Bails fly as West Indies’ Alzarri Joseph loses his wicket for 12 runs during the first one day international (ODI) cricket match between England. May 29, 2025. [AFP]
England thrashed the West Indies by 238 runs to win the first one-day international at Edgbaston on Thursday.
England, in Harry Brook’s first match as permanent white-ball captain, piled up 400-8 before dismissing the West Indies for just 162 to end a seven-match losing streak in ODI cricket and go 1-0 up in this three-match series.
This was England’s second-biggest win, in terms of runs, in all ODI cricket.
Barbados-born Jacob Bethell, back from the Indian Premier League, top-scored for England with 82 on his Warwickshire home ground after Ben Duckett (60), Brook (58) and Joe Root (57) also made fifties.
It was an expensive innings for the West Indies bowlers, with paceman Jayden Seales taking four wickets but conceding 84 runs in nine overs.
West Indies now needed 401 for victory, with only one side in ODI history having scored over 400 runs to win — South Africa’s celebrated 438-9 against Australia at Johannesburg in 2006.
But they were dismissed with more than 23 overs remaining in an innings where last man Seales’ 29 not out was the top score and one of just three contributions above 20.
England quicks Jamie Overton (3-22) and Saqib Mahmood (3-32) did the bulk of the damage.
The series continues in Cardiff on Sunday before finishing at the Oval on Tuesday.
Brief scores
England 400-8, 50 overs (J Bethell 82, B Duckett 60, H Brook 58, J Root 57; J Seales 4-84)
West Indies 162, 26.2 overs (J Overton, 3-22, S Mahmood 3-32)
Result: England won by 238 runs
Series: England lead three-match series 1-0
AFP
| May 29, 2025