England won by 45 runs
PLAYER OF THE MATCH : Eoin Morgan
Second ODI takes place at this very ground on Sunday (March 5). Join us for that as the hosts will fight to keep the series alive. Take care, ta-ta!
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Eoin Morgan - Player of the Match | captain, England: "I've enjoyed my cricket since the (latest) BBL which is a fantastic tournament. It was very hard on this wicket but everyone felt that. The top order set it well so that the middle order could come and enforce itself, and Stokes did exactly that. A very convincing performance with the bat and the ball, and in the field. Hopefully we will continue like this. Sam Billings has been working hard on his game and his class came to the fore today. Ben Stokes is fully fit to bowl but we felt that the spinners were more fit to bowl (in the middle overs). The ball sticks in the pitch for left-handers and shots off the front foot are hard. We showed today that we can adapt."
Jason Holder - captain, West Indies: "We lost 3 wickets for 3 runs. In the end, we should have kept our wickets intact. Quite a few soft dismissals. Sam (Billings) played a good innings and took the spinners off their lines and lengths. It was a good partnership between Jason and Carter. Very encouraging (signs)."
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Eoin Morgan's hundred was just too good to end up on the losing side. Having started the innings in a soup, looking severely short of timing, Morgan persevered and hauled England to a very good score on a slow, low pitch. West Indies started well at 23/0 in the 6th over but couldn't put a partnership good enough, long enough. 82 between Carter and Mohammed for the 5th wicket was the highest partnership for the hosts as compared to 110 for the same wicket between Stokes and Morgan. There was the difference.
05:35pm local: West Indies were in the game but once Carlos Brathwaite was out in the 45th over, with West Indies needing 73 off 34 balls, the hosts lost out on an outside chance as well. Ben Stokes didn't bowl at all in the innings, but on a pitch where spinners should have thrived, Woakes and Plunkett shared eight wickets between them. West Indies looked the most comfortable when Rashid and Moeen bowled in tandem, but once the pacers took over, again, wickets fell - some to panic, some to sheer pace, or the lack of it.
Plunkett to Gabriel, out Caught by Buttler!! No reviews for West Indies.. and England win by 45 runs. Gabriel gets a short ball down leg, is late to swivel and connect, and gloves it back to Buttler who lets out a loud appeal. Gabriel c Buttler b Plunkett 0(4)
Plunkett to Gabriel, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
Plunkett to Devendra Bishoo, 1 run, waits and steers this full ball outside off to deep point. 46 needed in under 3 overs now
Liam Plunkett [8.0-1-39-3] is back into the attack
END OF OVER 47
6 Runs
WI: 250 - 9
0 6 W 0 0 0
Bishoo
11 (5)
Gabriel
0 (3)
C Woakes
9-1-47-4
Woakes to Gabriel, no run, what a brilliant delivery. Back of the hand slower ball, spins away like a legbreak and beats the outside edge
Woakes to Gabriel, no run, full toss, Gabriel goes hard and finds cover
Woakes to Gabriel, no run, full ball drilled down the ground
Shannon Gabriel, right handed bat, comes to the crease
Woakes to Nurse, out Lbw!! West Indies have reviewed this but this looks as plumb as ever. Gets past the inside edge, this pacy full ball, and raps the pad in front of the stumps. Ball tracking has umpire's call on leg-stump. Since it was given out on-field, it will stay that way. England 1 wicket away, West Indies need 47 off 21. Nurse lbw b Woakes 21(15) [6s-2]
Woakes to Nurse, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!
Woakes to Nurse, SIX, oh shot! Makes room and gets violently under this full ball that's just short of a yorker. Pumps it straight down the ground
Woakes to Nurse, no run, miscues the slog-sweep. Doesn't read the slower delivery and the ball trims off the inside edge - along the pitch - to the leg-side
53 off 24..