Lewis cuts loose as West Indies beat England by 8 wickets in the rain-affected 1st ODI

NORTH SOUND, Antigua (AP) — Evin Lewis hit four times as many sixes as the entire England team in a commanding innings of 94 which led the West Indies to an eight-wicket win Thursday in the rain-affected first one-day international.

First-time captain Liam Livingstone hit two sixes in a top score of 48 in his team's under-par total of 209. That was England's best performance as it was bowled out in 45.1 overs on a tricky pitch on which only Lewis flourished.

The left-handed Lewis hit eight sixes in his innings of only 69 balls but was out 13 runs before the West Indies reached their Duckworth-Lewis System revised total of 157 to lead the three-match ODI series.

No overs were lost when rain extended the interval between innings but the West Indies innings was reduced by 15 overs after a lengthy rain break after the 15th over.

They already were in command, thanks to Lewis. He had reached his half century from 46 balls before the rain came and the West Indies were 81-0, 48 runs ahead of the Duckworth Lewis calculation though they had to face 20 overs for the result to count.

Lewis returned to the West Indies ODI lineup for the first time in almost three years during their recent tour to Sri Lanka, scoring an unbeaten 102 in the third one-day international in Pallekele. That was his last innings before Thursday and he narrowly missed back-to-back centuries.

Lewis was the only batter to command tricky conditions at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium. During the England innings, deliveries from both the seamers and spinners tended to grip and hold up, making expansive stroke play difficult.

Brandon King made 30 in a 118-run opening partnership with Lewis and Keacy Carty was 19 not out when the West Indies won with 9.1 overs remaining.

Livingstone's 48 and Sam Curran's 37 in a 72-run partnership for the fifth wicket provided the backbone of England's innings. Both batters were undone by left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who took 4-41.

England may have struggled because it was coming off a test series against Pakistan while the West Indies have been playing white-ball cricket in Sri Lanka.

England named four players on debut — Jamie Overton, Jordan Cox, John Turner and Dan Mousley — though Overton and Cox previously had played Twenty20 internationals and Overton had played one test.

Livingstone hit the first six of the England innings in the 32nd over, signaling the difficulty that England had getting the ball to the boundary.

Phil Salt had made 18 and England was 38 in the ninth over when he swung hard at a ball from Jayden Seales which held up after bouncing and he mis-timed his shot to Alzarri Joseph, who took an outstanding running catch in the deep.

Will Jacks was on 19 when he tried to crack a full delivery from Seales into the leg side. Again the ball gripped and took the leading edge of Jacks' bat flying to Motie, who ran around behind the bowler to take the catch.

Cox was looking settled on 17 when he tried to hit hard down the ground and the ball, which stood up sharply, took a top edge and flew to third man.

Livingstone's disciplined innings of 48 from 49 balls ended when he pushed too far forward at a ball from Motie which held up and straightened and which he patted back to the bowler.

The teams are scheduled to play the second ODI Saturday and the third next Wednesday ahead of a five-match Twenty20 series.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

England's captain Liam Livingstone plays a shot against West Indies during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

England's Sam Curran plays a shot during the first ODI cricket match against West Indies at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

West Indies' Matthew Forde celebrates dismissing England's Sam Curran during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

England's Jamie Overton, right, and Sam Curran look at the scoreboard during the first ODI cricket match against West Indies at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

West Indies' Shimron Hetmyer, left, celebrates with Matthew Forde talking the catch to dismiss England's Sam Curran during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

England's Jamie Overton is dismissed LBW by West Indies' Gudakesh Motie during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

England's Dan Mousley avoids a delivery from West Indies' Jayden Seales during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

England's Jacob Bethell reacts after his dismissal, caught by West Indies' Brandon King, during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

England's captain Liam Livingstone reacts after delivering as West Indies' Keacy Carty and Evin Lewis run during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

West Indies' Brandon King plays a shot from a delivery of England's captain Liam Livingstone during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

West Indies' Roston Chase fields next to England's Sam Curran during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

West Indies' Evin Lewis hits a six from a delivery of England's Adil Rashid during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

England's Sam Curran safely makes his ground as West Indies' bowler Roston Chase jumps during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

West Indies' Keacy Carty takes the catch to dismiss England's Jordan Cox during the first ODI cricket match at Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)