West Indies secure an eight-wicket victory over England in Antigua, led by Evin Lewis’ explosive 94.
In the opening one-day international (ODI) in Antigua, the West Indies defeated England by eight wickets, utilizing the DLS method to chase down a revised target with ease.
West Indies opener Evin Lewis led a powerful batting display, scoring a rapid 94 off 69 balls, which included five fours and eight sixes. His aggressive innings brought the home side to the brink of victory at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Lewis was dismissed shortly before the win, attempting to reach his century with a six.
England, fielding a relatively inexperienced lineup, managed to post only 209 runs, and bowled out within 45.1 overs. Gudakesh Motie proved challenging for the visitors, taking 4-41 with his left-arm spin. Stand-in skipper Liam Livingstone top-scored for England with 48 from 49 balls, partnering with Sam Curran (37) for a 72-run stand, but they were the only batters to score above 30 as England’s batting faltered.
With the ball, England seamers Jofra Archer and debutant John Turner bowled with pace, consistently challenging Lewis and his opening partner, Brandon King. However, they couldn’t make an early breakthrough, allowing Lewis to settle and reach his 50 off 46 deliveries, repeatedly clearing the leg-side boundary.
Rain interrupted the match briefly, leading to a revised target of 157 for the West Indies. Upon resuming, Lewis picked up right where he left off, finally falling just 13 runs short of victory. Captain Shai Hope then guided the team to a comfortable finish, scoring the winning runs in the 26th over.
The teams will face each other again on Saturday at the same venue (13:30 GMT), followed by the final ODI in Barbados on Wednesday.
