NOTTINGHAM, June 27: An unbeaten 60 from Chris Gayle helped West Indies coast to a seven-wicket win in the third One-day International of the triangular series at Trent Bridge on Sunday after England had crumbled to 147 all out.
Captain Brian Lara hit the winning boundary, striking 32 from 29 balls as the West Indies eased home in 32.2 overs.
"It was great to get England out for under 150," Lara told reporters after his side had moved to the top of the tournament standings on nine points. "After 15 to 20 overs, things got a lot easier (in the run chase)."
Gayle and opening partner Shivnarine Chanderpaul had made a slow start in their reply, scoring only 28 runs in the first 10 overs in the face of some controlled bowling from fast bowlers Darren Gough and Steve Harmison. But Gayle, dropped on nine by England vice-captain Marcus Trescothick in the slips, then powered to his 21st half-century in one-dayers to put West Indies on track for a comfortable win.
Trescothick made some amends by taking two catches off paceman James Anderson to remove Dwayne Smith, for six, and Ramnaresh Sarwan, for 13.
Chanderpaul was the first wicket to fall, dragging an Anthony McGrath delivery on to his stumps to depart for 20.
West Indies seamer Dwayne Bravo, with three for 26, had earlier helped dismiss England in 38.2 overs for their lowest one-day score at the Nottingham ground.
Man-of-the-Match Bravo pierced England's middle order, which had been lengthened by the inclusion of four all rounders, removing top scorer Andrew Strauss for 43, Ian Blackwell for four and McGrath for nine.
"147 was never really a good enough total. I thought we bowled well but we dropped catches," said England captain Michael Vaughan. "We just did not play well enough."
Lara's decision to put England into bat on a hard pitch was justified early when left armer Ian Bradshaw dismissed openers Trescothick and Vaughan in his first two overs.
One-day debutant Geraint Jones, batting at three, then steadied the innings in an 82-run partnership with Strauss before Ravi Rampaul, who had earlier struggled with his line, bowled him for 35 off 45 deliveries.
The match was the first to be completed in the one-day triangular tournament, which also features New Zealand, after rain forced the abandonment of the first two games.
West Indies gained five points for their win, plus a bonus point.
England play New Zealand in the next match in a day-night clash at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
Scoreboard
ENGLAND:
M.E. Trescothick c Lara b Bradshaw 0
M.P. Vaughan c Sarwan b Bradshaw 1
G.O. Jones b Rampaul 35
A.J. Strauss c Jacobs b Bravo 43
P.D. Collingwood c Jacobs b Rampaul 5
A. McGrath c Gayle b Bravo 9
I.D. Blackwell c Chanderpaul b Bravo 4
R. Clarke lbw b Smith 11
D. Gough b Lawson 13
S.J. Harmison b Lawson 2
J.M. Anderson not out 2
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-5, W-8, NB-5) 22
TOTAL (all out, 38.2 overs) 147
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-2, 3-84, 4-102, 5-104, 6-115, 7-118, 8-139, 9-145.
BOWLING: Bradshaw 10-3-32-2 (3w); Lawson 9-1-36-2 (3nb); Bravo 10-2-26-3 (2w); Rampaul 6-0-34-2 (2nb, 3w); Smith 3.2-1-10-1.
WEST INDIES:
C.H. Gayle not out 60
S. Chanderpaul b McGrath 20
D.R. Smith c Trescothick b Anderson 6
R.R. Sarwan c Trescothick b Anderson 13
B.C. Lara not out 32
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-3, W-13) 17
TOTAL (for three wkts, 32.2 overs) 148
FALL OF WKTS: 1-62, 2-71, 3-93.
DID NOT BAT: R.L. Powell, D.J.J. Bravo, R.D. Jacobs, I.D.R. Bradshaw, R. Rampaul, J.J.C. Lawson.
BOWLING: Gough 9-0-33-0 (3w); Harmison 10-2-29-0 (3w); Anderson 7.2-0-39-2 (6w); Clarke 4-0-30-0; McGrath 2-0-13-1 (1w).
RESULT: West Indies won by seven wickets.
UMPIRES: M.R. Benson (England) and D.J. Harper (Australia).
TV UMPIRE: N.J. Llong (England).
MATCH REFEREE: G.R. Viswanath (India).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Dwayne Bravo.
NEXT MATCH: England v New Zealand at Chester-le-Street (D/N) on Tuesday.-Reuters
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