Mark Trescothick sweeps on his way to 82 as England win the final one-day match against the West Indies in Barbados to tie the series 2-2 yesterday. - Dellmar BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP):
MARCUS TRESCOTHICK blazed 82 runs to catapult England to a comfortable five-wicket victory against West Indies in the seventh one-day cricket international at Kensington Oval yesterday.
Opener Trescothick and fellow left-hander Andrew Strauss laid the platform for England's total of 262 for five off 47.2 overs to level the seven-match series 2-2 and complete its two-month tour.
The West Indies scored 261-6 in 50 overs, seeking to claim the Cable & Wireless Trophy outright, but England got to return home on a high by winning at the same venue they secured a historic Test series victory 3-0 a month before. England won a Caribbean Test series for the first time since 1968.
Trescothick launched England's victory charge by blasting 12 fours and a six in only 57 balls.
After losing skipper Michael Vaughan in the sixth over, unlucky to be given out caught behind off Ravi Rampaul for 14, Trescothick powered England to 111-1 after 15 overs, while the field was in.
He and Strauss cracked a second-wicket stand of 87 off 68 balls and Trescothick seemed set to notch his second century of the series until he fell to Chris Gayle's offspin and was stumped by Ridley Jacobs.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Still, Trescothick was named 'Man of the Match' and series, and got to watch England cruise to victory.
After Strauss was out in the 38th over, after a more circumspect 66, England completed 40 overs needing only 38 off 60 balls, and could afford to hit 13 successive singles over five overs.
Paul Collingwood (46 not out) and Chris Read (23 not out) added an unbroken 44 for the sixth wicket to put the icing on the win.
Earlier, West Indies vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan stroked an unbeaten 104, his second one-day century.
He lashed 13 boundaries off 105 deliveries, and carried the team to a competitive total after it slumped to 90-4 in the 23rd over, when captain Brian Lara was dismissed for eight.
Sarwan was supported by Chris Gayle (41), Dwayne Smith (38) and Ridley Jacobs (32 not out).
All five of England's pacers took one wicket with Andrew Flintoff (1-45) and Darren Gough (1-45) being the picks.
EXCELLENT START
England got off to an excellent start despite some aggressive strokeplay from Gayle.
Steve Harmison gave captain Vaughan an early boost after England won the toss and asked the home team to bat.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, with two half-centuries in the series, clipped a catch to square leg at 16-1.
Gayle smacked four fours and a six before he and Ricardo Powell both fell at the same score to leave England on top at 57-3 in the 16th over.
Powell was run out by a direct hit from Andrew Flintoff as he tried to scamper a single to mid-off. Gayle fell to a yorker from James Anderson that uprooted the left-hander's
offstump.
Sarwan and Lara tried to rebuild the innings with a stand of 33 for the fourth wicket.
But Rikki Clarke struck in his first over to claim the prized wicket of Lara, who tried to steer to third man but was brilliantly caught behind by Chris Read two-handed to his left.
At 90-4, the visitors were again in control, but the lower middle order ably helped Sarwan give the innings
substance.
Smith was his typically forthright self, lashing three fours and a six off 35 balls in sharing a stand of 69 with Sarwan.
SARWAN'S SECOND CENTURY
Gough claimed him in a second spell and Flintoff removed Dwayne Bravo for 11 at 193-6.
Sarwan brought up his second century in his 57th match and he and Jacobs added 68 runs in the last 10 overs to boost the West Indies.
Left-hander Jacobs punched three fours off 28 balls.
Trescothick gave the England reply a rousing start, and while the West Indies added the wickets of Rikki Clarke (nine), Flintoff (11) and Strauss in the middle overs, England was always in cruise control.
Clarke spooned a catch to midwicket off Ian Bradshaw, who also cut short Strauss as he dragged on. Flintoff drove a return catch to legspinner Sarwan.
But Collingwood and Read made sure there were to be no slip-ups at the end and comfortably saw the visitors home with 16 balls to spare.
