ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):

A significant partnership between Ravi Bopara and Stuart Broad led England to a three-wicket victory and to square the three-match one-day international (ODI) series against West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium yesterday.

The victory sets up a final and deciding match in the ODI series, ahead of the three Twenty20 internationals between both teams in Barbados.

Bopara and Broad came together when England, who many expected to reach the target of 160 without much incident, were in trouble.

West Indies made England fight to the end with Bopara (38) and Broad (28) featuring in a 58-run eighth-wicket partnership to reach 163 for seven with 31 balls remaining.

successful bowlers

Left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, with two for 28, Dwayne Bravo two for 41, Sunil Narine one for 25 and Ravi Rampaul one for 40 were the successful bowlers for the West Indies.

Earlier, England won the toss and decided to bowl for a second, straight time. This time the hosts' batting didn't turn up, with the exception of Lendl Simmons, who made 70, and his captain, Dwayne Bravo with 20. Only Kieran Powell (16) and Darren Bravo (13) got into double figures as the West Indies folded for 159.

England's Broad did everything right by rotating the bowlers effectively and frustrating the West Indies' batsmen.

The top four batsmen were removed and West Indies were left to rebuild at 4-81 in the 23rd over. Simmons and DJ Bravo then added 52 for the fifth wicket, before Bravo was dismissed under controversial circumstances, with West Indies on 133.

The third and deciding match will be played on Wednesday at the same venue, before both teams travel to Barbados for the T20 series.