West Indies v England 3rd ODI: Tourists seal whitewash

Third ODI scores (Kensington Oval)

England win by 186 runs and seal the series 3-0

England innings (50 overs): 328 all out (Hales 110, Root 101; Joseph 4-76, Holder 3-41)

West Indies innings (39.2 overs): 142 all out (Carter 46; Woakes 3-16, Plunkett 3-27)

Match Report

Alex Hales and Joe Root's centuries helped England complete a historic 3-0 one-day international whitewash with a 186-run trouncing of West Indies at the Kensington Oval.

Hales' comeback hundred, after breaking his hand in India, and Root's first in this format for more than a year underpinned England's 328 all out with a second-wicket stand of 192.

West Indies' reply faltered immediately as both openers went in the space of the first nine legal deliveries en route to 142 all out in 39.2 overs, Chris Woakes (three for 16) and Liam Plunkett (three for 27) took most advantage of home failings - and England cruised to their first ODI whitewash success in the Caribbean, and victory by their fifth-highest runs margin.

Eoin Morgan's team can therefore press on towards the Champions Trophy with confidence enhanced after resounding success - albeit against inexperienced opponents who have not qualified for this summer's global event in England, and following two harder-fought wins in Antigua.

Hales (110) and Root (101) joined forces at 27 for one after England were put in as the Windies used the new ball well in awkward early conditions.

Hales responded with an innings containing nine fours and five sixes - the fourth maximum completing his 99-ball fifth ODI hundred with a mistimed hook over the wicketkeeper's head off Alzarri Joseph (four for 76).

Root rode his luck a little to register his ninth century in this format, with 10 fours from 107 balls.

After Jason Roy planted a catch into the hands of mid-off, Root had two escapes. He was badly dropped on one by Evin Lewis at midwicket off Joseph, before Ashley Nurse put down a tougher chance at a wide fourth slip when an edge on 12 off Jason Holder (three for 41) floated to the fielder's right but just carried.

Hales found the necessary momentum, largely by hitting Devendra Bishoo out of the attack.

The leg-spinner's fifth and last over cost 18 runs.

Hales' only moment of worry came on 93 when he missed a sweep at occasional off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite and was given out lbw but went to DRS - which overturned the decision because Hawk-Eye simulated the ball going straight on from round the wicket to miss off stump.

The opener was in with an outside shot at breaking his own English record ODI score of 171 until he went after another big hit and steepled a catch to short fine leg off Joseph.

Out-of-form Jos Buttler was promoted - but despite the bonus of a free-hit first ball, dispatching it for six over long-off after Joseph overstepped to Root, England's wicketkeeper missed out again.

Morgan did too, but Root completed his century before his attempt to hit a six with the wind next ball got barely as far as deep mid-on. Moeen Ali became Joseph's second victim of the over when he chipped back a return catch for a golden duck to augment the young seamer's career-best.

England were still able to bag 87 for seven in a hectic last 10 overs, Holder taking two late wickets in two balls and Ben Stokes providing most of the tourists' muscle.

West Indies' chase never got started.

Extra bounce from Steven Finn and Woakes brought three simple catches with the new ball, two at midwicket and one straight back to the bowler.

Kieran Powell, Lewis - able to open following his trip to hospital for an x-ray on his wrist after falling on the concrete concourse as he stopped a boundary early in England's innings - and then Brathwaite were all found wanting as the total lurched to 13 for three.

The slide abated for a time, only for the introduction of Plunkett - who was on a hat-trick at one point - to put the skids under the Windies' middle order too.

He produced a fine delivery to hold up from the angle and hit the top of Jason Mohammed's off-stump, and then took two in two as Shai Hope chipped a third catch into the leg-side ring and Holder got an inside-edge to the wicketkeeper.

The Windies were all but done at 45 for six.

Stokes then exacted instant revenge for last year's ICC World Twenty20 mauling from Carlos Brathwaite by pinning his fellow all-rounder lbw with the only ball he bowled at him in the series.

Jonathan Carter's resistance fell four short of a half-century, but he did help stop England registering a new record margin of victory.

Match Reaction

Eoin Morgan on Alex Hales' comeback century and England's batting performance: "Unbelievable. I think it's quite rare - guys come back and are hungry and determined to score runs, but they don't necessarily come in and win you a game.

"They might slowly but surely get 50, 70 or a hundred. But to come in with a man-of-the-match-winning performance, I thought was brilliant.

"Halesy was very responsible up front until he got to about 60 and then found himself in a position where he could take it on to the short side and did it really well. Then, when he got to mid or late-80s, he slowed it down a little bit because it got a bit trickier.

"I thought it was extremely satisfying, setting a total like that when you don't know how it's going to play in the afternoon. I thought we did a great job. (Then) having scored 300, I think the beauty of it is - given the position we were in - not taking it for granted.

"It was probably our best batting performance of the series, simply because I thought conditions were a lot more difficult than we've come up against. We (still) don't really know what a good par score is...we might have defended 200, maybe 220, if we'd bowled as well as we did.

"When it's up and down like that, we could easily have lost three wickets early."

Alex Hales on his century: "The last six months personally have been long and frustrating, especially with an injury involved as well, so to come back in my first game back and score a hundred is a great feeling.

"When I chose not to go to Bangladesh, I knew I was opening up a spot for other people to come in and perform well. That was obviously one of the risks I was taking. India, the injury came at a really bad time for me. Obviously you do have those thoughts.

"I'm pleased they've backed me and stuck with me and hopefully I've repaid the faith."

Asked if it was his most important international hundred: "Definitely, and one of the most satisfying as well. It's been a great day."

West Indies coach Stuart Law on the series defeat: "Where we were at half-time was obviously not where we wanted to be. The good thing about our bowling performance is we are creating opportunities, (but) we're just not accepting them.

"In the first game, you put down a player of Eoin Morgan's class and he punishes you with a hundred. We've done the same today with Joe Root, so those are valuable lessons we must take on board and learn to accept it's an area we need to improve. There's no substitute for hard work...we've got to make sure that when those opportunities come again we do grab them."