Southampton: England rode Joe Root’s unbeaten 16th ODI hundred and brilliance of their fast bowlers to register a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over a listless West Indies in a lopsided World Cup encounter at The Rose Bowl here on Friday.
After England captain Eoin Morgan opted to field first, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood took three wickets apiece to bundle out the West Indies for just 212 in 44.4 overs with some serious pace.
Archer (3/30) and Wood (3/18) got good support from Chris Woakes (1/16) while Nicholas Pooran (63; 78 balls, 4×3, 6×1) was the sole Caribbean batsman to offer some resistance.
Chasing a modest target, England were never in any sort of trouble as Root continued his good form to remain unbeaten on 100 off 94 balls, his innings laced with 11 fours.
Root thus became only the second England batsman to hit two tons in a single World Cup after Kevin Pietersen, who smashed two centuries in the 2007 edition.
Root notched up his first century against Pakistan on June 3, but his team lost that game.
Opening the batting in place of Jason Roy who was out of the field for too long after pulling his hamstring while fielding, Root shared a 95-run opening wicket satnd with Jonny Bairstow (45; 46 balls, 4×7).
Bairstow failed to bring up his half-century, holing out to Carlos Brathwaite at third man off Shannon Gabriel.
Chris Woakes was promoted up the order and he too missed out on a fifty, getting out for 40 off 54 balls (4×4) to Gabriel. Root and Woakes stitched together a 104-run stand for the second wicket.
Ben Stokes (10 not out) hit the winning runs with a four off Windies captain Jason Holder as the hot favourites won with 101 balls to spare.
England are now second in the points table with six points from four games while the West Indies are placed sixth with just three points in their kitty from four matches.
Earlier in the match, Woakes rattled Evin Lewis (2) with a brilliant yorker as England were off to a brilliant start. Woakes would have had Gayle too had Mark Wood not dropped him when he was batting on 15.
Brief Scores: West Indies: 212 all out in 44.4 overs (Nicholas Pooran 63; Mark Wood 3/18, Jofra Archer 3/30); lost to England: 213/2 in 33.1 overs (Joe Root 100 not out, Jonny Bairstow 45, Chris Woakes 40) by 8 wickets. (IANS)
