All posts by h716a5.icu

West Ham United are in the race to sign one of Spain’s most gifted and promising youngsters…

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

According to Marca Valladolid, the Irons are in a fight to sign Real Valladolid’s Ivan Fresneda, after Crystal Palace opened talks with the Spanish club with a view to making an offer.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Chelsea and Sporting CP are also said to be interested in the right-back.

As previously reported by SPORT, the 18-year-old is valued at around €15m (£13m) by Valladolid, who recently suffered relegation to La Liga 2.

Would Ivan Fresneda be a good signing for West Ham?

The defender was born in the Spanish capital, and joined Real Madrid’s youth setup in 2014, before leaving the club in 2018. He eventually signed for Valladolid in 2020, and despite only forging 26 appearances for the senior side, has firmly established himself as one of the continent’s most eye-catching talents.

This perspective has been reinforced by Matt Clark of the LaLiga Lowdown, who highlighted Fresneda’s accomplished profile and limitless potential, saying: “He is a remarkably complete right-back despite his young age, balancing his defensive duties with the odd attack too.

"He has that coveted combination of physicality and technical ability. Tall but agile, quick and athletic, he is also strong in the tackle and reads the game very well for someone so green when it comes to first-team football.”

The teen’s defensive acumen is mirrored by his rank within the best 9% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for blocks per 90 and clearances per 90, as well as the highest 21% for tackles per 90.

Moreover, The Athletic revealed he is a high-quality ball winner, winning 75% of his duels, with only one LaLiga full-back, his teammate Luis Perez, possessing a better success rate.

Following the end of last year, Fresneda was just one of seven players aged 17 or younger to play over 1,000 minutes of first-team football in Europe’s big five leagues, to signify his growing quality and importance to his team.

Therefore, a player on this trajectory is more than capable of becoming a useful asset for a Premier League side. From a West Ham perspective, Fresneda can be viewed as an ageing and less dynamic Vladimir Coufal.

The 31-year-old has been a solid and reliable servant for the Hammers, having featured in 91 of the club’s last 116 domestic games.

His lack of pace, directness, and attacking threat are major drawbacks to his game, and he fails to embody the full nature of the ‘modern full-back.’

Fresneda, who played for a far worse side last year, demonstrated that he can outperform Coufal in this respect. Over the past 365 days, the prodigy scores better than the Czech for progressive carries per 90 (2.48 vs 2.37), successful take-ons per 90 (0.77 vs 0.13), and pass completion per 90 (77% vs 62.2%).

Whilst his offensive output isn’t prolific, as he failed to record any assists last term, this is mainly due to the lack of quality in Valladolid forwards, who managed just 33 goals in the league, the second-lowest in the division.

Therefore, Fresneda, who has been hailed as someone with “good technique” and “great energy” by Emmanuel Petit, could flourish at the London Stadium.

Monday night will see Crystal Palace welcome Arsenal to Selhurst Park in the second round of Premier League fixtures.

The pair both enjoyed narrow victories last week to get their new seasons off to solid starts.

Palace visited newly promoted Sheffield United, and while Odsonne Edouard had the ball in the back of the net three times, only one actually counted. His strike made all the difference in a narrow 1-0 win at Bramall Lane.

Arsenal, meanwhile, hosted Nottingham Forest on Saturday lunchtime and goals from a pair of academy graduates in the first half made all the difference.

Eddie Nketiah gave the Gunners the lead before Bukayo Saka curled a second home in style. Taiwo Awoniyi pulled one back for Forest late on but Steve Cooper’s men were unable to find an all-important equaliser.

And ahead of the London rivals' latest meeting, Football FanCast has taken a look at how the teams stack up against each other.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has the better head-to-head record?

Arsenal are one of the few teams in English football who can boast that they’ve never been relegated from the Premier League.

As a result, a large majority of the games in the modern era between these two London sides have been in the top flight while Crystal Palace have enjoyed their spells there.

After beating Palace 5-0 in 2005, Arsenal wouldn’t cross paths with the Eagles for almost a decade due to them featuring in the Championship.

Upon their return to the top flight, normal service was promptly resumed with a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park in 2013 for the Gunners, who have dominated this fixture since the first clash back in the 1930s.

Crystal Palace wins: 6 Draws: 16 Arsenal wins: 31 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has more wins at Selhurst Park?

Selhurst Park has been the home of Crystal Palace for nearly a century now. Mayor of London Alfred Bower officially opened the ground in 1924, and prior to playing there, Palace bounced around a number of areas for not very long at all.

Palace’s wins over Arsenal are evenly divided between home games and away games, with two of them coming in more recent years in the shape of 3-0 victories under Sam Allardyce and former Gunner Patrick Vieira.

Crystal Palace wins: 3 Draws: 9 Arsenal wins: 14 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has more wins at Highbury/Emirates Stadium?

It is hardly surprising to see that Arsenal have enjoyed many more victories when they’ve been at home. The Emirates is one of the more modern stadiums in the Premier League – Arsenal’s hugely divisive departure from Highbury in 2006 is still a point of contention for fans, particularly regarding the atmosphere.

However, Arsenal have continued to put Palace to the sword a number of times on their own patch, winning almost twice as often as not in front of the Gunners faithful.

Arsenal wins: 17 Draws: 7 Crystal Palace wins: 3 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has the better cup record?

It has been over 20 years since the pair last met in one of England’s primary cup competitions. Both clashes in the 1990s saw the Gunners prevail on their way to cup glory.

A two-legged victory saw Arsenal reach the 1992/93 League Cup final at the Eagles' expense before needing a replay on their way to their 1997/98 FA Cup triumph under Arsene Wenger.

Meanwhile, a huge win for Palace against their London rivals came in the League Cup in 1970/71 – the year Arsenal would achieve their first-ever league and cup double.

Arsenal are the record-winners in the FA Cup with their 14 triumphs trumping even Manchester United, who boast 12.

Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have twice been runners-up in that competition – losing both finals to Manchester United after extra time, one at the old Wembley Stadium and the other at the rebuilt ground in 2016.

Crystal Palace wins: 1 Draws: 2 Arsenal wins: 4 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: What were the last five meetings?

As previously mentioned, this duo haven’t faced each other in a cup competition for years, so all of their recent meetings have come in the Premier League.

19th March 2023 – Arsenal 4-1 Crystal Palace: The most recent meeting saw a Bukayo Saka masterclass at the Emirates, with the young winger contributing two goals and an assist to the Arsenal cause.

Both Sam Johnstone and Vicente Guaita were both out injured for Palace meaning that teenager Joe Whitworth experienced a baptism of fire between the sticks for the visitors.

5th August 2022 – Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal: Arsenal won both fixtures against Crystal Palace last season.

Gabriel Martinelli found the back of the net in both games, and this season-opener was hanging finely in the balance until a late Marc Guehi own goal determined the outcome.

4th April 2022 – Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: There haven’t been many more enjoyable and emphatic moments in this fixture for the Eagles than the one that took place early on in April 2022.

An intense Selhurst Park atmosphere forced Arsenal to collapse with three attackers all getting in on the act for Palace in the form of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jordan Ayew, and of course, Wilfried Zaha.

18th October 2021 – Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace: It was a generally positive match-up for Patrick Vieira’s side in that season as Palace previously went to the Emirates and left with a very respectable point.

Time has clearly passed for both clubs, with Edouard being the only remaining goalscorer from that evening.

Goals from Edouard and Christian Benteke cancelled out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's opener, before Alexandre Lacazette grabbed a dramatic late equaliser.

19th May 2021- Crystal Palace 1-3 Arsenal: This clash came in the penultimate round of the 2020/21 campaign, when Arsenal finished down in eighth despite their strong finish to the season.

Arsenal left it late again on this occasion, with Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe grabbing injury-time goals. Both wide-men scored with the clock in the red to rescue all three points for Arsenal in front of a rowdy Selhurst Park crowd back in the stands for the first time that year.

Who has played for both Crystal Palace and Arsenal?

A number of players have donned the colours of both Crystal Palace and Arsenal, but the majority of them were from many years ago. Here are just a few of the names to have this honour bestowed upon them.

Marouane Chamakh (Arsenal 2010-2013; Crystal Palace 2013-2016): The Moroccan forward had a great scoring record with Bordeaux in Ligue 1, so when he arrived at the Emirates, there was a lot of hope for him.

It didn’t exactly go to plan for him in England in spite of a few bright sparks, and he is instead perhaps most fondly remembered for netting twice in extra-time in Arsenal's infamous 7-5 League Cup win over Reading in 2012.

Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal 2006-2009; Crystal Palace 2016): Adebayor is someone who managed to deliver when wearing that classic red and white strip, only to go and ruin his Arsenal legacy through his spells at Spurs and Manchester City.

An unhappy brief spell at Palace in 2016 saw the Togolese later describe it as his 'biggest mistake'.

Ian Wright (Crystal Palace 1985-1991; Arsenal 1991-1998): Finally, the man who surely comes to mind for everyone when they think of these two clubs – the legend that is Ian Wright.

His story of how he got into football is a very emotional and real one, and is now one of the most beloved pundits in England.

Wright made over 200 appearances for both clubs and is considered to be a legend at both, too – it’s just a shame that neither of his sons, Bradley nor Shaun, played for either club.

Mathieu Flamini and Yaya Sanogo are amongst those who deserve an honourable mention.

What is Crystal Palace’s biggest victory over Arsenal?

10th April 2017: Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: When it comes to Crystal Palace’s biggest winning margin over Arsenal, there are actually two that are tied.

Palace beat Arsenal 3-0 in April 2017 and then again in the April of last year. Focusing on the former, current Aston Villa shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez was in goal for Arsenal as they visited south London.

Andros Townsend opened the scoring before the ever-classy Yohan Cabaye made it 2-0. Luka Milivojević tucked home a trademark penalty to really rub salt into Arsenal wounds.

What is Arsenal’s biggest victory over Crystal Palace?

27th January 1934: Arsenal 7-0 Crystal Palace: We have to travel back nearly 100 years to find the most convincing Arsenal victory over Crystal Palace of all time.

Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman had passed away due to pneumonia just a couple of weeks prior, and so with Joe Shaw at the helm, emotions were running high.

They won 7-0 in front of over 56,000 people in the fourth round of the FA Cup – their campaign ended with a narrow defeat to Aston Villa in round six.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Key stats

This will be the 47th top-flight meeting between the two clubs Arsenal have won two of their last three matches at Selhurst Park Arsenal haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last 5, while Crystal Palace have scored in their last 4 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Famous fixtures

4th April 2022- Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: As previously mentioned, there are two 3-0s that are tied as Palace’s most emphatic win in this London derby.

The other came the season before last and was one of a few slip-ups that derailed the top-four hopes of Mikel Arteta’s side. Arsenal may have enjoyed 69% of possession at Selhurst Park, but it counted for nothing at the end of the day.

9th November 1970 – Arsenal 0-2 Crystal Palace: Only once have Crystal Palace knocked Arsenal out of a cup competition, and that took place over 50 years ago in the League Cup. After drawing 0-0 on home soil, Palace then went to Highbury and the rest is history.

They may have gone on to lose to Manchester United in the following round, but that still remains an iconic result against the mighty Arsenal, who went on to win the league and FA Cup that year under Bertie Mee.

Kerala cruised home after KC Akshay’s nine-for while Saurashtra leapt to the top of the table after handing Jharkhand a thrashing

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2017Gujarat completed their third straight win from as many games after they thumped Haryana by 238 runs in Valsad. They needed less than 10 overs on the final morning after Haryana added only 28 runs to their overnight score of 94 for 7. Seventeen-year-old left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai picked up his second five-wicket haul in only his second first-class game and finished with a match-haul of eight wickets. Veteran legspinner Piyush Chawla, meanwhile, claimed his 23rd five-for to go with his four wickets in the first innings.Overnight batsman Harshal Patel was the first to be dismissed in the morning by Desai, following which Sanjay Pahal (41), the top-scorer for Haryana, was bowled by Chawla. Chawla then wrapped up things in his next over by having the last man Ashish Hooda caught behind. While Gujarat are on top of Group B with 19 points, Haryana are at the bottom after having lost all their three games.Kerala needed only 8.5 overs on the final morning to brush aside Jammu & Kashmir by 158 runs and collect their third win from four games in Thiruvananthapuram. With 18 points, they are now second-placed behind Gujarat having played one extra game. Debutant right-arm spinner KC Akshay picked up all the three wickets to fall on the morning to claim his maiden five-wicket haul. Akshay, 21, ended up with a match haul of9 for 58.Resuming on 56 for 7, J&K lost their first wicket in the third over of the day after Asif Khan was cleaned up by Akshay. The remaining batsmen put up little resistance, as they were bowled out for 79. Only three batsmen got into the double digits. J&K are just one rung above bottom-placed Haryana in the standings. Sanju Samson was named man-of-the-match for his century in the first innings.Saurashtra beat Jharkhand by six wickets to register their third win on the trot. Chasing 59, Saurashtra lost the opportunity to score seven points as they lost a few early wickets, but eventually completed it without much trouble. That meant they now have 20 points and have leapfrogged Kerala and Gujarat to the top of the table.Resuming on 139 for 1 after being made to follow-on, Jharkhand lost Nazim Siddiqui, in the ninth over for 75. Sumit Kumar, who made 108, and Saurabh Tiwary put on 77 runs before the latter was bowled by left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. Six overs later, Dharmendrasinh removed Sumit to leave Jharkhand on 259 for 4. Ishank Jaggi (35) and Ishan Kishan (34) added 56 runs before the floodgates opened, with Jharkhand slipping from 315 for 5 to 341 all out. Dharmendrasinh finished with four wickets.

Decision to play taken at SLC’s executive committee meeting in Colombo; Tharanga likely to skip the match

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2017Sri Lanka Cricket on Monday confirmed their decision to send its team to Pakistan for the third T20I in Lahore on October 29. The board deliberated on the issue at its executive committee meeting in Colombo, before coming to the conclusion, which came only two days after Sri Lankan players had expressed strong reluctance to travel to Lahore by signing a letter requesting the match to be moved to a neutral venue.ESPNcricinfo understands Upul Tharanga, Sri Lanka’s limited-overs captain, has pulled out of the match. A squad of 22 will be announced on Tuesday and the list is expected to be pruned to 15 by October 20. It remains to be seen if the selectors will name a full-strength squad or a second-string side as 40 contracted players had signed the letter.”SLC have over the past two months conducted a thorough evaluation with the assistance of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of Pakistan, the PCB and independent Security experts,” an SLC release stated.”The Executive Committee evaluated the reports obtained together with the recommendation of the International Cricket Council – which successfully conducted the Independence Cup tournament in Lahore fielding a World XI Team – and having been fully satisfied with the stringent security measures in place, the SLC ExCo unanimously decided to play the third T20 in Lahore on October 29.”SLC said its president Thilanga Sumathipala will accompany the team to Lahore. The board officials had also stated earlier that Sri Lanka’s players had been promised the same level of security afforded to the World XI team in September, and that the ICC was also willing to send its match officials to Pakistan.Sri Lanka’s batting coach Hashan Tillakaratne said it was the board’s duty to help Pakistan, who had aided the country during the 1996 World Cup. Following withdrawals by Australia and West Indies at the time due to security concerns, India and Pakistan had sent a combined team to play in Sri Lanka.”SLC has already announced that we will tour Lahore. In 1996, Pakistan helped us by forming the combined India-Pakistan side, and now it is our duty to help them,” Tillakaratne said.The PCB, which successfully hosted three T20Is against a World XI squad last month in Lahore, has been confident of hosting the game despite initial fears. Thisara Perera, currently part of the ODI squad in the UAE, was Sri Lanka’s only representative in those matches.The T20I on October 29 will mark the return of high-profile bilateral cricket back to Pakistan as only Zimbabwe and World XI have played international matches in the country since the Sri Lanka team bus was attacked in Lahore in March 2009.

Renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared his own update on Tottenham Hotspur and their links to Torino defender Perr Schuurs.

Who will Spurs sign next?

The biggest news of the week, and by a large distance, is surrounding star striker Harry Kane.

It has been reliably reported today that Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy have accepted Bayern Munich's latest bid for the 30-year-old superstar, with both clubs reaching an agreement on a package worth over €100 million (£86m).

If all goes to plan, the north Londoners could soon be set for a huge financial windfall, but the loss of Kane could prove an insurmountable task for manager Ange Postecoglou to overcome.

Kane's transfer to Bayern Munich would come as the most headline-grabbing transfer story of the summer, with all eyes then turning to Tottenham and how they utilise those extra funds from their huge sale.

Postecoglou, speaking to the press recently, explained that Spurs may well sign another central defender after completing a deal for Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

However, this will largely depend on outgoings. When asked about another centre-back signing, Postecoglou said: "We've to see what happens with outgoings, but the potential is there to bring in one more centre back after van de Ven."

Schuurs, according to recent reports, could well be that player as The Times reported this week that they're planning to bring in the 23-year-old – if they generate enough cash through player sales.

Romano, sharing his own update on social media, has backed those reports of Tottenham's interest in the Dutchman who could well join van de Ven in north London.

However, the journalist expands further by saying he is just one of the names on Spurs' transfer shortlist, with Lilywhites chiefs holding internal talks over signing Schuurs.

"Torino's CB Perr Schuurs remains one of the options in the list being discussed internally," wrote Romano on X.

"Player keen on PL move."

How good is Perr Schuurs?

The young centre-half, who has won titles with Ajax in the Eredivisie, could be a fine option for Spurs to reinforce their defence – especially considering he could be available for just £26 million.

As per WhoScored, Schuurs was a mainstay for Torino under manager Ivan Juric last season, racking up 30 Serie A appearances whilst even managing two assists.

The colossal 6 foot 3 defender also boasts some pretty impressive defensive stats from the 2022/2023 campaign, having made more successful tackles and clearances per 90 than any other Torino player (WhoScored).

Journalist Josh Bunting, commenting on the player's performance against Empoli in late 2022, was effusive in his praise for Schuurs – calling him a "mountain" at the back for Juric.

He wrote on X.

"First Empoli goal in Serie A for Mattia Destro as they lead at Torino. Stunning goal,the touch and the bicycle finish superb however the cross from Tyronne Ebuehi was so well weighted. Should give Destro the confidence to kick on in his season. Perr Schuurs a mountain for Torino."

It will be interesting to see if Spurs back Postecoglou by signing another solid defender this summer.

Chelsea loaning out some of their young midfielders could pave the way for Mauricio Pochettino to bring in Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

How will Chelsea's midfield numbers look if Tyler Adams enters the fold?

Chelsea recently completed the signing of young midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Ligue 1 side Rennes for a fee in the region of £23.5 million, according to The Daily Mail.

The French youth international has moved to Stamford Bridge on a seven-year contract with the option of a further 12 months on his deal at the club.

Cited by GOAL, Blues boss Pochettino has spoken about what the future may hold for the 19-year-old and whether he could be shipped out on loan this summer, stating: "Now is time to assess him until the end of the transfer window and see if he is going to be with us or the way the club signed, maybe it can be a different possibility to loan or stay with us. We need to assess him when he starts training with us today and then in London after the tour."

In a separate article by The Daily Mail, Chelsea are reportedly interested in Leeds United midfielder Adams, who has a £25 million relegation release clause built into his contract at Elland Road.

Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United are all monitoring the United States international's situation as they seek reinforcements in the engine room.

Last term, Adams, who has been a "leader" in the midfield, featured 26 times in all competitions for Leeds United and impressed despite their eventual fall into the Sky Bet Championship, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has confirmed that Adams moving to Stamford Bridge is a possibility this summer and could become viable if Chelsea send some of their young midfielders out on loan.

Jacobs told FFC: "The thing about this Chelsea squad is that it's big, but a fair few players will be going out on loan now over the course of the next few weeks. Lesley Oguchukwu came in recently and he'll be out on loan for sure and it's believed that he'll be off to Chelsea's sister club, Strasbourg.

"It may look on paper like Chelsea have got a lot of young midfielders already, but give it two weeks or so and two or three of them might have departed out on loan and there may be space for more than one midfielder. This is where somebody like Tyler Adams, as a squad player at Chelsea, may be one to watch. He's certainly on their list of possibilities."

What next for Chelsea?

Chelsea look set to continue their recruitment drive in the coming weeks and could target Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Leandro Paredes as an alternative to Moises Caicedo in midfield, with the latter proving to be hard to attract after Brighton knocked back an £80 million bid for the Ecuador international last week, as per The Evening Standard.

Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez could be on his way to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £25 million and is soon set to undergo a medical ahead of a proposed move to the Blues, as per Sky Sports.

Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise is on Chelsea's radar amid stiff competition from Manchester City for his services, though the Eagles are holding out for a fee of £50 million, according to The Guardian.

Pochettino will be keen to rubber stamp arrivals of key targets by next weekend when Chelsea take on Liverpool in their opening clash of the Premier League season.

Moeen Ali produced one of the most breathtaking batting assaults in international history, a 53-ball hundred that included an incredible eight sixes in the space of 14 balls, as England withstood a withering riposte from the mighty Chris Gayle to seal an

The Report by Andrew Miller24-Sep-20170:36

The might of Moeen

England 369 for 9 (Moeen 102, Root 84, Stokes 73, Cummins 3-82) beat West Indies 245 (Gayle 94, Plunkett 5-52, Rashid 3-34) by 124 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMoeen Ali produced one of the most breathtaking batting assaults in international history, a 53-ball hundred that included an incredible eight sixes in the space of 14 balls, as England withstood a withering riposte from the mighty Chris Gayle to seal an unassailable 2-0 series lead in the third ODI at Bristol.The final margin of victory, 124 runs, may have been comfortable for England in the end, but it required a performance of rare brilliance from Moeen to put his team’s total beyond the range of a spirited West Indies side, who rallied with impressive resolve from a humiliating final six overs in which their seamers were panned for 93 runs.Set a daunting 370 to win, having at one stage had England wobbling on 217 for 6, West Indies stayed in the hunt until Gayle’s dismissal for 94 from 78 balls in the 27th over. At 176 for 4, it was an insurmountable loss, especially after Marlon Samuels had been sent on his way for 11 via a contentious DRS overturn, although Jason Holder cracked a brisk 34 from 26 balls to maintain the defiance into the 40th over. It was left to Adil Rashid – the man whose dead-eyed shy from midwicket had sawn Gayle’s innings off in its prime – and a maiden five-wicket haul from Liam Plunkett to snuff out the last of West Indies’ resistance.For much of the contest, a packed Bristol crowd might have assumed that a 132-run stand for the fourth wicket between England’s two biggest names, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, would be enough of a treat to mark their day out. But Moeen had other ideas. The sheer audacity of his hitting is best expressed in the purity of his final 14 balls – 6, 6, 2, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6, 2, 4, 1, 6, 0, 6 – with which he transformed a meandering run-a-ball 39 into the fastest ODI hundred ever made on English soil.As the blows rained down, West Indies’ resolve went to pot – and it had been pretty resolute up to that point, with England forced twice to battle back from uncompromising scorelines – first when Root and Stokes rescued them from 74 for 3, and then when Moeen and Chris Woakes came together at an awkward 217 for 6 in the 35th over.But the ferocity of the dead-eyed Moeen ripped the contest from their clutches. His onslaught was triggered by the return to the attack of Miguel Cummins, who up to that point had been West Indies’ outstanding bowler with a haul of three prime wickets – namely Root, Alex Hales and the off-colour Jos Buttler. But Moeen cleared his front foot from the very first ball he received, battering him for back-to-back sixes to bring up his fifty from 41 balls.And that was just the start. Another six from the final ball of Cummins’ over segued into three more in a row off Holder, as West Indies conceded a grim 50 runs in two overs. Jerome Taylor might have ended the fun thereafter but Gayle dropped a slashed cut at point with Moeen on 87, whereupon the hapless Cummins was slammed into the stands twice more in three balls to bring up a stunning century.The final moments of Moeen’s innings had a touch of comedy about them as he was dropped twice in two balls by Ashley Nurse, the second an absolute howler off a top-edged slog, before picking out Holder one ball later. Poor Nurse had already clung onto a blinder two overs earlier, as he intercepted a scudding slog from Woakes to long-on, only to fling the ball over the boundary for six as his momentum took him over the rope.It was all a far cry from the tentative beginnings to England’s innings. After being asked to bat first on an unnerving greeny-brown surface that Eoin Morgan hoped would “play better than it looks” (not half…), England’s openers struggled initially for timing. When Jonny Bairstow popped a leading edge back to Holder to fall for 13 – his lowest completed ODI innings in his last eight visits to the crease – England were 28 for 1 after six overs, and braced for an attritional afternoon.Hales, widely touted for an Ashes call-up, showed flashes of his form in making 36 from 35 balls before being pinned lbw by Cummins, whereupon Morgan, bereft of runs in the course of his nomadic T20-led late-season, was done in first ball by Holder, a perfect lifter on off stump that kissed the edge of a tentative bat through to Shai Hope.At 74 for 3, the innings was in the balance, but Stokes and Root were unruffled as they set about laying the groundwork for what would prove a monstrously successful rebuild.After milking the spinners throughout the middle orders, Root signalled a change-up in tempo with an emphatic slog-sweep for six over midwicket off Nurse, and Stokes was all too willing to take up the challenge, crashing Nurse for consecutive sixes down the ground to threaten carnage. However, Rovman Powell, sticking to his guns in a restrictive spell of seam-up, tempted Stokes into a rash swipe to deep point for 73, and when Cummins produced a snorter to tickle the off bail of Buttler, he followed up by luring Root into a loose waft across the line. It could have been a decisive intervention. Instead, it merely unleashed the fury of Mo.And that could well have been that, so far as a contest was concerned. West Indies, however, have found a rare means of battling back in adversity on this tour – from their response to humiliation at Edgbaston in the Test series, to their victory in the Durham T20 after the Lord’s defeat, and now with the return of the Universe Boss from last week’s hamstring strain.With nine fours and six sixes in his 94 from 78 balls, including three in a row off Moeen to rebalance his overall match figures, Gayle’s presence alone kept the contest bubbling going into the final half of the innings. But then, a familiar shortcoming sold him short. With England forever on the alert for his increasingly fallible running between the wickets, Rashid at midwicket pinged down the non-striker’s stumps, and West Indies’ top gun was gone by a matter of millimetres.By then, the deck-hitting excellence of Plunkett – another man, maybe, with distant Ashes aspirations – had cranked open the top of West Indies’ batting order. In particular his early extractions of Hope and Samuels – albeit contentiously – were reward for the time-honoured virtue of pace and bounce outside off stump. And fittingly, it was Plunkett who wrapped up the contest with 65 balls remaining, as Holder holed out to long-off.