A thrilling rally from Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Smith saw West Indies fight back to beat England by five wickets in the fifth one-day international at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St. Lucia. (Scores
West Indies 284-5 (48 overs) beat England 281-8 (50 overs) by five wickets Man-of-the-match Sarwan (73 not out) and Smith, with a 28-ball 44, added 80 in nine overs to turn the match for the home side. England's 281-8, the highest ever total at St Lucia's two-year-old stadium, was topped with 12 balls to spare. Marcus Trescothick hit 130 and Andrew Flintoff 59 in a 110-run fourth-wicket partnership for the tourists. After three washed-out matches, the series was left tied at 1-1 with two games remaining, the next at the same venue today.
England appeared to have more than enough runs to play with after running wild with the bat and then regaining control with the ball after a difficult start on a good pitch with a fast outfield. When home captain Brian Lara edged Steve Harmison behind for 37, spirits were flagging with 91 runs needed off the last 12 overs.
But Sarwan and Smith made the maths a formality with an astonishing onslaught.
Ian Blackwell, James Anderson and Harmison each conceded two sixes in an over, Smith crashing the last four over the off-side field.
Flintoff bowled him through the gate but by that time the equation was 11 from 20.
Dwayne Bravo lofted Darren Gough over the covers for six to finish the job.
Lara's decision to bowl first looked had looked ill-judged as Trescothick and captain Michael Vaughan shared a brisk opening stand of 43.
Debutant Ian Bradshaw, who replaced Corey Collymore in the side, dismissed Vaughan for 25, gaining an edge behind with some extra bounce.
Flintoff was patient for 46 deliveries, when he hit his second boundary, a booming six over midwicket off Bravo and spinner Ricardo Powell suffered similar punishment
The ball that brought his dismissal could easily have been a third six as long-on fielder Dillon was knocked off his feet by a flat, fizzing drive, but the ball fell on his prone body and he completed the catch.
Trescothick's innings was brought to an end in the 46th over when Chris Read took an ill-advised single, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul knocked off the bails with a throw from point.
Read at least kept the tempo up through the closing stages, with a run-a-ball 24.
The runs continued to flow as the West Indian reply began, with opening bowlers Gough and Harmison both taking heavy punishment.
Outstanding catches brought Chris Gayle's downfall for 36 and saw Chanderpaul fall for 40.
Flintoff's first eight unerringly accurate overs cost just 26 runs and although he did not take a wicket in two spells he was key in stifling the home innings.
Flintoff could not bowl from both ends, though.
As his star bowler's quota came to an end, Vaughan was left at a loss for bowling options as Sarwan and Smith took off.
Sarwan set the stage for the fireworks that followed, his 77-ball innings including just four fours and those two sixes off Blackwell. (BBC Sport).
SCOREBOARD
ENGLAND (50 overs maximum)
M. Trescothick run out (Chanderpaul) 130
*M. Vaughan c wkpr Jacobs b Bradshaw 25
A. Strauss b Dillon 10
P. Collingwood c wkpr Jacobs b Rampaul 4
A. Flintoff c Dillon b Bravo 59
I. Blackwell b Bravo 0
+C. Read c Powell b Bradshaw 24
R. Clarke b Gayle 6
D. Gough not out 3
S. Harmison not out 3
Extras (lb6, w6, nb5) 17
TOTAL (8 wkts - 50 overs) 281
J. Anderson did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-114, 3-124, 4-234, 5-235, 6-249, 7-267, 8-275.