Jonny Bairstow century helps England to commanding win over West Indies

Jonny Bairstow
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
David Clough29 September 2017

Jonny Bairstow bagged his second hundred of the Royal London Series as England set aside controversial distractions to end their longest summer with a nine-wicket romp and 4-0 clean sweep over the West Indies.

Eoin Morgan's men could perhaps have been forgiven for trudging to the finish line after the arrest of Ben Stokes on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm, and his and Alex Hales' subsequent suspension by the England and Wales Cricket Board from international fixtures until further notice.

But England limited the tourists to 288 for six despite Shai Hope's 72 from number three and then - underpinned by Bairstow's 90-ball century, and 96 from his opening partner Jason Roy - chased with unerring ease and 12 overs to spare.

A second successive century opening stand put them on track, Roy narrowly missing his hundred for the second time in three days since returning in place of Hales and Bairstow (141no ) then completing the job with England's highest individual score against the Windies.

After Roy went within one more boundary of three figures, lbw when he missed a full ball from Miguel Cummins after 11 fours and a six from just 70 balls, Bairstow was joined by Joe Root in another untroubled and this time unbroken three-figure stand.

England's Test wicketkeeper has therefore made an admirable start to his new vocation as 50-over opener, having hit his second hundred already in only five innings so far.

His opposite number Chris Gayle had earlier taken 15 balls to register his first run, a single to cover off Jake Ball, after the Windies were put in following a start delayed because of morning rain.

But the 'Universe Boss' then briefly launched a remarkable sequence of hitting off the same bowler, registering 6-6-6-6-4-6 from successive deliveries spread over two overs.

England needed to get him quickly, and Tom Curran and Liam Plunkett had the answer with a brilliantly-disguised back-of-the-hand slower ball from the debutant and then an athletic pressure catch, running and diving back from mid-off.

Plunkett doubled up with another outstanding catch, this time off his own bowling, as he got down low to hold a Kyle Hope straight-drive with his left hand.

A curiously unproductive partnership followed between Shai Hope and Marlon Samuels in which they managed a solitary boundary between them from 122 deliveries.

There was no pay-off from Samuels either, stumped on the charge at Moeen Ali.

But Hope cashed in on two lives, dropped on 32 and 61 by Morgan and then Root.

He finally hit his first four from his 78th ball and duly made it three in three - all to fine-leg off Curran, the second taking him past 50 - before eventually holing out on the cover boundary off Ball.

West Indies still had the resources to bag 115 runs in the last 12 overs to post a credible but far from daunting target - and one which proved well within England's capabilities as they routinely chalked up a 16th win in their last 17 ODIs against these opponents.

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