Associated Press

Georgetown, April 19:

Chris Read smashed three sixes in a 27 off 15 balls to blast England to a two-wicket win over the West Indies in a reduced-overs opening ODI match at Bourda on Sunday. The 25-year-old wicketkeeper posted 18 runs from Corey Collymore’s penultimate over as the tourists passed the West Indies’ total of 156 for five off 30 overs with three balls remaining. With England needing 21 runs from two overs, Read smacked six, four, six off Collymore’s third, fourth and fifth deliveries to tilt the balance in favour of the visitors. With three runs to win off the final over, Darren Gough struck the winning stroke after Read was dismissed from the first ball by Chris Gayle. Ian Blackwell’s 27 off 21 deliveries helped boost England’s winning 157 for eight off 29.3 overs.

Gayle led the West Indian bowling with three for 20. Dwayne Bravo, on debut, was impressive in taking two for 31 off six overs. Shivnarine Chanderpaul spearheaded the home team’s batting with 84 off 96 balls. The opener lashed 11 fours and two sixes. England held the upper hand through the first 20 overs as the West Indies struggled to 78/4. Chanderpaul took 52 balls to muster his first 10 runs before opening out with a volley of strokes that yielded his next 74 runs from 44 balls. He lost Gayle for 2 to Gough. When Ricardo Powell (10) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (0) fell in Andy Flintoff’s first over, the West Indies was struggling at 25 for three. But Sylvester Joseph gave him the support he needed in a fifth wicket partnership of 87. The second match is at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Saturday.