Key Points
- With 17 catches taken in the match, it became one of the most action-packed games.
- The win ends England’s seven-match ODI losing streak.
ISLAMABAD: Harry Brook’s debut as England’s full-time white-ball captain couldn’t have been scripted better—a thumping 238-run win over the West Indies, a flurry of records, and a personal milestone that put him in elite company.
Brook, long known for his stylish strokeplay, made headlines this time for his brilliance in the field. He plucked five catches, equalling the world record for an outfielder in a One Day International (ODI) innings — a feat shared only with South Africa’s legendary Jonty Rhodes, the man who redefined fielding for a generation.
While most of Brook’s catches were neat and routine, one was worthy of a highlight reel—a full-stretch, mid-air grab to dismiss Jewel Andrew off Jacob Bethell’s bowling, a moment that lit up the match and underlined Brook’s fielding instincts as captain.
Fielding steels the show
But Brook was not the only fielder making headlines. Brydon Carse’s acrobatic one-handed catch on the boundary rope had jaws dropping, while Roston Chase’s sprint-and-dive dismissal of Jamie Overton showcased athleticism of the highest order. With 17 catches taken in the match, it became one of the most action-packed games for fielders, falling just two short of the all-time ODI record.
On the scoreboard, it was England’s batters who made history. Though no one reached a century, all seven of the top-order batsmen scored over 30 — a first in ODI history. Jacob Bethell’s blazing 82 led the charge as England piled on 400-8, the highest-ever ODI total without a century.
West Indies, on the other hand, found solace only in Jayden Seales, who top-scored with 29 from No.11*—just the seventh time in ODI history a last man has led the team’s scorecard. A stat both quirky and sobering for the visitors.
England’s massive victory
The result — a mammoth 238-run victory at Edgbaston—is England’s second-biggest in ODI cricket, falling just short of their record 242-run demolition of Australia at Trent Bridge in 2018.
More importantly, it ends a seven-match losing streak for England in ODIs and breathes fresh life into a side desperate to rebuild after a disappointing World Cup. Brook’s captaincy debut could not have come at a better time, and with momentum on their side, England now eye a series win—their first since early 2023—when they face West Indies again in Cardiff on Sunday, June 1.
