NORTH SOUND, Antigua: Captain Dwayne Bravo slammed an unbeaten 87 off 91 balls to lift West Indies from the early peril of 45-4 to 269-6 against England in the first one day cricket international at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Friday.
Lendl Simmons and Darren Sammy added contrasting half centuries of their own to boost the hosts after a trio of England offspinners stalled the innings early on.
Simmons compiled 65 off 94 balls and shared a restorative fifth-wicket stand of 108 with Bravo.
Sammy went berserk in smashing five fours and four sixes in 61 off 39 as he and his skipper added 116 off 62 balls towards the end.
West Indies blasted 85 runs from the last five overs.
Earlier, James Tredwell (1-23), Joe Root and Moeen Ali each took a wicket as the England slow men stifled the hosts.
Root claimed Kieran Powell (5) to a brilliant catch at short extra cover by Chris Jordan at 19-1 in the seventh over.
Tredwell ended an enterprising knock of 24 by Dwayne Smith, who looped a catch off bat and pad to diving wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
Kirk Edwards was bowled by Tim Bresnan for 10 and left-hander Darren Bravo was lbw to Ali, one of two England debutants, as West Indies tottered to 45-4 in the 16th over.
But the pair of Trinidadians, Simmons and Bravo, rebuilt sensibly before upping the tempo once the batting powerplay was taken in the 36th.
Simmons hit six fours before he scooped a catch to extra cover off Bresnan.
But Bravo continued to bat fluently and he and Sammy ensured a grandstand finish.
Bravo lashed eight fours and a six in his knock.
During the break between innings, three Antiguan greats of West Indies cricket, fast bowler Andy Roberts, Curtly Ambrose and former captain and batsman Richie Richardson, were bestowed with knighthoods from the government of Antigua and Barbuda on the outfield from Governor General, Dame Louise Lake-Tack.
On Thursday, a statue of Sir Vivian Richards was unveiled outside the stadium named in his honour in a glitzy ceremony.
