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Ian Bell's first boundary was a straight six off Andre Russell © Getty Images
It was a tale of three openers during the early stages of the one-day series between England and West Indies. The most hyped of them, Chris Gayle, did not even make the field as he was ruled out with a leg problem shortly before the toss. Alastair Cook was then removed for a duck in the opening over before Ian Bell, passed fit after the nasty blow he took to the chin yesterday, resumed his one-day international career with a fifty at better than a run-a-ball.
Gayle's situation emerged out of nowhere with no indication that he was suffering a problem following the warm-up match against Middlesex. Darren Sammy said he was hopeful Gayle would recover in time for the second ODI at The Oval on Tuesday but for the time being Gayle's international career remains stalled.
West Indies, though, initially started well in the field after Sammy had put England in on a pitch with a green tinge. Ravi Rampaul found Cook's edge with his third delivery when the captain nibbled outside off stump. There was also time before the first over had finished for West Indies to use up their one review when Sammy was talked into asking for an lbw against Jonathan Trott which was only clipping leg stump.
However, while Rampaul continued his nagging form from the Test series life was easier at the other end against Andre Russell. England's innings was given a kick-start in the sixth over when Bell took Russell for 18 - which began with a sublime straight six - to put to bed any concerns over his fitness after the blow he took during nets that led to him needing 10 stitches in his chin and left him carrying a suspected facture of his jaw. Kevin Pietersen, who tweeted support to his former team-mates earlier in the day, could not have done it any better.
Bell had a nervous moment on 23 when Rampaul was convinced he had found the outside edge but umpire Richard Kettleborough said not out. Hot Spot did not show anything on replay although Snicko suggested at a thin edge. Two balls later Bell responded with a rasping square cut as Rampaul dropped short and wide.
Bell's timing and placement was effortless, but the going was tougher for Trott who had collected an early boundary through midwicket but had to wait until the 16th over for his second when Dwayne Bravo drifted into the pads. However, the Warwickshire pair did run well together and pushed some lacklustre West Indies fielding within the circle and on the boundary edge - which had been pushed well back in anticipation of the visitors' batting power.
Sunil Narine had been given an early spell inside the first 10 overs but, as in the Test series, did not trouble the batsmen and when he returned for a second stint Bell went to his fifty off 43 balls with a back-foot drive. Narine's comeback over also included a reverse sweep from Trott as England continued to progress largely unhindered until Narine broke through when Trott edged a short delivery.
England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn
West Indies 1 Dwayne Smith, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Andre Russell, 9 Darren Sammy (capt), 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Sunil Narine