England take series-clinching 3-0 lead over Windies with victory at Oval
Thursday 28 September 2017 08:28, UK
Moeen Ali and Jos Buttler shared a perfectly-timed, unbroken stand of 77 to earn England a series-clinching six-run win over Windies on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the fourth one-day international, at the Kia Oval.
Ali, who struck a 53-ball ton in Sunday's third ODI, was in devastating form again as he struck 48no off 25 balls to help put England marginally in front on 258-5 off 35.1 overs in reply to Windies' 356-5 when rain forced the players off.
The home side had been 50 runs behind on DLS after 27.3 overs but Ali and Buttler (43no off 35 balls) turned the tide back in England's favour with a brilliant, eight-over counter-attack.
By the time bad weather intervened, Eoin Morgan's side - who now lead the series 3-0 with just Friday's final ODI at the Ageas Bowl to come - had snuck ahead on DLS even though they still required 99 more runs to win from 89 balls.
England's success came despite career-best displays from Windies duo Evin Lewis (176) and Alzarri Joseph (5-56).
Opener Lewis blazed 176 off 130 balls - the fourth-highest by a West Indian in ODI cricket - to help propel the tourists to 356-5 only to be stretched off 'retired hurt' after inside-edging a full delivery from Jake Ball into his right foot. An X-ray revealed the right-hander has sustained a hairline fracture of his right ankle.
Joseph, at 20 the youngest Windies bowler to take five wickets in an ODI, then picked England's chase apart after Jason Roy (84) and Jonny Bairstow (39) had put on 126 for the opening wicket.
Lewis went on the rampage, striking 17 fours and seven sixes, after England dismissed Chris Gayle for two in the first over of the match - one of three early scalps for Chris Woakes (3-71) that left Windies on 33-3.
Lewis revived the innings firstly in a fourth-wicket stand of 117 with Jason Mohammed (46), then with a record fifth-wicket stand for Windies in an ODI with Jason Holder (77) - the pair putting on 168.
The tourists failed to clear the rope in the first 39 overs of their innings but then struck 11 in the next six overs - Lewis posting a chanceless hundred off 94 balls before going past his previous best score of 147 by striking Moeen Ali for 16 off three balls.
The opener did get a life on 122 when Roy, running back from cover, dropped a difficult chance off leg-spinner Adil Rashid but it was a rare blip in a mature innings.
No player has ever got a double hundred in ODI cricket in England - a feat Lewis had firmly in his sights before he sustained his injury in the 47th over, leaving the pitch on a stretcher on the highest score on which a player has ever retired hurt in international cricket.
Holder was joined by Rovman Powell, whose cameo of 28no off 15 balls helped Windies rack up 144 off the last 11 overs, including 13 sixes.
Roy, back in the side on his home ground due to the absence of Alex Hales - ruled out of the game after driving back to Bristol to provide police with evidence about the incident at a nightclub that left Ben Stokes with a fractured finger - was in his element on a true pitch.
The Surrey opener was particularly strong on the pull as Jerome Taylor and Holder dropped too short, too often and scored 70 of the opening 104 runs - launching Miguel Cummins into the sightscreen to take England to three figures.
The chase faltered, though, when Roy tried to run his 66th ball down to third man and snicked Joseph behind. When Bairstow followed in similar fashion and Joe Root was caught behind off the toe-end of his bat, trying to pull, England were suddenly behind on Duckworth-Lewis by 18 runs on 157-3.
Skipper Eoin Morgan (19) walked to the wicket with just 12 runs to his name from his previous eight innings and almost fell for a duck, snicking Joseph through the vacant second slip spot.
Morgan's stay of execution was short - the captain flicking Joseph towards fine leg where Kyle Hope timed his jump to perfection to take a superb catch - and when Gayle dove at slip to send Sam Billings back for two, England's prospects of victory seemed bleak.
Ali picked up from where he left off in Sunday's victory over Bristol, striking Ashley Nurse for 16 off three balls to give England hope of getting back on terms.
At the end of the 33rd over England were still 15 runs behind on DL but within two overs Windies had lost their cushion - Ali sealing the tourists' fate with a driven four off the final ball of Taylor's over.
Watch the fifth ODI between England and Windies live on Sky Sports Cricket this Friday from 12pm.
