England hammer West Indies in Brook's first ODI
England hammer West Indies in Brook's first ODI
Brook celebrates his half-century after the first one day international match against West Indies. Photo: AFP
Harry Brook made a winning start as England's permanent white-ball captain as the hosts hammered the West Indies by 238 runs in the first one-day international at Edgbaston.
Victory ended England's seven-match ODI losing streak and put them 1-0 up in the three-match series.
The success was built on a commanding total of 400-8 – the highest total in any ODI without a hundred – after Jacob Bethell (82), Ben Duckett (60), Brook (58) and Joe Root (57) all made fifties.
West Indies collapsed to 79-5 in reply and were eventually dismissed for 162 as their bid to become only the second side in ODI history to score more than 400 runs to win ended with more than 23 overs remaining.
Last man Jayden Seales was the West Indies' top score with 29 not out, one of just three contributions above 20 in the innings.
This was England's second-largest ODI win in terms of runs, exceeded only by their 242-run rout of Australia at Nottingham in 2018.
Saqib Mahmood took a trio of top-order wickets Thursday on his way to 3-32, with England's impressive fielding display exemplified by the one-handed boundary catch Brydon Carse held off his fellow fast bowler to remove West Indies captain Shai Hope for 25.
As Clive Lloyd, the West Indies' captain when they won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979, looked on from the stands, Adil Rashid took two wickets in his 150th ODI with the veteran leg-spinner ending the match when he bowled tailender Alzarri Joseph.
England – sent in to bat by Hope – had looked as if they might fall short of a truly imposing total after several batsmen got out when well set.
But Barbados-born left-hander Bethell, back from the Indian Premier League and on his Warwickshire home ground, continued to punish a wayward West Indies attack in which fast-bowler Seales took four wickets but conceded an expensive 84 runs in nine overs.
Bethell and Will Jacks (39) put on exactly 100 runs in seven overs late on to take England from 287-5 to 387-6.
The 21-year-old Bethell, still without a hundred in any form of senior cricket, fell off the first ball of the last over when he edged Seales to wicketkeeper Hope to end a 53-ball innings that included eight fours and five sixes.
New ODI opener Jamie Smith scored freely on both sides of the wicket until, on 37, his hard-hit pull off first-change Alzarri Joseph was well caught at midwicket by Brandon King.
Left-hander Duckett cashed-in with a 34-ball fifty before he was superbly caught by Roston Chase at backward point off seamer Justin Greaves.
Duckett's exit brought in the 26-year-old Brook, appointed full-time skipper after Jos Buttler stood down as captain in February following a woeful Champions Trophy in Pakistan where England lost all three of their matches.
Brook struck Greaves for two superb sixes in three balls – a lofted off-drive followed by an audacious sweep on one knee over his shoulder.
Just when Brook was ready to cut loose, he carved Seales to deep cover where Keacy Carty held a fine low catch
Bethell ensured there was no respite for the bowlers, clubbing both Matthew Forde, whose eight wicketless overs went for a costly 88 runs, and Joseph for six before lofting Seales high over long-off.
The series continues at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens on Sunday before finishing at The Oval on Tuesday. (AFP)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
9 hours ago
- RTHK
Portugal beat Spain on penalties to win Nations League
Portugal beat Spain on penalties to win Nations League The come-from-behind victory secures Portugal their second Nations League title. Photo: AFP Ruben Neves scored the decisive spot kick after Alvaro Morata missed as Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in Munich to claim their second Nations League title. Portugal twice went behind in regulation time but twice fought back to level the scores. Martin Zubimendi took advantage of some sleepy Portugal defence to put Spain in front after 21 minutes. The brilliant Nuno Mendes levelled things up five minutes later. Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain's goalscorer in the Euro 2024 final and the 2023 Nations League final, put La Roja back in front just before the break. Cristiano Ronaldo, quiet as he had been before scoring the winner against Germany in the semis, equalised with 61 minutes gone, adjusting quickly after a Mendes cross was deflected into the air, muscling past Marc Cucurella and volleying the dropping ball home. Ronaldo was subbed off before full-time with cramp. Even though Portugal had the better of extra time, the match went to penalties. Both sides converted their first three spot kicks. Mendes buried Portugal's fourth, before Morata stepped up and shot straight at Diogo Costa. Neves nervelessly converted in front of the red and green of the Portugal fans. The victory was just Portugal's second competitive win over Iberian rival Spain in their long history. Portugal's only other win over Spain in a competitive fixture was a 1-0 victory which booted the Spaniards out of Euro 2004, with a 19-year-old Ronaldo on the left wing. Portugal became the first two-time winner of the Nations League, launched in 2018. It was Portugal's third major title, along with Euro 2016. While Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal's fluid movement troubled the Portugese defence early in the match, La Roja's opener was scrappy. Yamal chipped from outside the box and the Portugal defence froze, botching a clearance which fell to Zubimendi, who leathered the ball into the net. The goal was just rewards for Spain's early dominance, but Portugal hit back almost immediately. Mendes, put through by Pedro Neto, drilled a low shot across the goal and in. Just before halftime, Spain picked Portugal's pocket in their own half before advancing. Pedri linked with Oyarzabal, who threaded the ball past Diogo Costa. Oyarzabal's goal meant he has scored in three international finals -- against England at Euro 2024, which Spain won, and the 2023 and 2025 Nations Leagues, which Spain lost. Ronaldo had done little other than encourage the heavily Portuguese crowd until that point but would pick his moment to strike. With 61 minutes gone, Mendes shed a defender and whipped in a cross. The ball took a deflection and Ronaldo outmuscled Cucurella before lashing a volley home. The goal was Ronaldo's fourth in 10 matches against Spain. The previous three all coming in a wild 3-3 draw at the 2018 World Cup. Limping in the dying stages of regulation time, Ronaldo fell to the turf with three minutes left and signalled to the bench that his night was over. Spain may have been confident when the match went to extra time, having won on penalties in 2023, but Portugal were faultless, Neves stepping up and converting to send his teammates, including a hobbled Ronaldo, streaming onto the pitch. (AFP)
RTHK
11 hours ago
- RTHK
Alcaraz outlasts Sinner to win French Open classic
Alcaraz outlasts Sinner to win French Open classic Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates his victory against Italy's Jannik Sinner. Photo: AFP Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points as he produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday. Reigning champion Alcaraz rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome world number one Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title after five hours and 29 minutes. The 22-year-old Spaniard is now unbeaten in five Grand Slam finals after snapping Sinner's 20-match winning run at the majors. "I'm pretty sure you'll be champion not once, but many many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament. Making history with you," Alcaraz said, addressing Sinner after the final. Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. It easily eclipsed the 1982 final in Paris when Mats Wilander triumphed in four sets over Guillermo Vilas in 4hr 42min. Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man to win five Grand Slams -- after Bjorn Borg and compatriot Rafael Nadal -- following an incredible duel between the two stars of a new generation. Sinner fell agonisingly short of a third successive Grand Slam crown after last year's US Open title and back-to-back Australian Open triumphs. "It's easier to play than talking now," said a devastated Sinner. "We tried our best today, we gave everything we had. "I won't sleep very well tonight but it's OK." He suffered his fifth straight loss to Alcaraz in what was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final -- and the first championship match at a major between two men born in the 2000s. Alcaraz leads 8-5 overall having also beaten Sinner to win in Rome, where the Italian returned to competition in May after a three-month doping ban. Alcaraz put the pressure on Sinner by carving out three break points to start Saturday's final, but the Italian resisted and soon had a chance of his own. He couldn't take advantage and found himself having to fend off two more break points at 1-1, producing clutch serves to grind out another tough hold. Alcaraz's persistence paid off in the fifth game when he broke to nudge 3-2 ahead, only for the Spaniard to immediately hand the lead back. The unshakeable Sinner threatened to break again at 4-3, with a brief lapse from Alcaraz eventually enabling Sinner to snatch the first set. Sinner hit the accelerator to start the second set, surging 3-0 in front. After facing seven break points in the opener, he tightened up considerably on serve. But Alcaraz brought up his first break point of the second set with Sinner serving for a two-set lead, duly pouncing on the opportunity to check his rival's momentum. With the swagger back in his step at a crucial juncture, Alcaraz sought to bring the crowd into the contest but Sinner remained unflustered in the tie-break. The first five points went with serve before Sinner whipped a forehand down the line and Alcaraz then steered an attempted drop-shot wide. A tame return into the net presented Sinner with four set points. Alcaraz saved two before Sinner unleashed a blistering cross-court forehand to move to within a set of the trophy. It all looked to be going his way when he broke Alcaraz to begin the third set, but the Spaniard refused to surrender his title quietly and rattled off four games on the bounce to lead 4-1. Alcaraz lost serve at 5-3 but promptly broke to love to force a fourth set, lapping up the roars of the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd. That ended Sinner's run of 31 consecutive sets won at Grand Slams. Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game amid a series of holds as Sinner doubled down. The Italian appeared to be closing in on victory when he broke at 3-3 as the finish line neared. But Alcaraz had other ideas as he staved off three championship points at 3-5 and then broke Sinner when he tried to seal the title on his serve. Successive aces spurred a reinvigorated Alcaraz on in the tie-break and into a decisive fifth set. A despairing Sinner lost his serve right away and his gloom deepened as Alcaraz saved two break points to pull 3-1 ahead, but incredibly there was another twist. Alcaraz this time faltered with the title within his grasp as Sinner broke at 3-5 to spark a three-game burst that left the Spaniard needing to hold serve to prolong the final. He kept his nerve to set up a 10-point tie-break, which Alcaraz ran away with as the outrageous shotmaking continued until the very end when he took his first championship point with a sizzling forehand down the line. (AFP)
South China Morning Post
20 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Australians wary of Saudi Arabia's ‘games' as teams fight for last automatic World Cup spot
Australia's Connor Metcalfe has warned his teammates to avoid reacting to Saudi Arabia's gamesmanship when the nations face off in Jeddah on Tuesday with automatic qualification for next year's World Cup finals on the line. Tony Popovic's outfit go into the meeting at the King Abdullah Sports City with one foot on the plane to North America after a 1-0 win over Japan on Thursday bought the Socceroos breathing room in their quest for a place at the finals. Despite that advantage, Metcalfe sought to ensure the Australians do not allow their focus to slip ahead of a crucial 90 minutes that will be played out in front of more than 50,000 fans and in stifling heat. 'There's going to be a lot of diving, a lot of acting, but it's about just blocking the noise out, focusing on ourselves and doing the best we can,' said the midfielder with Bundesliga club St. Pauli. 'You can't get affected by any of it, because if you get affected by any of their little games or noise or whatever it is, then it's just going to affect the game, and they're going to get that little advantage over you.' Australia's Connor Metcalfe (right) said his team had to keep their focus in Jeddah. Photo: EPA-EFE Australia hold a three-point lead over Hervé Renard's side and a large enough goal difference to leave the Saudis needing to win by five goals to climb into second and claim the last automatic berth from the current phase of Asian preliminaries.
