Joe Root hit his second century of the tournament after England pace battery tormented the West Indies batsmen to set up a thumping eight-wicket win in their World Cup match here Friday.
West Indies got a taste of their own medicine — they hadtroubled the Pakistanis with bouncers in their only win thus far — as theEngland pace battery unleashed fiery spells to bundle them out for 212 in 44.4overs.
England overhauled the target with remarkable ease,completing the win in 33.1 overs as Root remained unbeaten on 100, which cameoff 94 balls.
In his 16th ODI hundred, Root found the boundary rope 11times.
West Indies owed their total to Nicholas Pooran (63), whochose the biggest stage to strike his maiden ODI fifty, and Shimron Hetmyer’s(39) sensible batting on a pitch which had no demons.
They added 89 runs for the fourth wicket but West Indies’big guns failed to fire.
Extravagance, when the situation demanded patience, resultedin Chris Gayle (36) and Andre Russell (21) throwing their wickets away. The T20style batting in the longer format cost their side dear.
Young pacer Archer (3/30) had the West Indies batsmendancing on the pitch, troubling them with the steep bounce.
Archer, Mark Wood (3/18), Chris Woakes (1/16) and Liam Plunkket(1/30) delivered the goods for the home favourites after home skipper EoinMorgan opted to field.
For defending 212, West Indies needed early wickets butopeners Root and Jonny Bairstow (45) punctured all their hopes with acommanding 91-run stand. It seemed the two batsmen were competing to hit mostthe elegant shots one can hit. Their cover and straight drives were likeunrestrained stream of a river. Left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell did ask a fewtough questions to the English duo but Root and Bairstow were up for the task.
Bairstow departed when his square cut off Shannon Gabriellanded straight into the big hands of Carlos Brathwaite.
Root and Woakes (40), promoted to number three, then added104 runs for the second wicket to push the side to the doorstep of acomfortable win.
The result catapulted England (6) to the second spot in thetable behind New Zealand (7).
Earlier, the ball was hurrying on to the batsmen and whetherit was a Shai Hope (11) or the big-hitting Gayle, the Caribbeans found thegoing tough as timing the ball was a challenge. They had already lost EvinLewis (0), bowled by Woakes off a yorker.
Gayle, out of frustration, pulled one from Woakes, justmanaged an edge but escaped as Wood grassed a sitter. The marauding batter didhit a few big shots, including a massive straight six off Woakes, but did notlast long, edging one straight to Jonny Bairstow off Plunkett.
Hope’s torturous stay was ended by Wood when he had himtrapped after reviewing the umpire’s not out decision.
Pooran and Hetmyer then chose restrain over flamboyance,steading the innings.
The duo did all the hard work, working the ball around tokeep the scoreboard going in their partnership, which got broken when Joe Roothad Hetmyer caught off his own bowling. The part-time off-spinner struck in hisnext over too, dismissing the rival captain Jason Holder (9) in similarfashion.In came Russell and the ball was soon flyinginto the stands. He twice dispatched leg-spinner Adil Rashid into the crowdafter being dropped but was dismissed, attempting another big shot off Wood.