Eoin Morgan, the England captain, was delighted with his team’s ability to fight back with the ball, during the final stages of a Windies slugfest in the first ODI in Barbados.
At 287 for 4, the visitors were headed towards 400, but England’s bowlers pulled things back nicely, conceding just 73 runs in the last nine overs – 34 of which came in two overs. Jason Roy and Joe Root then launched a savage assault on the visiting team’s bowlers, shaving off 54% of the target inside the first 25 overs. And with nine wickets in hand, England never fell behind the mark in a steep chase of 361.
“The calm nature in which we came back with the ball was great,” Morgan said after the game on Wednesday, 20 February. “We did well in the last 10-15 overs – they were headed for 380-400. It felt like a 330 chase, and not 360 – that’s how well we started the chase with Roy and Bairstow.”
“Joe and Roy, when they bat together, complement each other. The way they batted today proves that,” he said. “We just didn’t have a great day in the field, and we need to hold our catches on this kind of a ground and wicket. Adil bowled well when he was asked. We are happy with where we are, and that’s good with the World Cup in perspective.”
For Roy, who pillaged 15 fours and three sixes to notch up his seventh ODI hundred, the innings was all about trying to minimise damage. The England opener had shelled Gayle on 9, and but for the lapse, England could have well been chasing a sub-par total.
“It was a nice surface. A pretty big total, daunting to start with, but Jonny and I started well and continued,” he said. “I’m still in a deficit for dropping Chris Gayle, so I need to make up for it throughout the series. We (Joe and I) rotated the strike well, and to see us right through to the end was impressive. We’ll keep our feet on the floor and work hard for Friday.”
