A quick pitch and an England team rediscovering their white-ball swagger, up against a demoralised West Indies bowling attack, proved to be an heady cocktail for the Southampton crowd as they lapped up an evening of audacious run-scoring.
England’s openers bristled with intent from the get-go, as the right-left hand combination of Smith and Duckett wreaked havoc.
Duckett liberally sprinkled runs to all angles, with his innings full of nifty reverse sweeps, deft cuts and clever scoops.
Alzarri Joseph stuck a paw out to a brutal Duckett drive on the up when he was on 37, but such was the ferocity of the strike it still flew to the boundary leaving the West Indies quick with a bruise but nothing more.
Six overs in, England were 83-0 and it already felt the like the match was over as a contest as the shoulders of those wearing maroon started to droop.
The diminutive Duckett dovetailed well with the taller Smith, as West Indies’ attack struggled to find the right length against England’s innovative strokeplay.
Thrust up the order by Brendon McCullum to open in place of Phil Salt, who is absent on paternity leave, Smith has taken to the role like the manor born as he used his levers to good effect.
Three consecutive sixes spanked off the bowling of Gudakesh Motie will have had the England coach purring before Smith dropped one inside the ropes to the biggest boundary and into the hands of Shimron Hetmyer.
A century beckoned for Duckett, and the opportunity to join Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan as one of only three English players with hundreds in all three formats.
However, the 30-year-old misjudged a sweep and was bowled behind his legs by left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein with the milestone tantalisingly within his grasp. Duckett thumped his pad with his bat in frustration.
It briefly took the sting out of England’s assault before Brook and Bethell played yet more eye-catching strokes en route to an imposing total.
