Bridgetown, March 28: Captain Chris Gayle led West Indies to a crushing eight-wicket victory as the hosts matched England’s feeble total of 117 in fewer than 15 overs in a rain-affected third one-dayer in Barbados on Friday.

Gayle smashed eight sixes and five fours as he scored 80 in 43 balls to put his team 2-1 up in the five-match series. Rain initially reduced the game to 44 overs per side before the West Indies target was later adjusted to 117 under the Duckworth-Lewis method.

"It was a good wicket to bat on, extremely good," Gayle told Sky Sports television.

After being put in to bat England threw their wickets away with a succession of loose pull and hook shots as they slumped to 68/8.

After the top order failed to make an impression former captain Kevin Pietersen, who complained of homesickness in an interview on Thursday, swiped Dwayne Bravo’s first ball straight to mid-wicket and was out for three.

Andrew Flintoff, back in action after a month out through injury, went for a duck when he hooked a simple catch to Fidel Edwards off Bravo.

— Reuters