||Desk Report||

Jason Roy and Joe Root knocked tons that helped England to register their highest ODI run chase beating West Indies in the first ODI match of the 5-match series. The visitors scored 364 for 4 and defeated the hosts by six wickets on Thursday in Barbados on Thursday.

After winning the toss, West Indies choose to bat and posted a 360 for 8. The veteran Chris Gayle smashed 135 off 129 balls, with a new record of the most sixes ODIs. He hit 488 sixes in his 444 ODIs and surpassed Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi record of the most ODIs sixes.

However, among the others, Shai Hope knocked 64 of 65 balls and Darren Bravo scored 40 off 30 balls. The Caribbeans got the first blow at a total of 38 when John Campbell dismissed by Chris Woakes for 30 runs. But then Gayle and Hope took the charge and made a 131-stand before Hope’s departure. Gayle then, along with Shimron Hetmyer made another stand of 60-run where Hetmyer added only 20 off 15 balls. However, broke the partnership, sending back Hetmyer was returned while Rashid dismissed Nicholas Pooran for the duck and tried to put the hosts into a batting collapse.

But Gayle was still on the crease and had been scoring with his big hits. Darren Bravo supported him and the pair added 64 runs in the fifth-wicket-stand. However, Gayle was stopped by Stokes after Barvo’s departure, but, the ‘Universal Boss’ was already put the hosts to 317-run. Among others, Jason Holder scored 16, Carlos Brathwaite 3, Ashley Nurse 25 and Devendra Bishoo added 9 that put the hosts to 360 for 8.  Ben Stokes and Adil Rashid took three wickets each.

With a target of huge 361, the opening pair Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow gave an amazing start for England. The pair added 91 runs before Bairstow was sent back by Holder for 34. But, Roy, who had already knocked a half-ton, was still on the crease. Roy, then along with Joe Root, added 114-run in second-wicket-stand. In the meantime, Roy smashed a ton off just 65 balls, the fastest-ever in ODIs in West Indies. Roy scored 123 off 85 balls before his departure. Then, Root who scored 102 off 97 before departure, took the charge and made another partnership of 116 with Captain Eoin Morgan in the third wicket-stand. Morgan made 65 runs off 51 balls and sent back by Oshane Thomas. However, Root continued his shots and put the visitors at 360 in 48.4 overs. Root got out with the scores level, with eight balls still remaining. Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler were respectively unbeaten at 20 and 4 runs. Holder claimed two wickets for 63 runs.

Brief scores

West Indies:  360/8

Gayle 135; Stokes 3-37, Adil 3-74

England: 364/4