The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Moeen Ali and Buttler steer England home
Cricket: Big hitters put on 77 in eight overs as rain halts ODI
England’s big-hitting duo Moeen Ali and Jos Buttler pulled off a series-clinching Duckworth-Lewis-Stern victory by six runs over West Indies at The Oval.
Moeen and Buttler joined forces in apparent adversity on 181 for five as England’s troubled 48 hours off the pitch appeared destined to continue on it.
England were chasing 356 for five after Evin Lewis’ 176 and then Alzarri Joseph’s maiden five-wicket haul left them well short on DLS.
The sixth-wicket pair had other ideas, though, hauling their team ahead with 11 fours and two Moeen sixes in his unbeaten 48.
Their stand of 77 in eight overs proved the difference by the time forecast rain terminally halted proceedings on 258 in the 36th.
Jason Roy (84) had taken his unexpected opportunity on his home ground to give England a chance of pushing for their eventual 3-0 lead, with one match remaining in this Royal London Series.
But Joseph interrupted with five for 56, and England seemed in big trouble under lights in the absence of premier all-rounder Ben Stokes and regular opener Alex Hales.
Both were unavailable after Stokes was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and Hales drove to Bristol to provide evidence of the disorder in which his team-mate was embroiled in the early hours of Monday.
Roy was first to go after an opening stand of 126, and four overs later Jonny Bairstow followed in near identical fashion caught-behind.
Joe Root bottom-edged a pull to the wicketkeeper and then Eoin Morgan and Sam Billings fell to outstanding catches by sub fielder Kyle Hope at fineleg and then Chris Gayle at a wide slip.
It left England’s Moeen and the equally dangerous Buttler badly up against it, but they rose to the occasion.
Lewis, retired hurt after hitting 17 fours and seven sixes, was the Windies’ driving force after England chose to bowl on a cloudy afternoon.
He shared stands of 117 for the fourth wicket with Jason Mohammed and then 168 with Jason Holder (77), until he was injured after jamming a ball on to his right ankle.
Chris Woakes (three for 71) ensured the tourists got off to a sticky start at 33 for three as he claimed the scalps of Gayle, Shai Hope and Marlon Samuels .
Lewis seemed set to record the first ODI double-century in this country until his painful blow off a Jake Ball yorker, and had to leave the field on a stretcher before heading to hospital for X-rays on a damaged ankle.