Livingstone wins the battle of the centuries-old captains in England

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Captain Liam Livingstone hit his maiden one-day international hundred on Saturday, leading England to a five-wicket win against the West Indies.

Livingstone's brilliant innings surpassed opposing captain Shai Hope's century earlier in the day.

The England captain chased victory in 329 balls and scored his hundred off 77 balls with four fours and six sixes.

He finished the innings unbeaten on 124 after adding another boundary and three more sixes to his total, helping England claim victory with 15 balls remaining.

From 160-4, Livingstone and Sam Curran put on a match-winning partnership of 140 for the fifth wicket.

Curran scored a run-a-ball 52 while openers Phil Salt (59) and Jacob Bethell (55) also celebrated half-centuries.

“At the end of the summer I felt like I was getting back to my best, maturing a bit and knowing my game,” said Livingstone, who leads the team in place of the injured Jos Buttler.

“I enjoy my cricket and when I enjoy it I usually play well. Sammy played wonderfully.”

He added: “We were sloppy in the field but our bowlers did well and took wickets consistently. We have a lot of young guys getting familiar with international cricket, it will do them a lot of good.”

West Indies fast bowler Matthew Forde took 3-48, but key off-spinner Gudakesh Motie remained wicketless in nine overs and conceded 71 runs, the costliest return of his ODI career.

Hope scored 117 – his 17th ODI century – as the West Indies recovered from the loss of openers Brandon King and Evin Lewis, a century-maker in the first game, within four overs with just 12 on the board.

Both wickets fell to fast bowler John Turner, his first victims in the format in his second appearance.

Hope's innings included eight fours and four sixes.

Keacy Carty scored 71 while Sherfane Rutherford added momentum with a brisk 54 from 36 balls.

Hope described his century as “irrelevant if it doesn’t contribute to victories”.

He added: “We have to be more disciplined. In the first game we showed that when he hits our straps, things happen.”

“We thought we had clear plans, but we didn't execute our plans well. We gave them lots of easy opportunities to score and when you play international cricket the boys will capitalize on that and that’s exactly what happened.”

England used nine bowlers in the West Indies innings, with only wicketkeeper Salt and Jordan Cox not having the ball thrown to them.

West Indies won the first game at the same venue by eight wickets on Thursday. The three-game series will be decided on Wednesday in Barbados.

“Back in the series, we are looking forward to Barbados, we will rest and try to win the series,” Livingstone added.

The two teams will also play a five-match Twenty20 International series.

DJ/various