Lewis fireworks, Motie four-for power West Indies to huge win
Fri, Nov 1, '24
The only way is up as England seek to reboot their once-glorious white-ball fortunes, but on the evidence of a deeply one-sided first ODI against West Indies, the journey to the 2027 World Cup will be long, arduous and - perhaps most significantly - unfamiliar to a new generation of cricketers whose lack of experience in 50-over cricket was all too plain to see in Antigua.
The format's rhythms weren't quite such a mystery to the man who gunned them down, however. Evin Lewis had been absent from West Indies' ODI plans for more than three years until last weekend, when he announced his second coming with a 61-ball century in Sri Lanka. Now he added a startlingly violent 94 from 69 balls, making light of a two-paced pitch and a stodgy outfield to blaze eight sixes - one for each of the wickets by which his team eventually won. It might even have been nine for nine had he connected properly with the shot that got him out, an inside-out slap to wide long-off, with victory already in the bag.