England have just beaten West Indies in the Test Series.
Now the two teams go head for head in a different format of the game - the one day, rather than five day, match. One innings with each team bowling 50 overs.
Both teams took off their whites and donned their coloured kits and headed to the County Cricket Ground in Bristol, home of Gloucestershire (even though Bristol isn't in Gloucestershire) where glorious sunshine awaited them.
This was the second ODI, with the first being washed out by the rain at Yorkshire's ground in Leeds.
You would have thought the Windies would be used to the sunshine. But it didn't seem like it. And you wouldn't have though that the Windies were once the greatest team on Earth in the 1970s.
A combination of poor Windies batting and devastating England bowling skittled the Windies out for just 160 runs.
That means England required 161 runs in their 50 overs to win the match - which they got in 36 overs and with 6 wickets to spare.
Eoin Morgan, who once played for Ireland, made his debut for England.
England fans can now sample the local cider to celebrate.
Sunday, 24 May 2009
BBC Sport
West Indies: 160
England: 161-4
(At the County Cricket Ground, Bristol)
England win by 6 wickets
England: Strauss (C), Bopara, O Shah, E Morgan, Collingwood, Prior (W), Mascarenhas, Broad, Swann, Bresnan, Anderson
West Indies: Gayle (C), Simmons, Sarwan, Chanderpaul, Pollard, DJ Bravo, Ramdin (W), Sammy, Je Taylor, Benn, Rampaul
Blue sky thinking: A perfect summer's day for cricket at Bristol inspired England more than it did West Indies
England took a 1-0 lead with one match remaining in the one-day international series after thrashing West Indies by six wickets with 14 overs to spare.
Stuart Broad claimed wickets in each of his opening two overs as the Windies were dismissed for 160 inside 39 overs.
Chris Gayle hit two sixes in a breezy 31 and Dwayne Bravo fired 55, but Paul Collingwood (3-16) also struck twice in two overs and Broad finished with 4-46.
Collingwood shared 76 with Owais Shah (41) and was 47 not out from 51 balls.
If losing both Test matches was partly due to a dislike of cold weather, the tourists can have no complaints about the conditions in Bristol, which were gloriously sunny and warm.
They were also well supported by a large West Indian contingent in a colourful capacity crowd, who will all no doubt be wondering what will happen to their once world-conquering side next.
In addition to the batting travails, there were wides, misfields and overthrows on a regular basis.
A surreal afternoon was summed up at the scheduled mid-innings break, as England were already eight overs into their reply and had knocked off 35 runs.
Previous England new ball attacks might have provided Gayle with the width to cut loose, but James Anderson and Broad were exemplary from the outset.
Broad was immaculate, fast, full and straight, and Lendl Simmons played all around one at 92mph and was struck on the line of off-stump.
Ramnaresh Sarwan lasted only two balls and edged another perfectly placed delivery from Broad, as the first four overs produced seven runs.
Gayle's cavalier innings was brought to an end by spinner Swann
Gayle's response was typically positive and thrilling to watch, standing tall to smash Broad over long-on for six like Phil Mickelson driving at a par-five, as 30 runs came from the next four overs.
Strauss boldly opted for the spin of Graeme Swann, and when his first delivery was despatched into the builders' huts there was some concern as to the wisdom of the decision.
But Swann held his nerve, fired in a quicker ball, and when Gayle tried to repeat the shot, it flicked off his pad and rattled the timbers.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was also true to type and calmly set about the task of rebuilding the innings in partnership with the more expansive Bravo, who was returning to the side after missing the Tests because of an ankle injury.
Bravo played some flamboyant shots but also some classical ones, with a checked straight drive off Dimitri Mascarenhas sailing for six.
But having shared 50, the stand ended in the 23rd over when Chanderpaul hit an uncharacteristic swipe and skewed to backward point.
Another Strauss bowling change soon brought further rewards as the shrewd Collingwood gave Bravo a taste of his own medicine with a delightfully disguised slower ball in his opening over that nipped back through the gate.
Denesh Ramdin was plumb lbw in Collingwood's next over and worse was to follow as Jerome Taylor set off for a single.
Collision course: England wicket keeper Matt Prior and Dwayne Bravo of the West Indies come together during the one day international at The County Ground
The gargantuan Sulieman Benn arrived at number 10 with almost 15 overs remaining, but his immediate agricultural swipes made it clear he was not going to attempt to bat out the allocation.
With such a paltry total to defend, something special was needed in the field, but it did not happen, as Taylor sent down two wides and a leg-side delivery was nonchalantly clipped for four in the first over.
Kieron Pollard did not cover himself in glory either, dropping Strauss at point in the second over, and allowing a routine edge to squeeze through his legs and go for four.
Just when a 10-wicket defeat looked likely, Strauss miscued to backward point, while Matt Prior never got going and edged to slip where Gayle took a juggling catch.
England were actually well behind the Windies at a comparative time but were always in command.
Bopara, fresh from three successive Test centuries against the Windies, reached 43 with some ease, playing some stylish drives and wristy flicks, before he was trapped in front trying to work another ball into the legside.
The match petered out in the manner of a benefit at the sleepy Arundel Castle ground, and the tourists will have a weight of criticism to answer ahead of the final match of the series at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
Pollard briefly atoned by hitting the stumps from a prostrate position as Shah was needlessly run out, watching the ball instead of Collingwood's call for an admittedly unnecessary single, which allowed debutant Eoin Morgan to come in with just four needed.
The Irish left-hander was almost stumped before recording the winning single.
It was Gayle's 200th one-day international and the 100 defeats he has endured says much about his team's inconsistency.
Match winner: Paul Collingwood hit an unbeaten 47 off 51 balls and took three for 16 with the ball as England eased to a six wicket win over West Indies with 14 overs to spare
Blue sky thinking: A perfect summer's day for cricket at Bristol inspired England more than it did West Indies
No damage: Andrew Strauss managed just four runs from 16 deliveries but England still took a 1-0 series lead over West Indies with plenty to spare
Collision course: England wicket keeper Matt Prior and Dwayne Bravo of the West Indies come together during the one day international at The County Ground
Head down: Matt Prior laboured for his 11 runs as England beat West Indies in the one day international at Bristol
Winning start: England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss against his West Indies counterpart Chris Gayle at Bristol and decided to have a bowl
Broad smiles: England paceman Stuart Broad finished with figures of four for 46 as England's bowlers got the better of West Indies at Bristol
Gayle forced out: England spinner Graeme Swann took the prized wicket of West Indies captain Chris Gayle who had hit 31 off 28 deliveries
Evasive action: England wicket keeper Matt Prior dodges a fierce shot from West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul
On the move: Shivnarine Chanderpaul sets off after the West indian batsman hit a clean drive past England's Andrew Strauss
Royal jelly legs: Fans enjoy themselves in the Bristol sunshine during England's one day international with West Indies
Early promise: West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul laboured to 27 as England restricted the tourists to just 160
Give them a hand: England's Tim Bresnan celebrates the wicket of West Indies danger man Shivnarine Chanderpaul with Andrew Strauss, who took the catch
Look back in anger: Dwayne Bravo of West Indies is clean bowled by Paul Collingwood of England during the 2nd ODI at The County Ground
telegraph.co.uk
Now the two teams go head for head in a different format of the game - the one day, rather than five day, match. One innings with each team bowling 50 overs.
Both teams took off their whites and donned their coloured kits and headed to the County Cricket Ground in Bristol, home of Gloucestershire (even though Bristol isn't in Gloucestershire) where glorious sunshine awaited them.
This was the second ODI, with the first being washed out by the rain at Yorkshire's ground in Leeds.
You would have thought the Windies would be used to the sunshine. But it didn't seem like it. And you wouldn't have though that the Windies were once the greatest team on Earth in the 1970s.
A combination of poor Windies batting and devastating England bowling skittled the Windies out for just 160 runs.
That means England required 161 runs in their 50 overs to win the match - which they got in 36 overs and with 6 wickets to spare.
Eoin Morgan, who once played for Ireland, made his debut for England.
England fans can now sample the local cider to celebrate.
Sunday, 24 May 2009
BBC Sport
West Indies: 160
England: 161-4
(At the County Cricket Ground, Bristol)
England win by 6 wickets
England: Strauss (C), Bopara, O Shah, E Morgan, Collingwood, Prior (W), Mascarenhas, Broad, Swann, Bresnan, Anderson
West Indies: Gayle (C), Simmons, Sarwan, Chanderpaul, Pollard, DJ Bravo, Ramdin (W), Sammy, Je Taylor, Benn, Rampaul
Blue sky thinking: A perfect summer's day for cricket at Bristol inspired England more than it did West Indies
England took a 1-0 lead with one match remaining in the one-day international series after thrashing West Indies by six wickets with 14 overs to spare.
Stuart Broad claimed wickets in each of his opening two overs as the Windies were dismissed for 160 inside 39 overs.
Chris Gayle hit two sixes in a breezy 31 and Dwayne Bravo fired 55, but Paul Collingwood (3-16) also struck twice in two overs and Broad finished with 4-46.
Collingwood shared 76 with Owais Shah (41) and was 47 not out from 51 balls.
If losing both Test matches was partly due to a dislike of cold weather, the tourists can have no complaints about the conditions in Bristol, which were gloriously sunny and warm.
They were also well supported by a large West Indian contingent in a colourful capacity crowd, who will all no doubt be wondering what will happen to their once world-conquering side next.
In addition to the batting travails, there were wides, misfields and overthrows on a regular basis.
A surreal afternoon was summed up at the scheduled mid-innings break, as England were already eight overs into their reply and had knocked off 35 runs.
Previous England new ball attacks might have provided Gayle with the width to cut loose, but James Anderson and Broad were exemplary from the outset.
Broad was immaculate, fast, full and straight, and Lendl Simmons played all around one at 92mph and was struck on the line of off-stump.
Ramnaresh Sarwan lasted only two balls and edged another perfectly placed delivery from Broad, as the first four overs produced seven runs.
Gayle's cavalier innings was brought to an end by spinner Swann
Gayle's response was typically positive and thrilling to watch, standing tall to smash Broad over long-on for six like Phil Mickelson driving at a par-five, as 30 runs came from the next four overs.
Strauss boldly opted for the spin of Graeme Swann, and when his first delivery was despatched into the builders' huts there was some concern as to the wisdom of the decision.
But Swann held his nerve, fired in a quicker ball, and when Gayle tried to repeat the shot, it flicked off his pad and rattled the timbers.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was also true to type and calmly set about the task of rebuilding the innings in partnership with the more expansive Bravo, who was returning to the side after missing the Tests because of an ankle injury.
Bravo played some flamboyant shots but also some classical ones, with a checked straight drive off Dimitri Mascarenhas sailing for six.
But having shared 50, the stand ended in the 23rd over when Chanderpaul hit an uncharacteristic swipe and skewed to backward point.
Another Strauss bowling change soon brought further rewards as the shrewd Collingwood gave Bravo a taste of his own medicine with a delightfully disguised slower ball in his opening over that nipped back through the gate.
Denesh Ramdin was plumb lbw in Collingwood's next over and worse was to follow as Jerome Taylor set off for a single.
Collision course: England wicket keeper Matt Prior and Dwayne Bravo of the West Indies come together during the one day international at The County Ground
The gargantuan Sulieman Benn arrived at number 10 with almost 15 overs remaining, but his immediate agricultural swipes made it clear he was not going to attempt to bat out the allocation.
With such a paltry total to defend, something special was needed in the field, but it did not happen, as Taylor sent down two wides and a leg-side delivery was nonchalantly clipped for four in the first over.
Kieron Pollard did not cover himself in glory either, dropping Strauss at point in the second over, and allowing a routine edge to squeeze through his legs and go for four.
Just when a 10-wicket defeat looked likely, Strauss miscued to backward point, while Matt Prior never got going and edged to slip where Gayle took a juggling catch.
England were actually well behind the Windies at a comparative time but were always in command.
Bopara, fresh from three successive Test centuries against the Windies, reached 43 with some ease, playing some stylish drives and wristy flicks, before he was trapped in front trying to work another ball into the legside.
The match petered out in the manner of a benefit at the sleepy Arundel Castle ground, and the tourists will have a weight of criticism to answer ahead of the final match of the series at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
Pollard briefly atoned by hitting the stumps from a prostrate position as Shah was needlessly run out, watching the ball instead of Collingwood's call for an admittedly unnecessary single, which allowed debutant Eoin Morgan to come in with just four needed.
The Irish left-hander was almost stumped before recording the winning single.
It was Gayle's 200th one-day international and the 100 defeats he has endured says much about his team's inconsistency.
Match winner: Paul Collingwood hit an unbeaten 47 off 51 balls and took three for 16 with the ball as England eased to a six wicket win over West Indies with 14 overs to spare
Blue sky thinking: A perfect summer's day for cricket at Bristol inspired England more than it did West Indies
No damage: Andrew Strauss managed just four runs from 16 deliveries but England still took a 1-0 series lead over West Indies with plenty to spare
Collision course: England wicket keeper Matt Prior and Dwayne Bravo of the West Indies come together during the one day international at The County Ground
Head down: Matt Prior laboured for his 11 runs as England beat West Indies in the one day international at Bristol
Winning start: England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss against his West Indies counterpart Chris Gayle at Bristol and decided to have a bowl
Broad smiles: England paceman Stuart Broad finished with figures of four for 46 as England's bowlers got the better of West Indies at Bristol
Gayle forced out: England spinner Graeme Swann took the prized wicket of West Indies captain Chris Gayle who had hit 31 off 28 deliveries
Evasive action: England wicket keeper Matt Prior dodges a fierce shot from West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul
On the move: Shivnarine Chanderpaul sets off after the West indian batsman hit a clean drive past England's Andrew Strauss
Royal jelly legs: Fans enjoy themselves in the Bristol sunshine during England's one day international with West Indies
Early promise: West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul laboured to 27 as England restricted the tourists to just 160
Give them a hand: England's Tim Bresnan celebrates the wicket of West Indies danger man Shivnarine Chanderpaul with Andrew Strauss, who took the catch
Look back in anger: Dwayne Bravo of West Indies is clean bowled by Paul Collingwood of England during the 2nd ODI at The County Ground
telegraph.co.uk
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