Antigua and Barbuda: West Indies defeated England by 15 runs in the first one-day international after the visitors squandered an excellent platform that had put them in position to take the lead in the three-match series.
Replying to the home side's competitive total of 269 for six, England were restricted to 254 for six after cruising along merrily at 180 for two in the 37th over. Michael Lumb's fluent 106 on ODI debut, only the second England player after Dennis Amiss to achieve the feat, and an opening partnership of 96 with fellow first-timer Moeen Ali (44), seemed to ensure that most of the hard work was done in pursuit of a morale-boosting victory following the harrowing tour of Australia. But just as in the West Indies innings, when the home side plundered 116 runs off the last ten overs,
England lost their way in the home stretch, losing four wickets for 31 runs. "If you look at both innings, we were brilliant for 40 overs and then struggled," said England captain Stuart Broad. "I wouldn't look too much at the batting. It was the last ten overs with the ball that really hurt us."
Much of that English discomfort in the field in the final stages of the West Indies innings was caused by Darren Sammy. Coming to the crease after the fall of Lendl Simmons for 65 and a 108-run partnership with skipper Dwayne Bravo, the hosts were still labouring to get any momentum at 153 for five in the 40th over. But the former captain changed all that, bludgeoning his way to 61 off just 36 balls with five fours and four sixes as he and the man who replaced him at the helm cashed in on Broad's decision to return to the fast-medium bowlers at the end of the innings.
Bravo's unbeaten 87 off 91 balls (4 fours, 1 six) was also entertaining, the pair carting the England bowling to all parts of the huge Sir Vivian Richards ground in taking 116 runs off the hapless bowlers before Sammy fell to Tim Bresnan off the final ball
