England v West Indies: Joe Root sees hosts home with polished century

England's Joe Root celebrates reaching a century in the World Cup group stage win over the West Indies at the Hampshire Bowl, Southampton (Picture: Steven Paston/PA Wire).

Joe Root’s second century of the World Cup helped England cruise to victory over the West Indies, but the celebratory mood in Southampton was punctured by injury scares for captain Eoin Morgan and opener Jason Roy.

A commanding eight-wicket win against dangerous opponents was important in firming up England’s semi-final prospects, though seeing two of their best batsmen limp from the field was a bitter pill to swallow.

Roy hurt his left hamstring sprinting at cover and Morgan headed straight for the pavilion after a back spasm, with neither man taking their usual places in the batting order.

England will be desperate for positive news from the treatment room, but the pair were not missed on the day, a modest chase of 213 proving a walk in the park for Yorkshire’s Root, who opened for the first time in his international one-day career and made 100 not out in 94 deliveries.

England's Jonny Bairstow catches out West Indies' Chris Gayle Southampton. Picture: Adam Davy/PA

Root had already played an unlikely role with the ball, taking two wickets with his occasional off-spin, and the role reversals continued with a Chris Woakes cameo at No 3.

Having never batted higher than seven in his previous 91 appearances, the all-rounder was handed an emergency elevation and chipped in with an assured 40.

The game was brilliantly set up by the bowlers, Barbados-born seamer Jofra Archer and Mark Wood delivering with pace and purpose as they shared combined figures of 6-48.

Archer’s first appearance against the team he had represented at Under-19 level had been much debated, but he took the moment in his stride as the West Indies slid from 144-3 to 212 all out.

England's Joe Root drives through the covers at Southampton. Picture: Adam Davy/PA

All eyes were on the 24-year-old after England opted to bowl first, but first blood went to Woakes, scattering Evin Lewis’s stumps with a toe-crushing yorker in the third over.

Woakes thought he had a second – the prize scalp of Chris Gayle – but was left aghast as a tough chance popped out of Wood’s hands at third man.

Giving Gayle a second chance can be among the costliest mistakes in one-day cricket, and a smooth six down the ground suggested the price tag might be a hefty one. Y

et the burly Jamaican never quite made England pay, making 36 before pulling Liam Plunkett to deep midwicket.

Wood made his own amends, ending a tortured knock by Shai Hope, before Nicholas Pooran (63) and Shimron Hetmyer (39) showed some backbone. Their 89-run stand frustrated England rather than hurt them, but it was as good as it got for their rivals as the innings fell off a cliff inside 15 overs.

In the absence of Moeen Ali, overlooked for the second game in a row, it was Root’s seldom-seen off-breaks that kick-started a collapse of seven wickets for 68.