Kevin Pietersen is congratulated by Brian Lara after England won by three wickets in Motera on Saturday. (AFP)

Ahmedabad: The turnout at the Motera was more than a handful considering the fact that little was at stake for both sides. They, however, witness good entertainment which made the Saturday evening that bit more special.

First came the West Indies run feast off an insipid English attack — sans Stephen Harmison — that lacked variation and penetration. Then as England threatened to take the match away with some sensible batting, the Caribbean slow bowlers provided what seemed like crucial breakthroughs. Then, Kevin Pietersen strode in to stem the rot.

For most part of his innings, Pietersen struggled to get support at the other end. When Chris Read fell at 232, it looked as if it was all over. But along with Sajid Mahmood, Pietersen added 44 runs to seal the three-wicket win in the 49th over.

The West Indies, with a net run-rate of 0.01, are likely to finish No. 2 in group A. Both India (plus 0.89) and Australia (plus 0.51) enjoy a better net run-rate. Whoever wins Sunday are likely to top the group.

Despite Pietersen’s match-winning unbeaten 90 (86 balls, 9x4, 1x6), Chris Gayle walked away with the Man of the Match. The century and three wickets titled the scales in his favour, but it would have been fair had the honours been shared.

Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell had provided the perfect start with a 82-run opening stand. That the first 15 overs produced 97 made the task of the late-order easier. The quick dismissals of Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood put the brakes on the chase but Pietersen made things look easy.

The West Indies can take consolation from the fact that the defeat will act as a wake-up call from the complacency that might have crept into the ranks after back-to-back victories against Australia and India.

For a nation engrossed with the desire to defend the Ashes, however unrealistic it might sound at the moment, their sole victory in the Champions Trophy will surely lift spirits. It will also help ease the pressure on the players and coach Duncan Fletcher to some extent.

Gayle (101) and Dwayne Bravo (112 not out) put the Windies in control as they plundered runs at will. They stitched together 174 in 208 balls for the second wicket that took the sails out of the English attack.

If the West Indies took the game as a solid practice opportunity for their batsmen, the English point of interest revolved round Andrew Flintoff’s spell, his first since the knee operation. He looked a bit rusty and kept his word of not bowling his full quota. The five overs — split over two spells and including a caught-and-dropped missed chance — were not fruitful, but will help him realise as to where he stands when bowling in match situations.

None of the bowlers failed to make any impact on the Gayle-Bravo partnership. If Gayle had been slightly out of form, he found the right occasion to return among runs.

The imposing left-hander played an innings of deft and fluent strokes. It was a controlled knock as his perseverance paid off.

After surpassing his fifty off 80 balls, Gayle opened up. The power he packs into his shots was evident when he hit Michael Yardy over long-on for a six with minimum of feet movement. His 14th hundred included ten fours and a six.

Bravo was more flamboyant. He was not afraid to hit over the top, and as runs were scored straight and square of the wicket, West Indies galloped away. His maiden hundred came off 124 balls and included 14 boundaries and a six.

The West Indies’ failure to reach 300, which seemed to be within striking distance when Gayle and Bravo were in full flow, turned out to be crucial. Perhaps the lessons learnt will come in handy in the knockout stage.