GROS ISLET, St Lucia,  CMC – Talismanic all-rounder Freddie Flintoff grabbed a spectacular hat trick as England claimed their first-ever one-day series win in the Caribbean with a 26-run victory over West Indies in the decisive fifth One-Day International here yesterday.

The resurgent fast bowler claimed Denesh Ramdin (12), Ravi Rampaul (0) and Sulieman Benn (0) in successive deliveries to signal the Windies death knell, as they were dismissed for 146 off 28 overs, in pursuit of a target of 173 at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium.

England’s victory handed them a 3-2 series win and salvaged an otherwise disappointing tour of the Caribbean, after they lost the preceding Test series 1-0.

Flintoff, who had earlier prised out opener Lendl Simmons (17) and the dangerous Ramnaresh Sarwan (23), finished with the superb figures of five for 19 to earn the Man-of-the-Match honour in the match reduced to 29 overs because of a late start due to rain.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo top-scored with 33 while Kieron Pollard got 30 but both were in out in the space of two balls as the pendulum swung England’s way.

West Indies were playing catch up from the start of their run chase when they lost their influential captain Chris Gayle without scoring to the third ball of the innings, caught at second slip by Flintoff off swing bowler James Anderson.

Sarwan and Simmons then posted a 39-run stand off 42 balls to haul West Indies back into the contest, playing positively against the England attack.

The right-handed Sarwan looked ominous, taking successive boundaries off seamer Stuart Broad in the innings’ third over, but his promising knock was curtailed as he attempted to cut Flintoff and offered the thinnest of edges to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

West Indies were done no favours when Simmons played an ill-advised pull at a ball on off-stump and tugged a simple catch to Broad at mid on two overs later, as the hosts slipped to 45 for three in the 10th over.

When Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s 13 was ended by a tame catch in the deep to substitute fielder Ian Bell off slow bowler Paul Collingwood at 69 for four in the 15th over, England seemed poised to slice through the middle order.

West Indies, however, benefitted from their most productive partnership of the innings, as Bravo and Pollard rallied with a mixture of aggression and cautious batting, in adding 55 for the fifth wicket.

Bravo’s 33 required 46 balls and included two fours and a six while Pollard’s 30 came from 31 balls and was decorated with two sixes.

With both readying for the final assault, England struck twice decisively when Bravo hit Broad to Flintoff at cover off the last ball of the 24th over and Pollard then held out to Collingwood off Anderson, to the first ball of the next over.

West Indies were now hunting quick runs but Flintoff then staged his show in the 27th over. Bowling a full length, he first shattered Ramdin’s stumps as the batsman shuffled across his stumps attempting to play to leg and with the very next ball, trapped Rampaul lbw with a full toss.

Flintoff then sealed his hattrick and England’s victory when he dispatched Benn with another full length delivery to stun the Windies at 140 for nine.

Earlier, Kevin Pietersen smashed a run-a-ball 48 with four fours and a six while Ravi Bopara cracked 44 from 49 balls with three fours and a six, as England compiled 172 off their allotted 29 overs after rain caused the loss of four hours at the start.

The duo posted 80 from 85 balls for the second wicket after fast bowler Rampaul, in his first game back after a long injury layoff, had captain Andrew Strauss caught at midwicket by Dwayne Bravo for three in the second over.

Pietersen was snapped up at point by Darren Sammy off Benn and Bopara gave wicketkeeper Ramdin an easy catch off Pollard, as West Indies clawed their way back to leave England at 104 for three.

When Owais Shawh (6) and Flintoff (3) fell in successive overs, England had slipped to 112 for five in the 21st over and Windies seemed set to limit them.

However, Paul Collingwood struck 35 from 31 balls and Matt Prior rattled up a run-a-ball 25 as they added a spirited 60 from 49 balls to give the innings impetus at the end.

Benn, in his first match of the one-day series, grabbed two for 23 with his left-arm spin while slow bowler Pollard finished with two for 31.

England won the opening ODI in Guyana by one run under the Duckworth/Lewis method but West Indies hit back to level the series with a 21-run victory in the second match of the doubleheader.

The two teams again split the matches in Barbados last weekend, with West Indies winning by eight wickets last Friday before England countered with a comfortable nine-wicket win in a rain-hit affair two days later.