NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom (AFP) — West Indies lost star batsman Chris Gayle to a warm-up injury just before captain Jason Holder won the toss and elected to field in the second day/night one-day international against England at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

England were unchanged from the side that comfortably won the series opener by seven wickets at Old Trafford on Tuesday — a match that saw Jonny Bairstow score his maiden one-day international hundred.

West Indies, however, were without Gayle after  a hamstring strain suffered during the warm-up sidelined the big-hitting opener on his 38th birthday.

“Chris Gayle came to me before the toss and said he was feeling something in his hamstring,” Holder told BBC Radio’s Test Match Special.

“Hopefully it’s not something too serious and it’s a precaution.

“He came to me as I was walking up to the coin so I don’t know the extent of the injury,” the all-rounder added.

Kyle Hope replaced Gayle at the top of the order, while an overcast Trent Bridge, long known for providing assistance to swing bowlers, paceman Miguel Cummins came in for leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo in the other change to the West Indies XI.

The floodlights were already shining bright against the gloom and Holder, explaining his decision to fied first, said: “It seems a pretty good wicket but there is a bit of moisture.

“With overhead conditions and Duckworth-Lewis perhaps coming later, it might be better to bat second.”

Eoin Morgan, the England captain, said he too would have chosen to field if the coin had fallen in his favour.

“We probably would have bowled, if there is anything in this wicket it would be this morning,” Morgan said. “It looks a really good batting wicket.

“We have gone with same team, the composure we showed in Manchester was exceptional and hopefully we can do it again,” the Middlesex batsman added.

Former Ireland international Morgan has managed just 22 runs in his last eight professional innings but the left-hander was hoping for a change of fortune in the remainder of this series.

“I’ve been short on runs lately so today, and the next three games, are an opportunity to turn it around,” he said.

Batting first gave opener Bairstow a chance to carry on immediately from his 100 not out in Manchester, with first-wicket partner Alex Hales batting on his Nottinghamshire home ground.

West Indies’ defeat at Old Trafford meant the two-time former champions could no longer gain direct entry to the 2019 World Cup in England and will now have to take part in a qualifying competition instead.

Teams

England: Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wkt), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, David Willey

West Indies: Kyle Hope, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope (wkt), Marlon Samuels, Jason Mohammed, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder (capt), Ashley Nurse, Jerome Taylor, Miguel Cummins, Kesrick Williams

Umpires: Rod Tucker (AUS), Rob Bailey (ENG)

TV umpire: Simon Fry (AUS)

Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)