New Delhi:
England edged past West Indies by six runs via the DLS scoring method to take an unassailable 3-0 series lead after rain played spoilsport in what promised to be a thrilling finish to the fourth one-day international at The Oval on Wednesday.
When the weather intervened in the 36th over, England managed to just beat the par DLS score at that stage after a thrilling counter-attack from Moeen Ali (48 not out) and Jos Buttler (43 not out) took them to 258 for five in reply to West Indies’ 356 for five. England’s sixth-wicket pair put on 77, timing their acceleration perfectly with the prospect of rain in the air.
The result was particularly cruel on the tourists’ Evin Lewis who hit seven sixes in a brilliant innings of 176 not out from 130 balls.Lewis’s knock came to a bizarre end when he smashed a full Jake Ball delivery against his ankle off an inside edge in the 46th over and dropped to the ground in agony.
Lewis, who was diagnosed with a hairline fracture, was wheeled away on a stretcher to a standing ovation for an innings that surpassed the previous international record for a retired hurt of 165 set by Australian Charles Bannerman against England in 1877.
Jason Holder hit 77 and Jason Mohammed 46 as the visitors posted their highest score of the series. England, without Ben Stokes and Alex Hales who were involved in a nightclub incident on Monday, got off to a fast start as they aimed for their highest successful ODI run chase.
