Windies hammered in ODI curtain-closer

SOUTHAMPTON, England, (CMC):

West Indies failed in their bid to end their English summer on a high, when they suffered a heavy nine-wicket drubbing in the final one-day international (ODI) of the five-match series yesterday.

Defending 288 at the Ageas Bowl, West Indies were put to the sword by Jonny Bairstow, who belted an unbeaten 141, and fellow opener Jason Roy, who hammered 96, as the hosts marched to their target off 38 overs to complete a 4-0 series win.

The pair put on 156 for the first wicket before Test captain Joe Root, who ended unbeaten on 46, added a further 138 in an unbroken second-wicket stand with Bairstow to see England to their 16th win over the Windies in their last 22 ODI meetings.

Stroke-maker Shai Hope had earlier gathered a stylish 72 as West Indies rallied to 288 for six off their 50 overs after they were sent in.

Talismanic opener Chris Gayle slammed an aggressive 40, while debutant Sunil Ambris struck 38 not out, and Kyle Hope, 33.

Veteran Marlon Samuels got 32, while tail-ender Ashley Nurse produced a cameo unbeaten 31, and stand-in captain Jason Mohammed, 25.

The left-handed Gayle provided the fireworks with a four and five sixes off 29 balls as he added 52 for the first wicket with Kyle Hope.

Gayle struck three back-to-back sixes off hapless pacer Jake Ball in the fifth over that cost 20 runs before attempting another big hit off debutant seamer Tom Curran and perishing to a great catch by Liam Plunkett running back at mid-off in the eighth over.

The Windies' momentum then slowed even though the Hope brothers put on 34 for the second wicket and Shai and Samuels added 57 for the third wicket.

Kyle faced 38 balls and counted three fours before driving a return catch to pacer Plunkett in the 15th over and Samuels consumed 60 balls and struck a single four before missing a charge at off-spinner Moeen Ali and going stumped in the 32nd over at 143 for three.

With the innings badly in need of energy, Shai and Mohammed combined in an important 52-run, fourth-wicket stand off 50 deliveries to lift the Windies.

Shai stroked four boundaries and a six - an imperious pull over mid-wicket off Ball - in a polished 95-ball innings while Mohammed hit a four a and six off 30 balls before picking out Joe Root at long-off leg-spinner Adil Rashid in the 40th.

Shai raised his fourth ODI half-century in the 39th over with the second of three successive boundaries off Curran, but with the charge on, was caught by Sam Billings on the deep cover boundary in the 44th over, as he aimed for his second six.

At 221 for five in the 44th over, the innings was in danger of stalling, but Ambris and Nurse then provided an important late flourish to get the Windies up to a decent total.

West Indies bowlers leaked 71 runs from the first 10 overs, with Roy and Bairstow cashing in.