Moeen blasts England to victory in third ODI

BRISTOL: Moeen Ali hit the second fastest one-day international century in England’s history to set up a win over West Indies by 124 runs on Sunday. The victory gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the third of the five-match series after the second game was washed out last week.

Joe Root with 84 and Ben Stokes (73) were the other main contributors to an imposing total of 369-9 off 50 overs.

They shared a fourth-wicket stand of 132 as Root became the highest scorer in all formats in an English international season.

Then Ali took over, reaching his century off 53 balls, the last of them being his eighth six. Only Jos Buttler, from 46 balls against Pakistan in 2015, has ever got there faster for England. Ali eventually holed out to long-off for 102 as West Indies’ labouring bowlers went for 123 in the final 10 overs.

“The ground isn’t that big so it’s nice to play on it,” he told Sky Sports. “I just tried to slog it as much as I could.”

Opener Chris Gayle led the response, at one stage hitting Ali for three consecutive sixes, but he never quite had sufficient support and was run out for 94 going for a quick single. Ali even took the final catch as the innings ended for 245, Liam Plunkett finishing with 5-52.

Earlier, England lost three wickets for 11 runs to be 217 for six in the 35th over. But a stand of 117 in 76 balls between Ali and Chris Woakes (34) turned the tide.

Root (84) and Ben Stokes (73) had laid the platform for a large total with a fourth-wicket stand of 132 in 20 overs before England briefly lost their way.

West Indies bowled well early on but the bowlers’ figures took a battering, with Miguel Cummins taking three wickets but conceding 82 runs in nine overs. Paceman Holder took two for 81 in 10.

Ali’s six-hitting assault really got going as England scored a remarkable 50 runs in two overs — the 45 and 46th of their innings.

He should have been out for 87 when he smashed a Jerome Taylor full toss to point only for fit again Gayle to drop the catch. Brief scores: England 369-9 (Moeen

Ali 102, Joe Root 84, Ben Stokes 73; Miguel Cummins 3-82) beat West

Indies 245 in 39.1 overs (Chris Gayle 94; Liam Plunkett 5-52) by 124 runs.