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Ian Bell's first boundary was a straight six off Andre Russell © Getty Images
An opening batsman made a hundred on his return to one-day internationals at West End but not the one most people will have expected. While Chris Gayle's much-hyped comeback was put on hold due to a leg injury, Ian Bell began the latest phase of his 50-over career with a sublime hundred - just his second in ODIs - while carrying a suspected fracture of his jaw following the blow in nets which left him needing ten stitches to his chin.
On the ground (albeit it with a different name) where he had made his only other ODI hundred, Bell reached three figures from 95 balls to suggest that the hole left by Kevin Pietersen's retirement will not be as vast as some had envisaged. There was barely a false shot in the innings until he top-edged a slower ball from Dwayne Bravo when level with his career best score having played gracefully to show, yet again, that one-day cricket is not all about brute force.
England's final total of 288 for 6 was less than they may have hoped for after 30 overs when they were 163 for 3, but was still the second highest score batting first at this venue - and England's highest - after Craig Kieswetter produced some late boundaries along with Stuart Broad in a useful 43-run stand off 34 balls.
The new opening partnership did not flourish with Alastair Cook caught behind third ball against Ravi Rampaul but Bell ensured that the team's recent run of ODI hundreds continued; this was the fifth match in a row that one of the openers had reached three figures after the back-to-back efforts of Cook and Pietersen against Pakistan in the UAE.
The foundation of England's total was laid by a second-wicket stand of 108 between Bell and Jonathan Trott; Warwickshire team-mates who used their understanding well to run hard between the wickets against some lacklustre West Indian fielding. The boundaries had been pushed right to edge of the playing area in anticipation of West Indies' power-packed batting order which, despite the loss of Gayle, still contained formidable strikers.
After the early loss of Cook, Bell gave England early momentum when he took 18 off Andre Russell's third over which began with a sublime straight six and continued with three further boundaries around the ground. Pietersen, who tweeted support to his former team-mates during 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 Bravo drifted into the pads. 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.
It was spin (or rather slow bowling) that continued to keep West Indies in touch when Ravi Bopara edged a cut against Marlon Samuels to end his first international innings of the season following injury. Samuels also claimed the important wicket of Eoin Morgan who chopped into his stumps after a promising start to his innings and a stand of 51 in eight overs with Bell. After a debilitating winter in all formats and an IPL spent warming the bench Morgan looked in decent form and with a far less pronounced squat at the crease than against Pakistan.
England had opted for an extra specialist pace bowler rather than Samit Patel which meant the middle order lacked a bit of depth and Bell's departure in the 40th over meant it was left to the allrounders to close the innings. Kieswetter, continuing the middle-order role he was given in the UAE, initially struggled for momentum and Tim Bresnan was ran out by Dwayne Smith's rifled throw from deep cover having played neatly.
Kieswetter, having laboured to 21 off 28 balls, brought his strike-rate closer to a hundred with boundaries off Rampaul and Narine while Broad cleared the long leg-side boundary as the final three overs brought 33 runs to set up a good contest between England's quicks and West Indies' hitters.