Reality check follows IPL windfall for Stokes

Less than a week after earning the most lucrative overseas contract in IPL history, Ben Stokes was brought back down to earth somewhat in the opening match of England's tour of the West Indies over the weekend.

Having hammered a quickfire half-century in England's one-day tour match against the University of West Indies Vice Chancellor's XI, Stokes was given a sobering reality check when he was handed the ball.

The right-armer was hammered for 23 runs from his first over and was promptly removed from the attack, with 20-year-old local batsman Shimron Hetmyer launching two sixes and two fours in the over, which also included two wides and a no-ball.

The Englishman later returned to take the final wicket in his side's 117-run win to finish with 1-27 from 1.5 overs.

Quick Single: The big winners from the IPL auction

While Stokes wasn't the only England bowler to cop some punishment as local veteran Chadwick Walton launched seven sixes in his innings of 121, the media spotlight was always going to be on the allrounder in his first match since he was purchased for an eye-watering AUD $2.8m by Rising Pune Supergiants in the IPL auction.

The left-hander had earlier showed some of what RPS paid for with a 53-ball innings of 61, including five sixes, as England amassed an imposing 8-379 from its 50 overs.

Stokes was one of four England batsmen to post a half-century; skipper Eoin Morgan, himself purchased for $390k by Kings XI Punjab at the auction, posted 95, new Test skipper Joe Root notched 71 and opener Jason Roy, who was bought for $194k by Gujarat Lions, hit 79 from just 43 balls.

In reply, Walton was the only local player to post fifty as the hosts were bowled out for 262 inside 40 overs.

The match in St Kitts was England's first of two warm-up games ahead of their three-match one-day international series against the West Indies, starting in Antigua on March 3.

It's the first time to two teams have met since the Windies triumphed in a thrilling final at the ICC World T20 last year.

The series won't feature Stokes' arch-rival Marlon Samuels, the player of the match in the World T20 final, who was controversially left out of the home side's squad for the three matches.

Samuels has since admitted he's considering pursuing a Kolpak deal in the United Kingdom having expressed his frustration at being forced to pick between lucrative T20 stints and international cricket.

The West Indies Cricket Board requires players to make themselves available for the entirety of their regional 50-over tournament, which concluded last week, in order to be considered for the national side.

Samuels played two games for the Leeward Islands in the tournament before being picked up as a replacement overseas player by the Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League.

Quick Single: Samuels mulls Kolpak deal after ODI snub

The 36-year-old questioned why England skipper Morgan has been permitted by his national board to play in the PSL before linking up with the England squad in the Caribbean.

"Why can't I play some games in the PSL and come back and play against England?" Samuels told SportMax Zone.

"I'm not 20. You're still telling me to miss out on everything. Why can't you compromise?

"The rule they have doesn't make any sense. You have to compromise."

West Indies ODI squad: Jason Holder (c), Devendra Bishoo, Carlos Brathwaite, Kraigg Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell

England ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Sam Billings, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, Steven Finn, Jake Ball