news desk
Southampton
Joe Root’s classy unbeaten century led England to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over West Indies in a one-sided Cricket World Cup match in Southampton on Friday.
Chasing a modest 213 for victory, Root and Jonny Bairstow shared an opening partnership of 95. After Bairstow fell for 45, Root and Chris Woakes added 104 for the second wicket.
Woakes, promoted up the order due to injuries, departed for 40 but Root and Ben Stokes took the hosts and tournament favourites to their target with more than 16 overs to spare.
England’s third victory in four matches lifted them to second in the 10-team standings while West Indies are sixth following their second loss.
In the first inning, England lost two fielders and dropped two outfield catches yet managed to dismiss the West Indies for 212 in 44.4 overs on Friday in cold, mainly overcast conditions in the 19th fixture of the World Cup.
Joe Root picked up his first two wickets in one-day international cricket since January 2018, both caught-and-bowled, and Barbados-born paceman Jofra Archer (3-30) picked up his first wickets against West Indies.
Archer was expensive in his opening spell but had a chance for a hat trick in his second, picking up his first wicket on a referral to the TV umpire when Nicholas Pooran (63) got a fine edge off his glove to England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
Mark Wood (3-18) finished off the innings when he bowled Shannon Gabriel with a yorker as the last four West Indies wickets fell for 10 runs.
The late collapse started the ball after England captain Eoin Morgan hobbled from the field after having back muscle spasms in the 40th over, when West Indies was 202-6 and before Archer had taken a wicket.
