GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

A terrible miscalculation on the part of West Indies coach John Dyson gifted England a fortuitous win in a bizarre end to the opening One-Day International that appeared destined for a dramatic finish yesterday.

Chasing 271 to win, West Indies had reached 244 for seven in the 47th over when the gathering late-evening gloom caused umpires Aleem Dar and Clyde Duncan to offer the regional side light at the fall of Denesh Ramdin's wicket.

Assuming West Indies were ahead under the Duckworth/Lewis Method, Dyson signalled for the batsmen to accept the offer from umpires.

The decision sparked 10 minutes of confusion at the National Stadium at Providence as both sides were clearly under the impression they had won the encounter.

It was subsequently revealed that Dyson had got his calculations wrong, much to the horror of the West Indies team and the thousands of fans that had turned up expecting to see another regional victory.

Farcical end

West Indies had begun the 47th over ahead on the 'par' score under the Duckworth/Lewis Method, but Ramdin's dismissal to the second ball of seamer Stuart Broad's over gave England the advantage.

It was a farcical end to the series opener that was building up to an exciting finish, with West Indies requiring 27 to win off 22 balls and it overshadowed several superb innings that put the hosts in sight of a possible victory.

Opener Lendl Simmons hit 62 in a 125-run, second-wicket stand with Ramnaresh Sarwan (57), to put the Windies on course for their target after they lost captain Chris Gayle cheaply for two.

With the Windies lagging behind the required run rate, Shivnarine Chanderpaul's cameo 46 from 30 balls turned the game on its head and raised the hopes of the regional fans.

Rookie batsman Kieron Pollard then smashed 42 from 36 balls, but was one of two batsmen out in quick succession in the space of three balls with the bad light at the National Stadium coming into play and bringing with it the DL Method.

Seamers Stuart Broad (3-41) and Jimmy Anderson (2-39) had done well to keep West Indies quiet but the regional side remained in the hunt.

Simmons hit five fours off 105 balls while Sarwan hit a similar number of boundaries off 77 balls, in the key partnership of the innings.

Sarwan seemed set to anchor the innings home when he chipped a catch to Andrew Strauss at short midwicket off slow-bowler Paul Collingwood in the 31st over. Simmons went three overs later to a catch at deep midwicket off off-spinner Gareth Batty.

Chanderpaul then dominated a 60-run, fourth-wicket stand off 42 balls with Pollard that turned the tide the Windies' way. The left-hander slammed six fours and one six and took 26 from fast bowler Steve Harmison's seventh over, the 40th of the innings, to propel the Windies to 209 for three.

Caught by Strauss

His dismissal at 212 for four in the 41st over, caught by Strauss at square leg, brought England back into the game. Dwayne Bravo managed just one, but Pollard, who struck three fours and two sixes, kept the Windies alive before both he and Ramdin fell in successive overs.

Earlier, Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah stroked half-centuries as England set West Indies a challenging total.

Collingwood, England's former one-day captain, hammered 69 off 77 balls, while Shah chipped in with 62 from 86 balls to propel the visitors to 270 for seven from their allotted 50 overs after winning the toss.

They shared a 98-run stand for the fourth wicket which set the foundation for a strong England total, after the tourists found themselves at 117 for three in the 24th over.

When both departed late in the innings, Matt Prior lashed 26 from 21 balls to ensure England did not lose momentum.

Medium pacers Pollard (2-46) Dwayne Bravo (2-65) led the Windies attack with two wickets each.