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England v West Indies: Jonny Bairstow century as hosts claim victory
Jonny Bairstow bagged his second century of the Royal London Series as England set aside controversial distractions to end their longest summer with a nine-wicket win and 4-0 success in the series over the West Indies.
Fifth one-day international scores (Ageas Bowl)
West Indies: 288-6 (50 overs. Hope 72, Gayle 40; Plunkett 2-54)
England: 294-1 (38 overs. Bairstow 141*, Roy 96, Root 46*)
Report
Jonny Bairstow bagged his second century of the Royal London Series as England set aside controversial distractions to end their longest summer with a nine-wicket win and 4-0 success in the series 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.
England are 11/4 outsiders with Sky Bet to win the upcoming Ashes series. Australia are odds-on favourites at 1/2 and you can back the series to end level at 6/1.
A second successive century opening stand put England on track in Southampton, 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.
Reaction
Jonny Bairstow hopes to carry his sensational Royal London Series form into this winter's Ashes.
"I'm pretty pleased," Bairstow told Sky Sports Cricket. "It's nice to finish a pretty long summer with some runs and head away this winter with a bit of confidence."
Asked whether the innings was better than the 100 not out he made at Old Trafford at the start of the series, Bairstow added: "Your first one is obviously so important, it's something that you wait a long time to get and when it comes around you want to try and capitalise on it and go from there."
Bairstow hopes his stop-start beginnings in ODI cricket are now a thing of the past as he prepares to rest ahead of the Test series in Australia.
"I think that's the nature of sport," he said. "If selection doesn't go your way you've got to bide your time and if you get your opportunity try and take it.
"I'm happy that Morgs (Eoin Morgan) and everyone has selected me this series and hopefully I've done them proud."
Morgan congratulated his England team on their response to off-field distractions.
He said: "I think probably the most convincing thing about the last couple of days, and the distractions that have gone on, was the win at The Oval.
"It was a chance to win the series.
"Everything that had happened was quite fresh, and everybody had known about it for the last couple of days.
"So to produce a performance like that in such a tight game obviously meant a huge amount to the side."
West Indies' stand-in skipper Jason Mohammed admitted it had been a tough outing.
"It's always difficult when you lose games like this," he said. "It just wasn't happening in the series and especially this game.
"The guys batted well but we didn't put the ball in the areas we wanted to."