Kevin Pietersen smashed an unbeaten 90 as England headed home from the Champions Trophy with a consolation three-wicket win over West Indies.

He guided England to 276-7 with nine balls to spare in Ahmedabad.

Chris Gayle had starred with bat and ball for the West Indies, hitting 101 and taking 3-31, but still ended up on the losing side.

Dwayne Bravo also registered his first one-day international century with an unbeaten 112 as West Indies hit 272-4.

Interview: England captain Andrew Flintoff

News conference: West Indies skipper Brian Lara

By Paresh Soni

ENGLAND WIN BY THREE WICKETS

49th over: Mahmood dispatches the third ball of Taylor's ninth over through mid-wicket to seal a welcome and unlikely win for England. After a disappointing tournament they go home on a high.

48th over (272-7): Pietersen senses victory now and there is a relaxed air about him and Mahmood after he cracks Bravo through the covers for his ninth boundary before unleashing an even more powerful drive for six to level the scores.

48th over: Mahmood is rapped on the pad right in line by Bravo but umpire Taufel somehow rules in the batsman's favour. The officials have not had the best of days.

47th over (259-7): Things are running England's way now. Pietersen gets an inside edge attempting to thrash Taylor away and the ball rockets to the fine-leg fence for a precious boundary. The next shot is more authentic, a classic square-cut for four. By the time the ball flicks off Mahmood's pads down to fine-leg the pendulum has swung dramatically in England's favour.

46th over (243-7): Mahmood plays Samuels quite ingeniously down to fine third-man for four and laughs with Pietersen, claiming it was deliberate.

45th over: WICKET England 232-7 (Read c Gayle b Bravo 4) Guess what? Another slower ball and this time it's curtains for Read, who chips it gently to Bravo's fellow man of the day at mid-on.

45th over: Read is clueless again when Bravo sends down a slower ball and the ball somehow lobs harmlessly out towards mid-off.

44th over (228-6): Breathtaking running - quite literally - from Pietersen and Read earn England's main batting hope four runs from two pushes out on the on-side.

43rd over (222-6): Bravo's attempted yorker is turned into a full-toss by Pietersen and cracked to the mid-wicket fence but Read almost spoons the fourth slower ball back to Bravo. What an over!

43rd over: Bravo, who bowls cleverly disguised slower balls and yorkers, is brought on and nearly strikes first up when Pietersen chips the ball down the ground but no-one can snaffle the chance. Read is bamboozled by an off-cutter next ball.

42nd over: WICKET England 214-6 (Dalrymple b Samuels 8) And it's no surprise when he fails to connect with an ugly heave at the off-spinner and is comprehensively bowled. That was crazy batting in the circumstances.

42nd over: Dalrymple is determined to get out playing the reverse-sweep off almost every ball from Samuels and survives by luck more than judgement.

41st over (212-5): Classic Pietersen - a full Edwards delivery is whipped through deep mid-wicket and he reaches his 10th ODi fifty by thrashing a wide one high over extra-cover. The scene is set for a grandstand finish.

40th over (202-5): Dalrymple reverse-sweeps Samuels past the short third-man for his first four and 200 is passed. England have plenty of work still to do.

39th over (196-5): Edwards is brought back and Pietersen decides to go on the attack, hitting him airily down to the long-off boundary before top-edging over the keeper's head for four more.

38th over WICKET England 180-5 (Yardy c Bravo b Samuels 10): Controversy as Yardy lofts Samuels down to long-off where Bravo takes the ball on the bounce. After a brief pause, Yardy makes his way back to the pavilion and that's a blow for England.

37th over (180-4): Pietersen is winded by a short delivery he tries to pull and in his panic he ends up in a heap on the floor after changing his mind about a quick single. Another over ticks by and the rate is soaring.

36th over (176-4: The pressure is building on England. Pietersen is playing it cagily at the moment, though - when will he decide to hit out?

35th over (174-4): Gayle completes his day's work with the ball with a superb analysis of 10-1-31-3.

34th over (173-4): Yardy looks keen to get on with things and if he can stick around, the runs will come quickly with Pietersen at the other end.

33rd over (167-4): With all due respect to Yardy and those to follow, Pietersen needs to stay at the crease for his side to pull off victory here. The asking rate is climbing.

32nd over: WICKET England 162-4 (Bell run out 50) A quite brilliant piece of fielding from Lara - no sign of back spasms there - sees him hurl the ball at the keeper's end from mid-on to run out Bell by some distance. Having just reached 50, the young right-hander was guilty of slackening there.

31st over (162-3): Bell finally completes his seventh ODI fifty off 78 balls after a period of consolidation. He has been arguably England's best batsman in the last few months.

30th over (159-3): With 20 overs left 114 should prove straightforward - but nothing is straightforward for this England one-day team.

29th over (154-3: Gayle is having a fantastic day with bat and ball. His figures read 3-23 off seven overs after his earlier century.

28th over (152-3): By cracking a poor first delivery from Samuels through extra-cover to take England past 150. KP will not want to be dictated to by two spinners.

27th over (147-3): England are behind the required run rate now after a maiden from Gayle. How will Pietersen respond?

26th over (147-3): Pietersen addresses that issue with one of his flamingo flips which just evades mid-on and runs away for four. A mis-timed pull then loops high over deep mid-wicket.

25th over (138-3): Bell and Pietersen use their feet and the sweep well to pick up five off Gayle's next over but the boundaries have stopped coming.

24th over (133-3): Collymore and Gayle are doing just the sort of job Lara would want - providing little width for the batsmen.

23rd over (131-3): Pietersen races back for his first two runs after reaching for a wide Gayle delivery. England's hopes pretty much depend on the two men at the wicket.

22nd over (128-3): Suddenly a morale-boosting finish to the tournament looks a long way off for England and Collymore keeps up the pressure with a tidy over.

21st over: WICKET England 127-3 (c Bravo b Gayle 0) England's promising situation looks dicey as Collingwood guides his first ball into Bravo's hands at first slip. Pietersen comes to the crease having failed to reach 50 in his eight ODI innings for England.

21st over: WICKET England 126-2 (Flintoff c Taylor b Gayle 25) The skipper reverts to type - and it costs him as he lofts Gayle straight to Taylor at wide long-on. After playing himself in patiently Flintoff gave it away there and it might cause problems for his team.

21st over: Flintoff shows he can be subtle with a delicate dink off Gayle wide of slip for four.

20th over (122-1): Flintoff charges down the wicket to Collymore and propels the ball at high velocity towards extra-cover where Gayle brilliantly prevents a boundary.

19th over (118-1): Especially with Flintoff capable of shots like the cracking straight drive and pull off Taylor that bring him successive boundaries. A back-foot drive then fairly whistles away to indicate the big Lancastrian is getting into the groove.

18th over (105-1): More accuracy from Collymore allows just the one run but England won't be getting worried just yet.

17th over (104-1): Flintoff launches a meaty straight drive - but unfortunately for him it crashes into the stumps at the other end. Bell ends the Taylor over with a high-class cut for four.

16th over (97-1): The first maiden of the innings as Collymore is right on target to Bell.

15th over (97-1): Bell has looked all at sea against shorter deliveries and picks up four lucky runs after getting into a tangle against Taylor. Australia will have noted his discomfort ahead of the Ashes.

14th over (92-1): After the blistering start, Bell and Flintoff can afford to nudge the ball around for singles.

13th over (88-1): Bell is given a lifeline when Morton, diving to his left at gully, puts down an eminently gettable chance.

12th over (84-1): Flintoff, special boots and all, drives his second ball for two to wide long-on.

12th over: WICKET England 82-1 (Strauss b Gayle 50) Gayle pushes one through quickly and Strauss tries to chop one that's too close to him. In comes the skipper.

12th over: Lara - in desperation or indifference - brings spinner Gayle on very early in the piece. It almost reaps instant reward but a confident lbw shout is rejected and Strauss completes a rapid half century off 46 balls.

11th over (80-0): The quietest over since the opening one sees Taylor concede just three - but none of the bowlers will want to know their figures.

10th over (77-0): Gayle drops a dolly next ball, a firm drive popping in and out of his hands at short mid-wicket to wipe the near-permanent smile of the amiable Jamaican's face. Bell steers Collymore to the third-man boundary to complete the bowler's misery.

10th over: Is this the same England team that surrendered tamely in their first two games? Strauss cracks Collymore to the cover boundary with ridiculous ease to move to within three of his fifty.

9th over (68-0): Edwards bangs one in short and it flies over the keeper down the leg-side for four wides. Lara laughs at his bowler - there is no edge to this game.

9th over: Without the accuracy of Bradshaw, and knowing they are already in the semis, the Windies have been woeful. Strauss dispatches yet another Edwards half-volley through the covers. His innings is like a highlights package at the moment.

8th over (58-0): The game will be over fairly sharpish at this rate. Another poor delivery, a Collymore no-ball, is clipped through mid-wicket for Strauss' sixth boundary.

7th over (50-0): Bell gets in on the act with two majestic back-foot shots off Edwards for his first fours to bring up 50. The bowling has been fairly average but both batsmen look in good nick.

6th over (41-0): Another gorgeous cover drive from Strauss gives Collymore's half-volley the treatment it deserves. The seamer then drops one short and is thrashed away for another boundary on the off-side. Strauss has raced to 32 off 28 balls.

5th over (33-0): Strauss is starting to time the ball imperiously: Edwards drops one short and it rockets to the backward point fence. This is just the start England wanted.

4th over (26-0): Collymore lazily sticks out a boot at long-leg and kicks the ball over the rope to give Strauss the first boundary. The left-hander then produces a sumptuous cover drive off Taylor, arguably the shot of the day.

3rd over (14-0): Strauss finally times one well to drive Edwards through cover-point for three.

2nd over (8-0): Bravo gifts England four bonus runs when Strauss pushes Taylor to mid-wicket and a wild throw to the non-striker's end runs away.

1st over (2-0): Edwards almost bowls Strauss with a beauty which nips back in and whizzes over middle-stump. Strauss has another scare when he mis-times a pull horribly.

1414: No experimentation at the top of the order from England as Strauss and Bell open again.

INNINGS BREAK

50th over 272-4: Samuels picks up two off the last ball and, although they battled away near the end, England face a stiff challenge to finish the tournament with a consolation win. Bravo finished on 112.

50th over: WICKET West Indies 268-4 (Lara b Mahmood 3) One to tell the kids and grandkids about for Sajid as Lara misses the slower ball and it hits leg-stump.

49th over (268-3): The great Lara walks in for the last two overs but Anderson gives little away in the penultimate one apart from a short last ball which Bravo top-edges high and wide of the keeper for four.

48th over: WICKET West Indies 259-3 (Sarwan c Collingwood b Mahmood 29) Sarwan again fails to time the ball properly and this time it goes straight to the safe hands of Collingwood at long-on.

48th over: More fielding woe for England as Yardy drops a sitter. Sarwan got under that delivery from Mahmood and should have been out but the Sussex man made a complete hash of that. Amid all that, the fiffty partnership comes up.

47th over (253-2): A leg-stump half-volley helps Bravo complete his maiden ODI hundred in a 117-ball innings featuring 12 fours and a six and another poor delivery is cracked straight past the bowler for the fourth four of an over costing 17 runs.

47th over: Anderson cannot believe his luck. He follows Sarwan, who backs away to leg, but the batsman gets enough bat on it to guide it wide of the keeper before following it with a swish square of the wicket for successive boundaries.

46th over (236-2): England will be content to keep it down to six and seven an over at the death and Mahmood keeps a steady enough line.

45th over (229-2): Sarwan connects with a full and slower Collingwood delivery and it goes all the way over wide long-off for the third six of the innings. Bravo was impressed with that.

44th over (219-2): Flintoff nearly marks his bowling return with a wicket, Bravo's firm drive just evading his grasp.

43rd over: WICKET West Indies 209-2 (Gayle run out 101) Finally, a breakthrough comes for England as Gayle is just short pushing for a second run off Collingwood. Skipper Flintoff's throw is gathered by Read, who does the rest, but Sarwan is up and running right away with a flick down to fine-leg.

42nd over (208-1): Flintoff is greeted by a hearty ovation as he returns for his second spell. Gayle's reaction after reaching his century - his second against England and 14th overall in ODIs is appropriately restrained. This has been a composed and watchful knock spanning 127 deliveries.

41st over (203-1): Collingwood is brought on for the first time at a difficult stage, the onset of the last 10 overs, and responds well.

40th over (199-1): Bravo picks up his first maximum, heaving Dalrymple over deep mid-wicket for a big six. Despite that, the off-spinner ends with creditable figures of 0-42.

39th over (191-1): Gayle and Bravo are largely content to nudge the ball around, taking few risks even at this stage. The policy is working, you have to say - will England show the same nous?

38th over (185-1): Bravo shrewdly opens the face of the bat to steer Dalrymple to wide third man. When will the final onslaught begin?

37th over (179-1): England are racing through their overs well, even paceman Anderson, who bowls a tighter line than in his previous over.

36th over (175-1): Dalrymple has a confident lbw appeal against Bravo and beats Gayle through the air in a good over. But Bravo (63) has his highest ODI score now and Gayle (89) is closing on his century

35th over (171-1): Anderson replaces Mahmood after the drinks break. His first ball, a wide half-volley, is laced through the covers by Gayle and the second is guided down to the third man boundary.

34th over (161-1): Gayle throws everything at a Dalrymple delivery but, fortunately for the bowler, makes minimal contact with the ball. The boundaries have dried up a bit.

33rd over (157-1): Gayle frees his arms to unleash a fierce square-drive off Mahmood but Dalrymple flings himself across to prevent a certain boundary. Bravo has another slice of luck when a leading edge flies safely short of long-off.

32nd over (153-1): Some relief for England as Dalrymple checks the scoring. With plenty of batsmen still to come, however, they could be chasing leather for the rest of this innings.

31st over (151-1): Flintoff turns to Mahmood in the hope of a breakthrough but he can't stem the flow, Gayle heaving him towards wide long-on as the 150 comes up.

30th over (144-1): Yardy hits back with a much tighter over but the runs are coming all too easily for the West Indies.

29th over (140-1): Gayle signals his intent with a mighty blow off Yardy which almost makes it into the second tier at long-on. Mahmod then has a nightmare, letting the ball slip through his hands for four before redeeming himself with good fielding to stop the ball in front of the rope. A good over for the Windies.

28th over (125-1): Dalrymple finds some turn to frustrate Bravo, who looks ready to launch an assault. Gayle, meanwhile, pushes out on the off-side to reach 50 off 80 balls.

27th over (123-1): Bravo beats Gayle to his half century, helping a leg-side delivery from Yardy down to fine-leg to reach his third ODI fifty off 60 balls with 10 boundaries.

26th over (117-1): Astute batting from Gayle and Bravo sees them work the gaps. England need a wicket or three soon.

25th over (112-1): A better over from Yardy that time, keeping the scoring down to two.

24th over (110-1): Oxford graduate Dalrymple flights the ball cleverly but Bravo is equal to the task and guides him down to third man for three. The signs are not good for Flintoff and co.

23rd over (106-1): Bravo's seen enough of Yardy and belts him through the mid-wicket region for consecutive fours and England might have a problem here. If the spinners come in for severe punishment a huge total could be on the cards.

22nd over (97-1): We have spin at both ends, as Dalrymple comes on and he almost strikes immediately. Gayle goes down the track and hammers him high towards long-on but Bell, distracted by the glare of the sun, fails to pick out the ball.

21st over (94-1): Slow left-armer - well almost medium-pacer - Yardy is on the button straight away with a maiden.

20th over (94-1): It's Gayle's turn to dice with danger when he chips Lewis just short of Strauss at mid-off. The Gloucestershire skipper's fine spell ends with figures of 10-1-35-1. That last column could have been a three and his fans will quite rightly wonder why this is his first appearance of the tournament.

19th over (92-1): Bravo, lucky to be out there, flicks Mahmood through mid-wicket for his sixth and seventh boundaries - 28 of his 32 runs have come in fours - as the fifty partnership comes up.

18th over (79-1): A mistake from umpire Harper saves Bravo. Lewis hits him in line with middle stump but, inexplicably, the lbw appeal is turned down.

17th over (78-1): Mahmood replaces the skipper and starts with a wild swinging delivery down the leg-side. The young Lancastrian can be brilliant - or awful.

16th over (75-1): Lewis, who has otherwise been spot on, strays in line and Bravo lofts him high over square-leg. West Indies will be happy with their start - they have a platform for a big score here with a certain BC Lara to come later on.

15th over (70-1): Gayle picks up four more with a lovely drive which beats mid-off. Flintoff is not happy with the effort from Anderson there.

14th over (64-1): For the third over running, a good over is undone at the last, as Gayle flicks one from Lewis off his hips to the square-leg fence.

13th over (60-1): Flintoff cranks up the pace a bit as he almost finds Bravo's outside edge but a poorly directed final ball is helped down to fine-leg for another four.

12th over (54-1): An immaculately timed Bravo on-drive ruins a potential maiden from Lewis. Bravo looks in good nick.

11th over (50-1): Flintoff brings himself on for his first bowl in international cricket since June and there is great excitement around the ground. A loosener is dispatched by Bravo through cover-point before a single brings up 50. He's wearing specially designed boots to help protect that ankle and eases himself in with a fastest delivery of 87mph.

10th over (45-1): Superb timing from Gayle sends a Lewis delivery down the ground for his fourth boundary. We've seen nothing silly from him so far.

9th over (41-1): Anderson spoils a tight over by dishing out a wide and leg-side delivery which Bravo flicks for his first four runs.

8th over: WICKET West Indies 35-1 (Chanderpaul lbw b Lewis 13) A wicket-maiden for Lewis, who finishes the over by straightening one to Chanderpaul and that's as plumb lbw as you can get - why the umpire took so long to give it is an absolute mystery.

7th over (35-0): A trademark Gayle shot - a stand-and-deliver thump through extra-cover - earns him two off Anderson before a powerful pull for four. This could be his day.

6th over (28-0): Gayle caresses Lewis through the off-side but the brilliance of Collingwood prevents any runs. The laid-back Jamaican then punches Lewis wide of mid-off and the ball races away for a boundary. He too has a scare when an inside-edge off the last delivery almost crashes into his stumps.

5th over (24-0): Chanderpaul almost falls to the last ball of a good Anderson over when he toe-ends a pull to short mid-wicket, where a diving Bell gets his fingertips to it.

4th over (23-0): Lewis, a canny operator, adjusts his length to produce a tidy enough over. Anything slightly over-pitched will be punished on this surface.

3rd over (21-0): The gentlest of pushes from Chanderpaul earns him three down to long-off, Mahmood just about preventing it going for four. Two full-length leg-side deliveries are then put away easily by the left-hander and no-one can stop them.

2nd over (11-0): Some late swing for Lewis but Gayle twice picks up twos by flicking the ball through the on-side before clipping through mid-wicket for the first boundary.

1st over (2-0): Both openers are off the mark by pushing leg-side deliveries from Anderson for singles. There doesn't appear to be much pace in this wicket - surprise, surprise.

0958: England's fielders, Chanderpaul and Gayle come out to a smattering of applause - it's another desperately small crowd in a poorly attended tournament.

0930: Lara wins the toss and opts to bat. He says the ball will come on for the batters early on. Collymore and Edwards come in for Bradshaw and Smith. Lewis gets his first chance to bowl, with the out-of-sorts Harmison dropped.