England v West Indies - ODI Series

England won by a single wicket at Headingley in 1973; a white-ball rivalry was born two years before the World Cup existed.

On 5 September 1973, England and the West Indies met in a one-day international for the first time, at Headingley during the Prudential Trophy series. England won by one wicket in a tense finish. The format was still in its infancy; the first Cricket World Cup was still two years away. But the seeds of a fierce white-ball rivalry were planted that afternoon in Leeds.

Clive Lloyd's century at Lord's in '75 announced Caribbean supremacy in the limited-overs game before it had barely begun.

The first Cricket World Cup, held in England, culminated in a final at Lord's on 21 June 1975. Clive Lloyd's magnificent 102 powered the West Indies to 291 for 8, and Australia were bowled out for 274 in a gripping contest. It was the start of Caribbean dominance in the limited-overs game. England, the hosts, had been eliminated in the semi-finals by Australia, but the tournament cemented London as the spiritual home of world cricket occasions.

Richards walked off Lord's unbeaten on 138; England never stood a chance.

Back at Lord's for the 1979 World Cup final, England faced the West Indies with genuine hope. At 99 for 4, the Caribbean side looked vulnerable. Then Viv Richards and Collis King put on 139 in 21 overs of breathtaking strokeplay. Richards finished unbeaten on 138, an innings widely regarded as one of the greatest in ODI history. England were bowled out for 194. It was a masterclass that defined an era.

Four fearsome quicks; one relentless decade. England's batsmen had no answer to Marshall, Holding, Garner, and Roberts.

Throughout the 1980s, the West Indies were the undisputed force in world cricket. Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, and Andy Roberts formed a pace attack that terrorised batting line-ups everywhere. In ODIs against England, the Windies were relentless. England managed occasional victories, but the overall record tilted heavily in the Caribbean side's favour. The Texaco Trophy series became a regular fixture, with West Indian flair routinely outshining English grit.

A 2-1 Texaco Trophy win would have been unthinkable a decade prior; the conveyor belt had finally run dry.

By the mid-1990s, the balance of power was shifting. The great West Indian generation was retiring, and the conveyor belt of world-class talent slowed. England began to win ODI series against the Windies with increasing regularity. The 1995 Texaco Trophy saw England take the series 2-1, a result that would have been unthinkable a decade earlier. Brian Lara remained a singular genius, but the supporting cast could no longer carry the weight of expectation.

Flintoff and Trescothick dismantled the Windies at Lord's, yet the Caribbean supporters stole the show.

The 2004 NatWest Series saw England host the West Indies and New Zealand in a triangular ODI tournament. England won the final against the Windies at Lord's, with Andrew Flintoff and Marcus Trescothick in imperious form. The series highlighted the growing gap between the sides, but also the enduring appeal of West Indian cricket to English crowds. Caribbean supporters, with their drums, horns, and infectious energy, remained one of the great sights in English cricket.

Four hundred runs never felt so inevitable; England put 369 on the board at Old Trafford and never looked back.

Under Eoin Morgan's captaincy and Trevor Bayliss's coaching, England transformed their approach to white-ball cricket after the humiliation of a group-stage exit at the 2015 World Cup. By 2017, they were the most aggressive ODI side in the world. Against the West Indies that September, England posted 369 for 9 at Old Trafford and won the series 4-0. The days of cautious accumulation were over; England now played ODI cricket with the fearlessness once associated with the Windies themselves.

Two ties, one Super Over, and a boundary count: England claimed the World Cup at Lord's in the most improbable finish cricket has ever produced.

The 2019 Cricket World Cup, hosted in England, culminated in the most extraordinary final in the sport's history. England beat New Zealand at Lord's after a Super Over, with the match tied and the Super Over tied. The West Indies had been eliminated in the group stage, but the tournament underlined England's status as the world's premier white-ball side. For the rivalry with the Windies, it marked a complete reversal of the 1970s dynamic: England were now the team others feared in 50-over cricket.

Fifty years of rivalry, two sides in transition; London sets the stage for cricket's most compelling next chapter.

The West Indies tour England in 2025 for an ODI series that carries the weight of over fifty years of rivalry. Under Shai Hope's captaincy, the Windies are rebuilding with a blend of experienced campaigners and exciting young talent. England, in a transitional phase of their own following the retirements of several 2019 World Cup heroes, face a side with nothing to lose and everything to prove. The matches in London offer a chance to witness the next chapter of one of cricket's most storied rivalries.