The story of the green transition is often told through technology. But behind the blades and cables are people – engineers, medics and advocates – whose work, and lives, are shaped by the winds of change
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“Bloody hell, it’s enormous!” That was my first reaction on seeing a new wind turbine blade at close quarters, outside its factory in the city of Baoding, China’s renewable energy powerhouse. That visit some years ago brought home to me the sheer scale of the technology. It was an impression confirmed later, gazing out from the north Kent coast at the vast London Array offshore farm, and then standing under a towering turbine as it spun its slow circles high above a maize field in Germany. Scale and grace.
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But there was one glaring absence from all my marvelling: people. Out there, these mighty engines seemed to stand alone. Which, of course, is nonsense. Because they wouldn’t be there in the first place, let alone keep spinning out reliable megawatts of power, if they didn’t have a dedicated crew of humans involved at every stage: planning, installing, laying cables, sinking steel and concrete, fine-tuning soft- and hardware every step of the way – and caring for each other as they do so, in some pretty challenging, sometimes remote, environments.
It’s time to put them back in the picture. With that in mind, here are glimpses of three people who keep the winds of change blowing strong.
Saving lives offshore
Mike Amos, offshore paramedic
Dealing with everything from heart attacks and hernias to sleeplessness and depression is all in a day’s work for a medic – and that’s true for Mike Amos, too. But unlike him, few get to do so in the middle of a storm way out in the South China Sea, or on the waves over the Dogger Bank.
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As a qualified offshore paramedic, Amos’ base is on the boats working on some of the world’s massive windfarms. Which means sometimes he might be up the top of a turbine, running a practice drill evacuating a casualty down the tower, and next doing the same 30 metres below sea level.
In spite of the challenging conditions at sea – and doubtless because of his scrupulous attention to health and safety – real emergencies are rare. But they do happen: a heart attack in the North Sea, a hand crushed as a typhoon lashed the boat off Taiwan. Both casualties were brought safely to shore.
As a qualifed offshore paramedic, Amos’ base is on the boats working on some of the world’s massive windfarms. Image: Gordon Burniston
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Often it’s “just colds and Lemsips”, says Amos. But there are other, more insidious health challenges too. A bunch of blokes (“and they are 99% blokes for now, though more women are starting to come into the industry”) cooped up on a ship for weeks on end, far from home and loved ones, inevitably throws up other challenges. Amos sees his role as teasing out what’s really going on, sometimes from men who are reluctant to open up. His down-to-earth, friendly Glaswegian manner helps. “They might come with a bad back or little niggles, maybe hoping you’ll sign them off as unfit for work that night, but then you might realise there are issues at home.”
Early experience in the ambulance service helps, too, he says, “going into people’s homes, noticing the small things”, assessing what’s really going on. “I make it my business to know what’s happening all over the vessel.”
Amos joins in with volleyball and workout sessions (“exercise is vital when you’re stuck on a ship”), and with blokey chats in the sauna. “It’s good to break down any barriers, get to know the crew, then it’s easier for them to approach you.”
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I just love it. I love the ethos, the camaraderie. I love the way things work. I love the vessel life. I basically love the buzz of the offshore wind
As we speak, he’s on holiday with his wife and two children in Mexico, about to head off to a new posting on the Empire windfarm off Long Island, which is set to be the first to connect to the New York City grid.
Spending up to six weeks offshore is tough for a man with a young family, but the equal amount of time on leave is appealing – and there are gaps between assignments, too. Like all the wind workers I’ve spoken to, Amos enjoys his holidays, but also uses the time to study for the latest in professional qualifcations. As he puts it: “You have to have continuous personal development to stand out from the crowd.” He still does some shifts as ambulance crew, too. “It’s nice to get back out on the road again, keeps me in touch with the practice – and also reminds me why I’m not working for the NHS any more.”
He and his family are planning on emigrating to Spain shortly, but says he’s in the offshore business for the long term. “I just love it. I love the ethos, the camaraderie. I love the way things work. I love the vessel life. I basically love the buzz of the offshore wind.”
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Sky high and grounded
Grzegorz Kędzierski, commissioning engineer
Grzegorz Kędzierski (‘Greg’ to his workmates) has a head for heights. And just as well. Some wind turbines are 150 metres tall, or more. So it’s good to know they come equipped with lifts. But these can’t be switched on until the electrics are thoroughly checked – which is the responsibility of commissioning engineers like Greg. Until then, the only way up is by ladder, a very long way indeed. And when you’re up top and the wind is blowing, he says, “you can feel like you’re on the sea. Because the turbine is designed to give a little, to respond to the wind. It can shift, two, three metres each side. If it’s too rigid, it could fall over.”
Kędzierski’s responsibilities include checking “each and every one” of the many electrical connections and software within the turbines: a sophisticated array of controls that allow them to operate safely and deliver “the best quality power”. It’s a role that has taken him from his native Poland to the Mekong delta in Vietnam, from the far north of Sweden to Japan, and out on the waves of the North Sea.
The same sense of balance that helps him cope with the sway at the top of the turbines does so on the water too. Does he ever get sea sick? “No, never have.” But working offshore brings other challenges. “You have to plan ahead: when you’re far out at sea, you can’t go back to base and pick up a forgotten tool. You have to take everything you might possibly need, and then more.”
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Working remotely suits his nature. “I don’t like to stay in one place for long.” The project placements are typically two weeks on, two weeks off. But the work period can be longer when in remote regions or offshore. Then he says he can feel homesick. Home has an added attraction now, in the form of an EA300 small acrobatic plane. Flying was Kędzierski’s first love, and at one point he contemplated changing careers: he was poised to become a commercial pilot, had all the necessary certifications, but then Covid hit, and “switched off the aviation market … I came back to the wind business. It was a good decision: flying can be my hobby instead.”
Sometimes, I like to go out on the top of a turbine and stay there for a while, watching the world from above
So he spent the savings he’d accumulated from his turbine work “not on a house or a fat”, but the plane, and is busy training for national aerobatics competitions, practising flying in close formation alongside a pilot friend.
Does it have anything in common with his day job? Safety and precision, says Kędzierski. “You have to follow very strict procedures. Otherwise you risk harm to yourself, and to others.”
But that doesn’t mean there’s no romance to it all. Whether in his plane or on the height of a windfarm, he says, “I love the sense of space.”
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“Sometimes,” he adds, “I like to go out on the top of a turbine and stay there for a while, watching the world from above.” And, of course, looking forward to his next fight. “The sky is no longer the limit,” he declared. “It’s the playground!”
Power, precision and people
Chris Akehurst, offshore client representative
If you’ve ever wondered just how those vast offshore windfarms shimmering over the seas on the horizon get to be there in the first place, Chris Akehurst is your man. As an offshore client representative specialising in heavy-lift turbine foundations, he’s the one who makes sure they happen.
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Heavy is the operative word. “People don’t realise just how huge these turbines are, or how much power they can generate. They might see one [when they’re] driving down a country lane, and think: ‘that’s big’, but the latest offshore ones are colossal. They can be 240 metres from sea level to the top of the spinning blade. One [huge] windfarm can power up a city now. It’s crazy.”
All that requires some seriously heavy lifting. Akehurst talks of shifting vast 500-tonne steel piles into place and hammering them into the seabed; of huge cranes lifting 2,500 tonnes’ worth of foundations – all from a vessel miles offshore. And behind all that heft and power there are human guiding hands. “It’s about people and precision,” he says. “Every lift, every connection – there’s human judgement behind the technology.”
Every lift, every connection – there’s human judgement behind the technology
People, precision – and a little playfulness, too. Akehurst’s email signature features a charming little line graphic of a boat chugging across the waves to the foot of a turbine, where two men climb out and head up the tower. He’s a natural communicator, popping up on podcasts like Joe Leather’s Wind, Waves and Wells, on which he combines a respect for the natural environment and enthusiasm for the green transition with some robust engineering speak. “When you’re out there, 50 miles offshore, the wind isn’t just power – it’s personality. You learn to work with it, not against it.”
He spent some of his youth in Germany, where his British army father Power, precision and people: Chris Akehurst was stationed, spent a while in the forces himself and then in construction, where “after a year, I saw my first tower crane, and thought: ‘I’ll have a piece of that!’ So, I climbed up the crane, and that was it. From that day on for the next 10 years, I was operating tower cranes.”
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He took a range of courses to be better qualified, not least in the tough discipline of heavy-lift supervision, and then moved into the world of wind.
‘It’s a small world offshore’ says Akehurst. ‘You depend on each other – safety, timing, even morale. That’s what makes this work special’. Image: Asnaya Chou
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For the last few years, Akehurst has mainly been based in Taiwan, helping turn on-paper plans into actual windfarms at sea. “It’s a mix of technical oversight, a bit of project management, and plenty of problem-solving when things don’t go to plan.” He helps oversee the whole process “from the first foundation to the last turbine”, which can take over two years.
The teams he’s overseeing contain a multitude of nationalities, from as many as 25 countries, at times, “all packed together on the vessel” far from shore. That brings its own logistical challenges. “These guys are fit, healthy. They like their food,” notes Akehurst. “The logistics have to be spot on, because when you start running out of food, the guys start getting upset.”
He’s impressed at how Asia’s youth is coming onstream in the offshore world. “You can see pride growing: local technicians and engineers stepping into roles that didn’t even exist here five years ago.” By contrast, he warns: “Countries such as the UK and Germany are way ahead in renewables, but risk a shortage of qualified, experienced people soon, so they need to bring a new generation through.”
Meanwhile, the naturally gregarious Akehurst says he enjoys the sense of shared purpose that cuts across cultures and disciplines. “It’s a small world offshore. You depend on each other – safety, timing, even morale,” he says. “That’s what makes this work special.”
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Main image: Mike Amos, photographed by Gordon Burniston
“I was a children’s librarian for 10 years, and knowing that these children that I likely knew, that I likely read to… these are our friends, our friends’ children have been injured, lost their life, and we just have to think how to come together as a community and rely upon each other for support,” he said.
The Artful Dodger originally released on Disney Plus back in 2023. Fans were forced to wait three years but all episodes of its second season are finally available now on the streaming platform.
It is actually inspired by one of the most well known classic pieces of literature written by a celebrated author. The title of the series would probably give it away to most that it involves characters taken from Oliver Twist, which was written by Charles Dickens.
However, not only that but the second season introduces another iconic character from a different but equally well known book. But where and when do the events of The Artful Dodger take place compared to the original stories? Here’s all you need to know.
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When is The Artful Dodger set?
At the end of the book Oliver Twist, Jack Dawkins who is also known as the Artful Dodger, is arrested for stealing a silver snuff box. He is sentenced to be transported to a penal colony in Australia for life.
Therefore the series imagines what happens to Jack some years following his conviction. In fact, in the first season we find out that his surrogate father and mentor Norbert Fagin, refused to stage a breakout for Jack, claiming there was too much heat and fearing that he would be caught and put to death himself, he ultimately leaves him to his fate.
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The original book finished publishing as a serial in 1839. We actually find out in Season One’s premiere episode exactly when the action picks up.
A shot of a diary confirms the date of October 27, 1855. So if we take that the original tale happened in the same time it was published, then at least 16 years has passed since we last dealt with these characters.
While Fagin failed to help Jack, he did manage to escape himself. He was eventually seconded to the Royal Navy where his skilled fingers allowed him to go from picking pockets to assisting surgeons. He would become one himself, serving as a medic in the Crimean War, which actually took place between 1853 and 1856.
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Afterwards, he was recommended to serve in the colony. This means he still arrived in Australia but as a respected doctor as oppose to a convicted criminal. The British penal system transported convicts from Great Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia until 1868.
Season Two picks up around six months where the first ended as The Artful Dodger remains in deep trouble. According to its synopsis, he’s got an appointment with the noose, he’s being hunted by new lawman, Inspector Boxer, and if he sees the woman he loves, Lady Belle, he’ll be hanged.
The Artful Dodger is streaming on Disney+.
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A disruption in reimbursements to states for disaster relief costs. Delays in cybersecurity response and training. And missed paychecks for the agents who screen passengers and bags at the nation’s airports, which could lead to unscheduled absences and longer wait times for travelers.
Those were just some of the potential ramifications of a looming funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security, according to officials who testified before a House panel on Wednesday.
Congress has approved full-year funding for the vast majority of the federal government, but it only passed a short-term funding patch for the Department of Homeland Security that extends through Friday. In response to the killing of two American citizens in Minneapolis and other incidents, Democrats have insisted that any funding bill for the department come with changes to immigration enforcement operations.
Finding agreement on the issue of immigration enforcement will be exceedingly difficult. But even though lawmakers in both parties were skeptical, a White House official said that the administration was having constructive talks with both Republicans and Democrats. The official, granted anonymity to speak about ongoing deliberations, stressed that President Donald Trump wanted the government to remain open and for Homeland Security services to be funded.
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Meanwhile, Republicans are emphasizing that a Homeland Security shutdown would not curtail the work of the agencies Democrats are most concerned about. Trump’s tax and spending cut bill passed last year gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement about $75 billion to expand detention capacity and beef up enforcement operations.
“Removal operations will continue. Wall construction will continue,” said Rep. Mark Amodei, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Homeland Security.
Rather, agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Secret Service, Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency would take the biggest hit, he said. Officials from those agencies appeared before the House subcommittee to explain the potential impact of a Homeland Security shutdown.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, the ranking Democrat on the panel, said the tragic loss of two American citizens in Minneapolis — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — should concern every lawmaker. He said that strong borders and a respect for human life are not competing values.
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“When enforcement actions lead to outcomes like that, we have an obligation to ask the hard question and to make sure our laws and policies are working as intended,” Cuellar said.
He said on Homeland Security funding that “we were almost there. We were there, Democrats and Republicans and everybody, but the second shooting brought different dynamics. I think we can get there to address that.”
Essential work continues
About 90% of the department’s employees would continue working in a shutdown, but they would do so without pay. Vice Admiral Thomas Allan of the U.S. Coast Guard said law enforcement and emergency response missions continue during a shutdown, but that the possibility of missed paychecks creates significant financial hardships.
“Shutdowns cripple morale and directly harm our ability to recruit and retain the talented Americans we need to meet growing demands,” Allan said.
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Ha Nguyen McNeill of the Transportation Security Administration shared a similar concern. She estimated about 95% of the agency’s 61,000 workers would continue to work, but potentially go without a paycheck depending upon the length of a shutdown. She noted that they just went through a lengthy shutdown last fall.
“We heard reports of officers sleeping in their cars at airports to save money on gas, selling their blood and plasma and taking on second jobs to make ends meet,” she said. “…Some are just recovering from the financial impact of the 43-day shutdown. Many are still reeling from it. We cannot put them through another such experience.”
Homeland Security also includes the agency charged with working to protect the public and private sector from a broad range of cyber threats. Madhu Gottumukkala, acting director of that agency, said a shutdown would “degrade our capacity to provide timely and actionable guidance to help partners defend their networks.”
“I want to be clear, when the government shuts down, cyber threats do not,” he said.
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Long-term impact
Gregg Phillips, an associated administrator at FEMA, said its disaster relief fund has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities during a shutdown, but would become seriously strained in the event of a catastrophic disaster. He said that while the agency continues to respond to threats like flooding and winter storms, long-term planning and coordination with state and local partners is “irrevocably impacted.”
For example, he said a lapse would disrupt training for first responders at the National Disaster & Emergency Management University in Maryland.
“The import of these trainings cannot be measured,” Phillips said. “And their absence will be felt in our local communities.”
At the Secret Service, “the casual observer will see no difference,” said Matthew Quinn, the agency’s deputy director. But he said reform efforts taking place at the Secret Service are affected.
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“Delayed contracts, diminished hiring and halted new programs will be the result,” Quinn said.
Anthony Dale followed his intended victim before putting a knife to his neck and demanding that he handed over cash, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 44-year-old told the student that he was homeless and his intended victim offered to find him somewhere to stay.
Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said some of the incident was caught on CCTV as Dale followed the man through the Teesside University campus at around midnight on November 26, last year.
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“The defendant approached him from behind and said ‘give me all of your money’ as he put a knife to his neck,” she said.
“Unaware of that weapon was, he instinctively grabbed hold of it and pushed the defendant away. It was at that point that he saw it was a butter knife.”
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Dale, of Borough Road, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery after he was arrested several hours later when he was traced through CCTV in the town centre.
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Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said that his client ‘fully acknowledged he will receive an immediate custodial sentence’ for his offending.
Judge Nathan Adams locked Dale up for three years and nine months following his guilty plea to attempted robbery.
He added: “He responded with kindness after what must have been a terrifying ordeal at that time of night.”
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Alex Murdaugh has admitted he is a thief, a liar, an insurance cheat, a drug addict and a bad lawyer. But even from behind bars he continues to adamantly deny he is a killer.
Murdaugh’s lawyers argued Wednesday before the South Carolina Supreme Court, asking the justices to overturn the two murder convictions and life sentence Murdaugh is serving for the shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, outside their home in June 2021.
The defense argues the trial judge made rulings that prevented a fair trial, such as allowing in evidence of Murdaugh stealing from clients that had nothing to do with the killings but biased jurors against him. They detail the lack of physical evidence — no DNA or blood was found splattered on Murdaugh or any of his clothes, even though the killings were at close range with powerful weapons that were never found.
And they said the court clerk assigned to oversee the evidence and the jury during the trial influenced jurors to find Murdaugh guilty, hoping to improve sales of a book she was writing about the case. She has since pleaded guilty to lying about what she said and did to a different judge.
Prosecutors argued that the clerk’s comments were fleeting and the evidence against Murdaugh was overwhelming. His lawyer said that didn’t matter because the comments a juror said she made — urging jurors to watch Murdaugh’s body language and listen to his testimony carefully — removed his presumption of innocence before the jury ever deliberated.
“If only the people who may be innocent get a fair trial, then our Constitution isn’t working,” Murdaugh’s lawyer Dick Harpootlian told the justices.
Murdaugh won’t leave prison
The case continues to captivate. There are streaming miniseries, best selling books and dozens of true crime podcasts about how the multimillionaire Southern lawyer whose family dominated and controlled the legal system in tiny Hampton County ended up in a maximum security South Carolina prison.
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Even if Murdaugh wins this appeal, he isn’t going anywhere. Hanging over the 57-year-old’s head is a 40-year federal prison sentence for stealing more than $12 million from clients intended for their medical care and living expenses after they or their relatives suffered devastating and even deadly injuries in accidents.
Wednesday’s state Supreme Court hearing featured the same lawyers who squared off at Murdaugh’s 2023 murder trial, although Murdaugh is not there. The hearing ran well beyond the scheduled 90 minutes. Written briefs from both sides blew past the 100 pages typically allowed for appeals.
The first half of the arguments focused on former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill. She pleaded guilty in December to obstruction of justice and perjury for showing a reporter photographs that were sealed court exhibits in Murdaugh’s case and then lying about it
The most pointed question from justices Wednesday came for prosecutor Creighton Waters. They asked if it was OK that the judge who initially rejected the appeal for a new trial was right to ignore testimony from a few jurors while believing the 11 who did not accuse the clerk of misconduct.
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Waters agreed there were problems, but said they were so isolated in the six-week trial that they had no impact. Murdaugh’s lawyers said that is impossible to figure out because jurors could be influenced subtly, without realizing it.
“It was improper. Perhaps not improper to the point of reversal, but it was improper,” Chief Justice John Kittredge observed.
There will be no immediate decision. Rulings usually take months to be handed down.
Prosecutors reiterate evidence for conviction
Prosecutors have said in court papers there is no reason to throw out the guilty verdicts for murder against Murdaugh.
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They carefully recounted the case for the first 34 pages of their brief. Murdaugh’s financial situation was crumbling as he stole from clients to repay his mounting debts from his drug habit and expensive tastes. He defrauded his insurance company when a longtime family employee fell and died at their home, and was financially vulnerable when Paul Murdaugh caused a boat crash that killed a teen.
The brief recalls evidence that helped convict Alex Murdaugh, who told investigators for months he hadn’t seen his wife and son for about an hour before they were killed. That story went unchallenged until investigators cracked the passcode on Paul Murdaugh’s phone and found a video with a barking dog and Alex Murdaugh’s voice admonishing it five minutes before the young man stopped using his phone.
Defense says court allowed an unfair trial
Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers argued Wednesday that several decisions by trial judge Clifton Newman allowed evidence that led to an unfair trial. They said the chief investigator lied to the grand jury that indicted Murdaugh by telling them the ammunition used in one of the killings was found in other guns at the Murdaugh home and that blood spatter was found on Murdaugh’s clothes.
In the insular world of South Carolina, the state Supreme Court’s decision could have impacts well beyond courtrooms. Sitting at the prosecution table on Wednesday with the case’s chief litigator was Republican South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, a candidate in November’s election for the open governor’s seat.
New signage and shopfront changes to 13a Piccadilly in York – which has stood empty for more than three years – have gone in this week, as celebration chain Cake Box looks set to open in the city.
As reported by The Press, plans for the empty unit, formerly home to Argos and a William Hill betting office, were approved by City of York Council last November.
The signage and shop front went up in Piccadilly this week (Image: Kevin Glenton)
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Trading as Eggfree Cake Box, the company says it specialises in fresh, made-to-order, 100 per cent egg-free cakes.
Its website said most of its cakes come with a beautifully hand-piped message of choice to add the personal touch.
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More than 1,000 cake makers are said to work across the estate each day, producing personalised cakes for birthdays, weddings and other occasions.
Launched from a single East London store in 2008, the company has grown to more than 250 shops trading under a franchised model.
The news of preparations for the opening of York bakery follows openings this year in Sheffield and Bracknell.
The success of the business lies in founder and chief executive Sukh Chambal’s vision to restore Britain’s long-standing traditional cake bakeries, with a modern twist, the company said, adding that it is the UK’s largest retailer of fresh cream celebration cakes.
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Group revenue for 2025 was £42.78 million, up just over 13 per cent on the prior year, and the company announced a pre-tax profit of £6.16 million.
The Press has contacted Cake Box for more information.
The comedian and presenter will return to host the ceremony for a record sixth time when it takes place on Saturday, February 28.
The 2026 edition of the BRITs will also mark the show’s debut in Manchester, taking place at the Co-op Live venue.
Mr Whitehall said: “I think I’ve been able to put my stamp on the BRITs as I’ve been given the space to do what I want to do, and insert my voice and attitude into the show.
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“The more I’ve done that, the more freedom the producers have given me.
“Even ITV are good at giving me a long leash.
“In every other show that I’ve ever done, I’ve been much more policed or confined [by producers] when it comes to what I say.
“But with The BRITs, they’re more than happy for me to push boundaries.”
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Mr Whitehall previously hosted the BRITs in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2025.
He also revealed his excitement about the show’s move to Manchester, drawing comparisons to his university days in the city.
Mr Whitehall said: “Manchester is a city famous for its nightlife which will make everything even more fun.
“I would probably take them on the tour of Fallowfield, to all the spots I used to go to.
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“Last time I performed in Manchester, me and my mates from university went out after the show, and we ended up in Gaff’s, which was an infamous newsagent where you could buy all your nightclub tickets and whatnot.
“We ended up having a lock-in there. If it was still open, that’s where I’d take everyone.”
He said a ‘long friendship’ with Harry Styles would also make the night extra special.
Mr Whitehall said: “He’s great because he’s always up for chatting, playing around and doing a sketch with me; he gives you access and time, and that’s invaluable.”
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He also acknowledged that the role comes with its risks.
Mr Whitehall said: “I guess I used to think more about upsetting people, or people taking issue with some of the jokes.
“Nowadays, I think I would be disappointed if they didn’t [take any offence] and if everyone went, ‘Oh yeah, your hosting was great.
“We loved all of it.’
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“If that happened, I would think, ‘Oh, I failed.’”
“I like it when, every now and again, someone gets a bee in their bonnet over something that I’ve said.
“It shows that I’m still pushing all the right buttons.”
England’s struggles against spin are not unique to this latest side. They go back generations.
If fans hoped this iteration had found a successful method when in Sri Lanka before this tournament, this result – under the pressure that comes with a World Cup chase – suggests otherwise.
When the ball was hard and with pace to face, England, who were beaten by West Indies in the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, had no issues.
Phil Salt took 24 from the second over, bowled by Holder, and West Indies’ total looked 15 runs below par.
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However, the game changed when Buttler miscued Chase to long-on for 21.
It opened the door to Motie, who impressively mixed wrist and finger-spin to have Banton and Brook chipping catches either side of zipping one through Bethell’s defence and onto the stumps.
Curran was England’s hero with the ball in their final-over win against Nepal on Sunday but he never really looked like finding the boundaries needed when pace returned at the death.
It was a fine all-round performance from West Indies, who caught every chance in the field, and now top the group with two wins from two.
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They face Nepal at this venue on Sunday, before playing Italy in Kolkata on Thursday, 19 February.
The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
These are your evening rugby headlines on Wednesday, February 11.
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Welsh side refuse to let wanted star leave
The Dragons are refusing to let fly-half Tinus de Beer leave Rodney Parade early to join his former side Bulls, according to reports.
The 30-year-old made the short move along the M4 ahead of the current season after two campaigns with Cardiff. He has made 15 appearances for the Dragons so far this season, scoring two tries and contributing a further 27 points from the tee.
While the length of his contract was not disclosed by the Dragons when he signed last year, RugbyPass reports that the Pretoria-born playmaker is wanted by fellow United Rugby Championship side Bulls, who he started his career with in his native South Africa.
According to the publication, De Beer has been earmarked as a potential replacement for former South Africa fly-half Johan Goosen, who retired at the end of last year following a series of injuries.
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It was reported earlier this month that Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann wanted to bring in the Dragons man to support first choice number 10 Handre Pollard alongside Keagan Johannes.
Having braced themselves for a raid by the South African outfit – and according to the latest reports – the Dragons have dug their heels in and are refusing to let De Beer depart Rodney Parade early.
Filo Tiatia has already lost one of his biggest stars in Aaron Wainwright ahead of next season, with the Wales international agreeing to join Leicester Tigers, and he will be keen not to lose his first choice fly-half with him.
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Wales international retires
Wales Women international Kerin Lake has announced her retirement from rugby at the age of 35.
The veteran centre made 54 appearances for the national side and represented her country at two Rugby World Cups, winning her final cap against Canada at last year’s tournament.
However, following a career beset by injury problems, a shoulder injury suffered in that game proved to be the final blow and the midfield stalwart has now decided to hang up her boots.
Announcing her decision in a statement on social media, Lake – who represented Neath Athletic, Ospreys and Gwalia Lightning, and won two Premiership Women’s Rugby titles with Gloucester-Hartpury – said it was “time to step away”.
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“After a lot of thought, the time has come for me to step away from the game that has given me so much,” she wrote. “Rugby has been a part of my life longer than I can count. It has shaped who I am, both on and off the field.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all the coaches I’ve had along the way. Thank you for your guidance, belief and for pushing me to be better every single day.
“To the management and medical staff, your hard work behind the scenes never goes unnoticed and I truly couldn’t have done this without you.
“To my team-mates, past and present, thank you for the memories, friendships, the battles and the laughs,” she added. “It’s been an honour to stand beside you representing something bigger than ourselves.
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“To the fans, thank you for the constant support, whether in the stands, on the sidelines [or] watching from afar. Wearing the jersey and playing in front of you has been an honour.
“Most importantly, thank you to my friends and family, my mother, Steff and Jacob especially, thank you for your unconditional love and support. Thank you.”
Jones determined to get back-line going
By Anthony Brown, Press Association
Huw Jones is determined to help Scotland’s much-vaunted back-line ignite against England after being stifled by Italy in their frustrating Guinness Six Nations opener last weekend.
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The Scots were unable to get their free-flowing attacking game going as torrential rainfall turned their showdown in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico into an attritional battle.
Scotland went down to a dismal 18-15 defeat, cranking up the heat on head coach Gregor Townsend and his players ahead of this weekend’s visit from in-form England.
“England are obviously a brilliant team, so it’s a tough prospect,” said British and Irish Lions centre Jones. “But I think this is probably the perfect game and opposition for us. You don’t need any more motivation, especially after a loss when everyone’s hurting.
“We didn’t really get to play on the weekend, so I think we all have that pent-up frustration and energy from a really frustrating game.
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“Even if we’d won that, I think I would have come away from that being like, ‘I didn’t get to do anything’. I’m really angry about that and I think this week that adds to the fuel of just wanting to go out and show what we can do.”
Scotland have won three of the last four Calcutta Cup clashes at Murrayfield, including the last two, but Jones insists that will count for little this weekend.
“They’re a different team, we’re a different team,” said the 32-year-old. “I don’t think it’s ever that helpful to look back and be like, ‘we beat them a couple of years ago’.
“Knowing we beat England, I think that’s always a good thing, but it’s a different week, it’s a different game. It’s just about being focused on this game and what we’re doing this week.”
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Saturday marked the first time Scotland had lost their opening Six Nations match since 2020 and Jones admitted it was “one of the tougher changing rooms I’ve been in”.
“It’s frustrating, obviously, because you want to start well,” he said. “The Six Nations is all about momentum and building those wins. We didn’t get the first one but you have to just let that go and forget about it.
“You don’t worry about being derailed and where you’re going to be on the table and all that stuff. It’s just game by game, so all that matters now is this game.
“We don’t worry about what’s happening after this game and what’s just happened. Our review process is done. Everything is focused on this.
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“The deflation part comes straight after where you’re gutted sitting in the changing rooms. But once you’ve done that review process, that’s gone and you’re fully motivated again.”
Jones dismissed any notion that the Scotland set-up has become stale after almost nine years under Townsend.
“I think the environment’s adapted over the years,” he said. “I think it’s always growing. Right now I’d say no [it’s not stale]. I think it’s been growing and building and changing over the years.
“Obviously it’s largely the same guys, but I’ve seen growth in the team. I’ve seen players improve, I’ve seen coaches improve, and I’ve seen our game adapt and change and also improve. I believe in this group.”
