ENG vs WI, 2025: England vs West Indies, 2nd ODI Match Preview

England (ENG) and the West Indies (WI) will be taking on each other in the second ODI of the series on Sunday, 1st June. England start the match as the firm favourites following their massive 238-run win in the first ODI of the series, taking a 1-0 lead to begin their summer at home. While Edgbaston was good for England, the upcoming match will take place in Wales.

Their match will be held at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, in what will be the only day game of the ODI series. England look strong on paper for obvious reasons. They have a solid batting line-up, along with quality bowlers suited to home conditions. The West Indies can challenge England with the help of their bowlers; however, the batters need to step up significantly, especially on good surfaces for batting.

England's batting is deep and came into its own in the first ODI, following their poor outing in the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan. The new setup features an influx of players like Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, and a few others, who can be the future of English cricket. Harry Brook has taken over the leadership of England and will be crucial for the 2019 world champions in the coming years.

The visiting side has plenty of talented players like Brandon King, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, and Gudakesh Motie, to name a few. The key for the two-time world champions would be to play well as a unit and challenge the home side with improved performances. One can expect a better fight from the West Indies than they showed in the first ODI.

Match Details

Pitch Report

The second ODI of the series between England and the West Indies will take place at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. The wicket has usually been good for batting, with a bit of assistance for the bowlers. There should be some seam movement for the pacers, while spinners might have to work harder.

For slower bowlers, the boundary dimensions could be advantageous, as the side boundaries are among the longest in the world. Batters will aim to play in the ‘V’ to score the majority of their runs. Since it is a day game, the team winning the toss would likely prefer to bat first, as the surface could become slower as the match progresses.

Head-to-Head record

England and the West Indies share a rich history of ODI cricket, dating back to the early 1970s. Their first encounter was in 1973, and the two teams have played 109 matches to date. England hold a slight edge with 55 wins, while the two-time world champions have 48 victories. Six of their matches ended with no result.

Predicted Playing XIs

England:

Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Harry Brook (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Brydon Carse, and Saqib Mahmood.

West Indies:

Brandon King, Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty,  Shai Hope (C/WK), Jewel Andrew, Amir Jangoo, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, and Jayden Seales.