Daily Times

MANCHESTER: Jonny Bairstow struck a maiden one-day international hundred as England condemned West Indies to a seven-wicket defeat at Old Trafford on Tuesday. The defeat means the twice former champions can no longer gain direct entry to the 2019 World Cup. West Indies, the 1975 and 1979 World Cup winners, had to take this five-match series 5-0 or 4-0 with a tie or no result if they were to avoid the indignity of a qualifying competition for the next edition in England in two years’ time.

But a total of 204 for nine, in a series-opener reduced to 42 overs per side after a wet outfield delayed the start by two hours, never looked enough. England finished on 210 for three, winning with a mammoth 67 balls to spare.

Bairstow, who justified his retention at the top of the order, was exactly 100 not out – his first century in 28 matches at this level coming six years after his ODI debut, whereas all-rounder Ben Stokes, who ended the contest with a six off spinner Ashley Nurse, remained unbeaten on 23. Bairstow was quickly into his stride, driving West Indies captain Jason Holder through the covers for the first of 11 fours in 97 balls.

Together with Yorkshire team-mate Joe Root, he put on 125 in 19 overs for the second wicket before England’s Test captain played-on to Kesrick Williams for 54. But Bairstow, whose previous highest ODI score was a match-winning 83 not out against New Zealand in Durham two years ago, went to his century with a hard-run three off Nurse despite slipping. “It seems a long time ago that I made my debut in ODI cricket,” Bairstow told Sky Sports. “When you get a chance you try to take it but with the strength in depth that we’ve got in the England side at the moment, the opportunities are few and far between.” He added: “We’ve got a serious belief within the side that, although we didn’t do ourselves justice in the Champions Trophy, that going forward to the World Cup and the rest of this series we need to rectify that.” Earlier, West Indies innings in this day/night clash fell away after a breezy opening stand of 45 between Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis. Stokes took three for 43 with only West Indies captain Jason Holder’s 41 not out ensuring the tourists got past 200.

Published in Daily Times, September 21^st 2017.