Hetmyer.
He walked in, took a look around, and decided he wasn’t leaving without a fight. He didn’t smash sixes. He didn’t race to a century. He just stayed. 87 runs. Nearly 100 balls. A quiet little masterpiece. Jason Holder gave him company too — 47 runs that mattered more than they looked.
At the end of 50 overs: 221 for 8. Not a huge score, but not dead either.
The Second Half: England Stumble, Then Rebuild
Phil Salt started with style — a few cracking boundaries, some swagger. But the Windies weren’t done. They bowled tight. They fielded hard. By the time the 25th over arrived, England had slipped to 114 for 5.
And suddenly, Headingley got nervous.
Then came Jos Buttler.
He didn’t panic. Didn’t try to be a hero. Just stayed there. Found gaps. Took singles. Waited for bad balls. Livingstone played his part too, swinging hard when needed. And slowly, painfully, they built it back up.
With just 8 balls left, Buttler flicked one past midwicket and walked off unbeaten on 68. Game over.
Not a Classic, But a Proper Scrap
This match won’t go down as an all-time great. But it had grit. It had tension. And it reminded us that even so-called “easy” chases can turn into tightrope walks.
For West Indies, it’s another “what if.” For England, it’s a win — and a warning. They’ll need to do better in Game 2.
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