England piled up their highest one-day total in three years as Harry Brook’s reign as permanent white-ball captain began with a bang at Edgbaston.
England piled up their highest one-day total in three years as Harry Brook’s reign as permanent white-ball captain began with a bang at Edgbaston.
A decade on from reaching 400 for the first time in an ODI at the same venue to kick-start a famous reboot in the format under Eoin Morgan, England posted 400 for eight in this Metro Bank series opener.
It is the sixth occasion England have got to or gone past 400 in a 50-over contest and their greatest score since a world record 498 for four against the Netherlands in June 2022. Against a major nation, it is England’s best in six years.
That's 4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ and done ✅
A strong display with the bat means West Indies need 401 to win. pic.twitter.com/psfj8Cu9dc
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 29, 2025
Brook was one of four batters to pass fifty – all of the top-seven made a minimum of 37 – as he recorded 58 off 45 deliveries but Jacob Bethell stole some of his thunder by top-scoring with 82 off 53 balls as England ran up 117 in the final 10 overs.
A first international century still eludes Bethell but the Barbados-born 21-year-old put the flagging Windies bowlers to the sword late on, and he perhaps even reinforced his credentials for a Test return.
Bethell missed last week’s win against Zimbabwe because of his Indian Premier League commitments while this was his first England outing in three months, having been injured for the torturous Champions Trophy campaign that led to the resignation as skipper of Jos Buttler.
But Bethell flogged eight fours and five sixes, putting on 98 in just 44 balls alongside Will Jacks, before nicking off to Jayden Seales, who claimed peculiar figures of four for 84 from nine overs.
Amid scrutiny Bethell could return to England’s Test top-order, potentially displacing Zak Crawley or Ollie Pope, the youngster did his chances no harm on a blustery Thursday afternoon in Birmingham.
Jamie Smith, in his first innings as ODI opener, and Buttler, in his first innings back in the rank-and-file, both made 37 while Ben Duckett contributed a typically busy 60 off 48 balls and Joe Root a characteristically unobtrusive 57 off 65 deliveries.
Brook added some flair, upping the ante after taking 13 singles from his first 19 balls to slap five fours and three sixes to take 45 off his next 26 before perishing to an excellent catch in the deep by Keacy Carty.
