England seals series after Moeen blitz

Evin Lewis's stunning 176 off 130 balls wasn't enough to prevent England from winning the fourth One-Day International against Windies by six runs on DLS method at The Oval on Wednesday (September 27).

Lewis was on course to hit a double century after Windies was asked to bat first, but had to retire hurt following a freak injury in the 47th over. He deflected a delivery from Jake Ball into his ankle, fracturing it, and collapsed to the turf. After prolonged on-field treatment, he was wheeled off on a stretcher.

Nevertheless, Windies posted a formidable 356 for 5, but Jason Roy's 84 and a crucial 77-run stand between Jos Buttler (43 not out) and Moeen Ali (48 not out) helped England reach 258 for 5 in 35.1 overs before rain had the final say. In the process, England secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Heavy rain was forecast in the evening, which may have forced England to hit out from the outset.

Roy was playing his first match in the series after Alex Hales was dropped from the side along with Ben Stokes. The England allrounder was arrested in Bristol on suspicion of actual bodily harm in the early hours of Monday morning and remained under investigation after being released without charge. Hales was with Stokes during the incident.

Roy grabbed the opportunity with both hands, putting on a 126-run opening stand with Jonny Bairstow before he was caught behind off Alzarri Joseph for 84.

Joseph, the 20-year-old Windies pacer, then tore through England's batting lineup, grabbing four more wickets to pick up his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs.

Bairstow was the second to be dismissed, in an identical manner to Roy, for 39. Joe Root (14) then toe-ended the ball to the wicketkeeper, Eoin Morgan (19), the England captain, holed out to fine leg and Sam Billings was spectacularly caught by Chris Gayle at slip.

England was 181 for 5 at that stage, having lost five wickets for 55 runs, and behind in the DLS calculations when Moeen joined Buttler, pushed to Stokes's No. 5 position. Joseph had completed eight overs and Jason Holder, the captain took him out of the attack -- a mistake in hindsight as Buttler and Moeen settled down quickly.

The sixth-wicket pair took England to 256 for 5 at the end of the 35th over, ahead of DLS calculations, when the heavens opened up. Joseph returned to bowl the 36th, but only bowled one delivery before the umpires called the players off the field. He was the pick of the bowlers across both sides, finishing with 5 for 56 in 8.1 overs.

Earlier, Lewis brought up his highest ODI score -- surpassing his 148 against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo in November last year -- which featured 17 fours and seven sixes. Together with Holder (77), Lewis shared a stand of 168, having previously added 117 in 22 overs in the company of Jason Mohammed (46).

Windies had been 33 for 3 after Chris Woakes's early treble strike that included the fourth-ball dismissal of Gayle, caught in the slips following his dashing 94 in Bristol.

But even Woakes's figures suffered as he finished with 3 for 71 in 10 overs. Both Mohammed and Holder benefitted from dropped catches by Eoin Morgan although neither chance was easy.

Lewis was quickly into his stride and completed a chanceless century, off 94 balls, when he pulled Woakes for his 13th boundary. Often billed as Gayle's heir apparent, Lewis -- a far shorter and less muscular batsman -- then hit two sixes in as many balls off Liam Plunkett, the second a magnificent straight drive.

Lewis was missed on 122 when Roy, running back from cover, dropped a chance off Adil Rashid. He slog-swept Moeen for six to go to 150, with Holder also hitting a six off the spinner to complete a 47-ball fifty.