Joe Root hit an unbeaten 100, as England laid down another emphatic marker in their Fourth 2019 Cricket World Cup clash, beating the West Indies by 8 wickets with 16.5 overs remaining at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
Playing against the country of his birth, Jofra Archer took three wickets alongside Mark Wood, with skipper Root striking twice quickly with unorthodox spin also, as the visitors were bowled out for 212 without batting their allocation.
Having been dismissed earlier for just 212 runs off 44.4 overs, England set about their task emphatically, putting on an opening stand of 91 between Root and Jonny Bairstow as England cantered to victory on the south coast, as Chris Woakes - promoted to number three after injuries to both skipper Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy - joined in to lead hosts home with a 100 partnership with Root, before the Yorkshireman completed his ton.
After seeing their rivals frustrated after a week of weather disrupted play, a third win out of four leaves the hosts in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals.
Hosts strike early; Gayle dropped
The Windies' innings again began with uncertainty. Evin Lewis was out cheaply again for just two after being clean bowled bowled by Woakes, but the danger man Chris Gayle was the one firmly in England's cross-hairs on the south coast.
When Gayle was then dropped on 15 by Wood, the hosts would have been fearing the worst. As the Universe Boss skied Woakes' short-pitched delivery into the air, the Durham man initially caught the dropping ball, only for it to escape his clutches after hitting the turf.
The veteran opener then began to throw bat on ball and quickly notched 36, before he was then caught in the deep by Bairstow off Liam Plunkett. When Shai Hope followed two balls later after being trapped lbw off Wood for just 11, the West Indies had been reduced to 55-3.
Root double scalp
Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran needed to steady the ship and did so, putting on a 50 partnership to take the visitors into three figures.
As both men played their shots, with Archer having throttled the scoring rate, the Windies' tally was approaching 150 and with England keen to strike again, did so via an unlikely source.
As skipper Root put himself on for few overs of spin, the knuckle ball that had in the past caught more than few seasoned batsmen out was on show, as Hetmyer chipped a dolly to his grateful bowler.
Jason Holder came to the crease needing to lead his side to a defendable total, but he too only managed nine, before being Root's second caught and bowled victim in the space of two overs. Even coach Trevor Bayliss would have raised a smile from the balcony.
England were firmly on top in Southampton but continued to spurn chances, with Andre Russell dropped on three - ironically by Woakes. Pooran continued to anchor the West Indian order and ticked along nicely to his half-century with few scares. Russell was then caught at the second opportunity for 21, leaving the Windies innings in trouble with less than 200 on the board.
Windies skittled
As Carlos Brathwaite strolled out to the middle, Root's men will have been acutely aware of the damage the number eight could cause, given his exploits of the T20 World Cup final in 2016, when Brathwaite scored 22 off of Ben Stokes' final over to deny England retaining their 20-over trophy in India.
Archer, largely been out of the game against the nation of his birth - but having strangled the run rate at the beginning of the innings - then struck to remove Pooran who gloved behind to 'keeper Buttler, and then Sheldon Cottrell fell first ball, leaving Archer on a hat-trick.
Oshane Thomas survived the indignance of being the third scalp in three balls, but with Brathwaite dismissed after edging behind - off his shoulder, only Shannon Gabriel was left to trudge onto the Ageas Bowl track, before being removed without scoring to complete the dismantling of the Windies' order.
For England, Wood - aside form his dropping of Gayle - had impressed, restricting the visitors scoring and finished with figures of 3-18-64, as Archer ended with 3-30-9 and left the field against the nation of his birth in Southampton, with his adopted country needing 213 runs to win.
Opening stand
As England began a run chase by their standards well below average, albeit with the injured Morgan and Roy a concern, both Bairstow and the promoted Root began in measured style and chalked up an opening stand partnership of fifty in eight overs.
With the clouds clearing in Hampshire, the sun began to bake the Ageas Bowl deck as the wicket flattened out, and the hosts began to take a large chunk out of their target with ease.
The Windies were in dire need of a breakthrough and with both openers closing on their respective 50s, Bairstow then mis-timed a cut shot and holed out at third man to Brathwaite.
With England 96-1 however - despite a number of question marks over player fitness - the hosts where still in total control and passed the 100 mark as Woakes, brought in at number three for his power hitting, crashed his second ball to the fence, leaving just 115 needed from 35 overs.
England cruise home
As Root threw his name into the hat for man of the match in passing his own 50, the men in light blue began to ooze confidence at the crease as the Windies began to flag in the field with injury and fatigue.
Russell left the field with a wrist injury, leaving Holder, Brathwaite, Gabriel and Thomas to shoulder bowling responsibilities. The runs however, continued to trickle as did the boundaries.
The Windies ploughed away looking to at least put a dent in the armour of the World Cup favourites, but as the required sum ticked down inexorably, England cruised for home in complete control.
Woakes and Root completed their century stand, before the former was out for 40 having been caught well by substitute fielder Fabian Allen, as Root remained on 98.
The only thing left to complete the job was for Root to hit his second ton of the tournament already, and the Yorkshireman duly obliged as the fans in Southampton rose in unison to applaud their talisman. Stokes then hit the winning runs from a free hit to seal a superb all-round win.
Despite a lethargic performance from the Windies, England will be buoyed after dominating their opponents who have in recent meetings, been one of the few sides to pick up a win against them - doing so in emphatic fashion.
Next up for England is Afghanistan at Old Trafford on Tuesday, knowing a win would see them take a big step toward the last four of the Cricket World Cup.