England won the opening one-day international by one run under the Duckworth-Lewis method on Friday, following a horrible mathematical miscalculation by West Indies coach John Dyson.
Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah had hit half-centuries to help England set West Indies 271 for victory from their 50 overs at the Guyana National Stadium.
But the match was winding down to a thrilling finish in fading light when Stuart Broad trapped Denesh Ramdin lbw to leave West Indies on 244 for seven from 46.2 overs and put England ahead on the D/L chart.
PHOTO: AP
England captain Andrew Strauss knew that he was ahead, but Dyson misread the numbers and called in his batsmen with West Indies two behind the required victory target.
Dyson, believed to be in the running for the job as England coach, consulted match referee Javagal Srinath to confirm his darkest fears: He had misread the figures and handed the tourists a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Strauss and his teammates were beaming from ear to ear following the error from the West Indies coach, who had based his calculations on six wickets lost.
PHOTO: AP
Lendl Simmons led the West Indies fight with 62 from 105 balls and Ramnaresh Sarwan made 57 from 77 balls. They added 125 from 164 balls for the second wicket to keep West Indies in the game.
When they departed in the space of 21 balls, with West Indies on 152 for three, Shivnarine Chanderpaul blitzed 46 from 30 balls and Kieron Pollard got 42 from 36 balls to get the hosts moving again. But they were two of four wickets England claimed in the space of 34 balls that tilted the game in the tourists’ favor and put the pressure on Dyson. Broad finished with three for 41 from 9.2 overs to be England most successful bowler and James Anderson took two for 39 from eight overs. Earlier, Collingwood led the way with 69 from 76 balls and Shah scored 62 from 86 balls to lift England to 270 for seven from their quota of 50 overs after they elected to bat.
Collingwood and Shah added 98 from 113 balls for the fourth wicket, but they were both dismissed in the closing overs chasing quick runs.
Shah mistimed a slog-sweep and was caught by wicketkeeper Ramdin in the 42nd over to become Dwayne Bravo’s 100th ODI wicket, and Collingwood swung a slower ball from Pollard to deep mid-wicket in the 47th over.
England had started shakily, after Strauss was caught at backward point off Daren Powell for 15 in the seventh over and Kevin Pietersen was caught at mid-on off Dwayne Bravo for 17 to leave the tourists 64 for two in the 13th over.
But Ravi Bopara put on 53 from 62 balls for the third wicket with Shah before he was lbw to left-arm spinner Nikita Miller for 43 from 42 balls. Collingwood and Shah got England back on course, but England could only manage 64 from the last 10 overs for the loss of four wickets. For West Indies, Pollard took two for 46 from eight overs, and Bravo two for 65 from his allotted 10 overs.
The second ODI is today at the same venue.
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