Nottinghamshire’s James Taylor scored the winning runs as England’s preparations for the ICC World Cup competition received a boost with a convincing 9-wicket win over the West Indies in Sydney.
Just 5 days away from the start of the tournament England impressed in their penultimate warm-up match, ruthlessly bowling out the West Indies for only 122 in only 29.3 overs, with Chris Woakes taking five for 19.
Taylor then finished on 25 not out as England easily chased down their modest target in 22.5 overs. Ian Bell was unbeaten on 35 after Moeen Ali had scored 46 from 43 balls.
It was a clinical performance from Eoin’s Morgan’s side, almost from the moment Jason Holder won the toss and opted to bat first.
That decision soon backfired as Woakes made two important breakthroughs in the very first over.
Chris Gayle’s first delivery, the third ball of the over, lifted sharply down the legside and brushed the glove on its’ way through to Jos Buttler.
Former Notts man Darren Brave suffered a similar fate as he played at his first ball and got a regulation nick through to Buttler also.
Woakes incredible start almost reached fairytale proportions as Marlon Samuels wafted loosely at the hat-trick ball but didn’t get the crucial touch.
The third-wicket stand produced 35 runs, eventually proving to be the largest of the innings. It was Woakes, in only his fourth over, who broke it, removing Smith for 21.
Steven Finn bowled Samuels (10) and Chris Jordan found a way through Dinesh Ramdin’s defences to bowl him for only 6.
51-5 became 67-6 as Jonathan Carter also had his stumps hit, this time by the spin of James Tredwell.
Lendl Simmons tried to launch a brave counter, making 45 from 55 balls, a knock that included 4 fours and a six.
Ravi Bopara, hardly used as a bowler in the recent Tri-series, entered the attack and brought about the end of Darren Sammy (12), who hit to mid on and when Simmons became Woakes’ 4th victim the West Indies had slid to 119-8 in the 28th over.
Any thoughts of the tail digging in and trying to bat until the end of the 50 overs were quickly dispelled as Finn removed Holder, edging to Bell in the slips.
Fittingly, Woakes closed out the innings, having Andre Russell caught by Jordan, to leave the Warwickshire pace man with figures of 7.3-1-19-5.
England commenced their reply under the SCG lights but they’d hardly had time to take effect as the battsmen rattled along to 80-1 at the interval, after just 14 overs.
Ali and Bell were clearly intent on finishing the match as quickly as possible, putting on 59 in the first 10 overs and then taking the batting powerplay immediately.
The opening stand had reached 70 by the time Ali slapped Kemar Roach to Bravo in the covers but there were to be no further dramas as Bell added 55 together in 11 overs, either side of the break.
Taylor pulled Russell away behind square for the winning boundary to confirm the outcome, leaving the two sides to reflect on a huge gulf in class.
The West Indies seemed totally dispirited after losing Gayle and Bravo in the first over and delivered a thoroughly abject batting performance. They have one more warm-up match, against Scotland at the SCG, on Thursday in which to find some form.
England also have one more warm-up contest to play, coming up against Pakistan on Wednesday. Their first match in the tournament is against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday.
Neither of Nottinghamshire’s other two players in the squad, Stuart Broad and Alex Hales, featured against the West Indies.
Broad will almost certainly start once the competition begins in earnest but Hales may again have to wait for an opportunity, with the England top three all impressing again today.
Trent Bridge hosts the fourth Royal London One-Day International between England and New Zealand on Wednesday 17 June. Don't miss the chance to take in what promises to be an absorbing contest and secure your seat now.