England stood up to their reputation as favourites for the World Cup by chasing down a mammoth target of 361 in the first of five One Day Internationals against West Indies on Wednesday.
It was a glorious night for batsmen on both sides with bowlers being swatted around the ground, regardless of the jersey they had on. Ben Stokes was the only exception, as he contained the Windies, despite the lack of any assistance from the flat pitch at Bridgetown, to return figures of 37/3 from his 8 overs.
Chris Gayle celebrated the announcement of his retirement with a brilliant knock of 135, smashing the English bowlers for 12 sixes, before being bowled over by Stokes. The hosts also had Ashley Nurse’s quick 27 and Shai Hope’s patient 64 to thank for their imposing scorecard.
The first over of the second innings ended with a mere 2 runs for England. However, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow soon accelerated the scoring-rate that never dipped below the required run-rate again. Joe Root stepped in when Bairstow was caught behind the stumps at 33.
Roy and Root, who scored 123 and 102 respectively, kept the fielders on their toes as they found the gaps with masterful technique. By the time Roy was dismissed, he had clobbered the West Indies for 15 fours and 3 sixes. Then, Eoin Morgan joined the party and scored a half-century before Stokes and Buttler completed the chase in the 49th over.
Jason Holder will have much to think about after being sorely let down by his bowling unit. The hosts will be looking to level the series at the same venue on Friday.
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