Adil Rashid snared four wickets in five balls as England resisted a determined West Indies effort to claim a 29-run victory in a high-scoring fourth One-Day International at the National Stadium in Grenada on Wednesday.
Responding to the tourists' mammoth total of 418 for six, the highest ever in an ODI in the Caribbean, the home side were set on course by a rampaging 162 off 97 balls by veteran opener Chris Gayle. They remained in the hunt until the 48th over when leg-spinner Rashid, who had taken a fearful hammering in his first four overs, broke an 88-run seventh-wicket partnership between Carlos Brathwaite and Ashley Nurse.
He then scythed through the tail - taking the last three wickets in the next four balls - to finish with figures of five for 85 off his allotted ten overs. Despite Rashid finishing as the match-winner with the last five wickets of the innings, it was fast bowler Mark Wood who prevented the home side from running away with the game as he completed his ten-over spell with excellent figures of four for 60 on a pitch tailormade for batting.
West Indies' total of 389 was their highest-ever in ODIs but it will be of little consolation given the final capitulation which saw the last four wickets falling at the same score to leave England with an unbeatable 2-1 lead going into the final fixture of the five-match series on Saturday in St Lucia.
Persistent rain prevented a ball being bowled in the scheduled third match, also in Grenada, on Monday.
Setting a target for the first time in the series after West Indies captain Jason Holder won the toss, England underscored the reputation acquired by their batting line-up since the disappointments of the 2015 World Cup in racing to what looked an unassailable total.
Jos Buttler led the way with a rampaging innings of 150 off just 77 balls with 12 sixes and 13 fours while his captain, Eoin Morgan, suffered only by comparison to the wicketkeeper-batsman's astonishing innings as he reached 103 off 88 deliveries with six sixes and eight fours decorating his innings.
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