England started their tour of the Caribbean with a 29-run victory over UWI Vice Chancellor’s XI in Antigua.
After an unbeaten 104 from Joe Root pushed England to 290-8 from their 50 overs, Kyle Corbin replied with a century of his own to keep the hosts in contention.
After losing the toss and being put into bat, opening batsmen Luke Wright and Nottinghamshire’s Alex Hales, who looks set to make his ODI debut for England on Friday, scored quickly.
Wright made 36, seeing the ball well before being caught off Raymon Reifer. Hales took the time to play himself in steadily, before top edging a pull to be caught and bowled by Alzarri Joseph in the 15th over.
The opening pair’s stand of 58 laid the foundations for the innings, before Ben Stokes and Joe Root duly obliged, the former scoring four maximums in a knock of 58.
Morgan and Buttler failed to get started, neither reaching double figures, but Root found able partners in Bopara and Tim Bresnan, and batted through to finish the innings with a run-a-ball 104.
After a bright start by the VC openers, James Tredwell struck in each of his first two overs, before removing Adrian Barath in the 21st.
Broad and Bresnan claimed one apiece, and with the hosts reduced to 143-5 victory for England looked a straightforward affair. 23-year-old Kyle Corbin had other ideas, hitting fourteen boundaries on the way to his 105, before being caught by Tredwell off Bresnan to ease the English concerns.