CRICKET – ENGLAND completed a 3-0 sweep of West Indies in their one-day international series with opener Jamie Smith’s rapid half century paving the way for a convincing seven-wicket victory at the Oval yesterday.
Set a revised target of 246 in 40 overs after West Indies posted 251-9 in a rain-shortened match, England sauntered to victory after Smith’s ferocious onslaught of 64 from 28 balls.
Fellow opener Ben Duckett chipped in with 58 and Joe Root made a relaxed 44 as England made light work of the chase – Jos Buttler joining the party with a quickfire 41 and sealing victory with a huge six in the 30th over.
A series whitewash was the perfect start for England’s new white ball captain Harry Brook after England had lost their previous seven ODIs ahead of the series.
England’s players arrived at a murky Oval on a fleet of hire bicycles to avoid local traffic problems that snagged the West Indies team coach and caused a 30-minute delay to the start.
But the 24-year-old Smith set off more like an express train as his withering assault on the West Indies attack whisked the game away from the chastened visitors.
He brought up his first ODI half century in the seventh over of England’s reply from just 25 balls, launching spinner Gudakesh Motie over the long on boundary for six.
Another six followed before Motie ended the carnage by bowling him with the next ball, Smith departing having struck 10 boundaries and three sixes in a memorable innings that earned him the man of the match award.
“I enjoyed the freedom, having the backing of the team to go out and play that way,” Smith said. “It’s not always going to go well. It’s a fine balance between being positive, not reckless.”
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