Plunkett relishes facing barnstorming Gayle

– England fast bowler Liam Plunkett is excited at the prospect of facing West Indies’ big-hitter Chris Gayle (right) in an upcoming one-day international series.

Veteran left-handed opener Gayle gave England a taste of what they can expect in the five-match ODI clash with a typically rapid 40 as World Twenty20 champions West Indies beat England by 21 runs in the lone T20 international of their tour in Durham on Saturday.

A sell-out crowd were rewarded for braving a cold and rainswept night by the sight of Gayle smash-

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ing three fours and four sixes in just 21 balls.

It was a reminder that the 37-year-old Jamaican has lost none of his power at the crease and England are preparing for more of the same when the ODI campaign starts at Old Trafford today.

“I don’t think anyone knows how to bowl to Gayle, do they?” said Plunkett. “He’s such a good player, he just hits the ball out of the park wherever he wants.”

None of the West Indies side that played on Saturday featured during their recent 2-1 Test series loss in England.

But the likes of Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor, who missed the Test series because of a clash with the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 tournament and the legacy of a bitter dispute with Cricket West Indies chiefs, are now back in the fold.

“It’s good they have their experienced players back, a lot of stars, and that’s what you want to play against,” said 32-year-old Plunkett.

“You want to beat the best they can bring over.”

While the West Indies also have two World Cup titles behind them, England have yet to win a major global one-day international trophy, with the 2010 World Twenty20 in the Caribbean their lone piece of International Cricket Council silverware.

But England are a much-improved ODI side since their woeful first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

“In one-dayers we’re a good team, we haven’t won any silverware obviously but in terms of the last two years with the amount of games and series we are a confident team,” Plunkett said.

“We feel like we should beat them (West Indies).” –