BRISTOL, Sept 25: Moeen Ali�s blazing century set up England�s 124-run victory over West Indies in the third one- day international at Bristol last night as the hosts went 2-0 up with two to play in a five-match series.
Ali�s 53-ball ton � with his second fifty coming off just 12 deliveries � was the cornerstone of England�s imposing 369 for nine.
West Indies were in with a chance so long as the big-hitting Chris Gayle was making 94.
But when the veteran opener, who missed the rainswept no-result in the second ODI at Trent Bridge on Thursday with a hamstring injury suffered warming up on his 38th birthday, was run out the tourists� hopes of winning disappeared with him.
West Indies were eventually dismissed for 245, with fast bowler Liam Plunkett taking five for 52 � his maiden ODI five-wicket haul � as England won with 65 balls to spare.
Earlier, all-rounder Ali sprinted to his hundred with nearly half of his runs coming via eight sixes, before he fell for 102.
His century also included seven fours, with the left- hander needing a mere 12 balls for his second fifty.
England�s total was their largest in a one-day international against West Indies, surpassing their 328 for seven at Edgbaston in 2009, and their fifth-largest in this format overall.
Man-of-the-match Ali�s hundred was also the second quickest by an England batsman at this level after Jos Buttler�s 46-ball ODI century against Pakistan in Dubai in 2015.
England lost three wickets for 11 runs to be 217 for six in the 35th over.
But a partnership of 117 in 76 balls between Ali and Chris Woakes (34) turned the tide in a match that featured 28 sixes in total.
Joe Root (84) and Ben Stokes (73) had laid the platform for a large total with a fourth-wicket stand of 132 in 20 overs.
With Ali leading the charge, England scored 123 runs in their last 10 overs after being sent into bat.
Ali�s six-hitting assault really got going as England scored a remarkable 50 runs in two overs � the 45 and 46th of their innings.
He should have been out for 87 when he smashed a Jerome Taylor full toss to point only for Gayle to drop the catch at point.
Ali went to his century with two sixes in three balls off Miguel Cummins � a pull over deep square leg followed by a soaring drive over long-on.
He eventually holed out off spinner Ashley Nurse and received a standing ovation from a near-capacity crowd.
�I enjoyed myself,� Ali told Sky Sports. �The ground isn�t that big so it�s nice to play on it. I just tried to slog it as much as I could.�
West Indies opener Evin Lewis hit two sixes in David Willey�s first over before the left-arm quick had him caught at mid-on by Ali.
SCORECARD
England: J Bairstow c and b Holder 13, A Hales lbw b Cummins 36, J Root lbw b Cummins 84, E Morgan c Hope b Holder 0, B Stokes c Lewis b Powell 73, J Buttler b Cummins 2, M Ali c Holder b Nurse 102, C Woakes c Powell b Taylor 34, L Plunkett run out (Taylor) 9, D Willey not out 1, A Rashid not out 9. Extras: (lb1, nb2, w3) 6. Total: (9 wkts, 50 overs) 369. Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-73, 3-74, 4-206, 5-210, 6-217, 7-334, 8-354, 9-358. Bowling: Taylor 10-1-75-1; Holder 10-0-81-2; Cummins 9-0-82-3; Bishoo 5-0-33-0; Nurse 8-0-59-1; Powell 8-0-38-1.
West Indies: C Gayle run out (Rashid) 94, E Lewis c Ali b Willey 13, S Hope c Buttler b Plunkett 20, M Samuels c Buttler b Plunkett 11, J Mohammed c Bairstow b Plunkett 38, R Powell c Woakes b Rashid 8, J Holder c Ali b Plunkett 34, A Nurse lbw b Rashid 1, D Bishoo c Morgan b Plunkett 12, J Taylor b Rashid 0, M Cummins not out 4. Extras: (lb3, w7) 10. Total: (all out, 39.1 overs) 245. Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-79, 3-109, 4-176, 5-192, 6-210, 7 -212, 8-241, 9-241, 10-245. Bowling: Woakes 7-1-32-0; Willey 4-0-34-1; Plunkett 8.1-0-52-5; Ali 10-0-65-0; Stokes 4-0-25-0; Rashid 6-0-34-3. � AFP
