Greenidge – showing little effects of his age – struck five fours and two sixes from 56 balls to lead West Indies to 136 for six from their allocation of 20 overs after they chose to bat in the third match of the competition at Kensington Oval.
But Greenidge was upstaged, when Hick – the target of West Indies humiliation during his international playing days – struck five fours and four sixes from 77 balls to carry England over the threshold with five balls to spare.
Greenidge put on 41 in 5.2 overs for the first wicket with Stuart Williams, but West Indies then wobbled to 88 for five in the 15th over.
Vasbert Drakes joined Greenidge, and added a valuable 48 from the last five overs before he was run out for 10.
Dean Headley was Englands most successful bowler with two wickets for 18 runs from his allotment of four overs.
West Indies set England back on five runs for two wickets, when Curtly Ambrose had Barbados-born Mark Alleyne caught behind in the first over for a duck, and Ian Bradshaw snared Craig White in similar fashion in the second over for three.
But the home team could not sustain the effort, and Hick joined Mark Ramprakash for a third wicket stand of 69.
When Vasbert Drakes had Ramprakash caught behind for 29, England still needed 63 from the last 48 balls.
Mean, purposeful bowling from West Indies kept the match competitive down the stretch before Hick fittingly won the battle with a boundary off Jimmy Adams.
The victory put England at the top of the standings from this match – their first in the competition – ahead of West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Following yesterday’s rest day, the competition continues today, when West Indies face South Africa in a match that could decide whether the hosts reach the Final.
