CRICKET/Triangular series: England's desperate selection gamble paid off at Headingley with a seven-wicket victory over West Indies yesterday, putting their Triangular Series campaign back on track.

After defeats in their previous two games England responded by rushing back all-rounder Andrew Flintoff from a prescribed two-week rest period for a foot injury.

His return as a specialist batsman and the recall of Robert Key left England with only three specialist bowlers and reliant on the part-time seam bowling of Anthony McGrath and Marcus Trescothick.

But, risky as their policy was with the talented strokemakers in West Indies' line-up, it worked in this day-night contest.

Steve Harmison and James Anderson combined to dismiss the tourists for a lowly 159, a target England raced past in only 22 overs.

Harmison's success at Test level in the last year has gone a long way towards securing series victories in the Caribbean and at home to New Zealand.

But the Durham player's progression as a one-day bowler of some repute has gone almost unnoticed. He claimed career-best figures for the second successive match yesterday, finishing with three for 31 to claim the man-of-the-match award and ensured West Indies' flamboyant strokemakers were not able to take advantage of the first 15 overs of fielding restrictions.

From the moment he struck to remove Shivnarine Chanderpaul with his fifth delivery of the match, edging a full-length delivery behind, Harmison posed a threat which none of the other members of England's attack were capable of matching.

Harmison also accounted for highly-rated all-rounder Dwayne Smith, beaten by his extra bounce, and perhaps contributed to the loss of dangerous opener Chris Gayle next ball.

Gayle was brilliantly run out when new batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan attempted a risky run first ball and Michael Vaughan ran in from extra cover and hit the stumps with a direct hit.

If Harmison was responsible for the top order, Anderson followed up with a superb burst of three wickets in 19 balls, claiming the crucial wicket of Brian Lara, who chopped onto his stumps attempting a back foot drive.

England's reply was given a solid platform with Trescothick and captain Vaughan sharing only their second half-century partnership since being united at the top of the order in this form of cricket eight matches ago.

New batsman Key also failed to make his mark, bowled through the gate by Bravo for six, and it was left to Trescothick and Andrew Strauss to settle the outcome with a blistering partnership, adding 56 off only 35 balls.