The Prague Post - England captain Brook off to winning start with West Indies thrashing

Victory ended England's seven-match ODI losing streak and put them 1-0 up in the three-match series.

The success was built on a commanding total of 400-8 -- the highest total in any ODI without a hundred -- after Jacob Bethell (82), Ben Duckett (60), Brook (58) and Joe Root (57) all made fifties.

West Indies collapsed to 79-5 in reply and were eventually dismissed for 162 as their bid to become only the second side in ODI history to score more than 400 runs to win ended with more than 23 overs remaining.

Last man Jayden Seales was the West Indies' top score with 29 not out, one of just three contributions above 20 in the innings.

This was England's second-largest ODI win in terms of runs, exceeded only by their 242-run rout of Australia at Nottingham in 2018.

Saqib Mahmood took a trio of top-order wickets Thursday on his way to 3-32, with England's impressive fielding display exemplified by the one-handed boundary catch Brydon Carse held off his fellow fast bowler to remove West Indies captain Shai Hope for 25.

As Clive Lloyd, the West Indies' captain when they won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979, looked on from the stands, Adil Rashid took two wickets in his 150th ODI with the veteran leg-spinner ending the match when he bowled tailender Alzarri Joseph.

England -- sent in to bat by Hope -- had looked as if they might fall short of a truly imposing total after several batsmen got out when well set.

- Bethell runs riot -

But Barbados-born left-hander Bethell, back from the Indian Premier League and on his Warwickshire home ground, continued to punish a wayward West Indies attack in which fast-bowler Seales took four wickets but conceded an expensive 84 runs in nine overs.

Bethell and Will Jacks (39) put on exactly 100 runs in seven overs late on to take England from 287-5 to 387-6.

The 21-year-old Bethell, still without a hundred in any form of senior cricket, fell off the first ball of the last over when he edged Seales to wicketkeeper Hope to end a 53-ball innings that included eight fours and five sixes.

New ODI opener Jamie Smith scored freely on both sides of the wicket until, on 37, his hard-hit pull off first-change Alzarri Joseph was well caught at midwicket by Brandon King.

Left-hander Duckett cashed-in with a 34-ball fifty before he was superbly caught by Roston Chase at backward point off seamer Justin Greaves.

Duckett's exit brought in the 26-year-old Brook, appointed full-time skipper after Jos Buttler stood down as captain in February following a woeful Champions Trophy in Pakistan where England lost all three of their matches.

Brook struck Greaves for two superb sixes in three balls -- a lofted off-drive followed by an audacious sweep on one knee over his shoulder.

Just when Brook was ready to cut loose, he carved Seales to deep cover where Keacy Carty held a fine low catch

Bethell ensured there was no respite for the bowlers, clubbing both Matthew Forde, whose eight wicketless overs went for a costly 88 runs, and Joseph for six before lofting Seales high over long-off.

The series continues at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens on Sunday before finishing at The Oval on Tuesday.

A.Slezak--TPP