Michael Lumb
scored a superb century on his one-day international debut but failed to prevent
England from losing their opening match against West Indies by 15 runs.
But following Moeen's (44) and Lumb's (106) dismissals, England lost wickets cheaply and finished on 254-6.
The next game in the three-match series is on Sunday, again in Antigua.
In that second ODI, stand-in captain Stuart Broad and limited-overs coach Ashley Giles will be hoping their new-look side avoids another capitulation, especially Giles who, according to ECB chairman Giles Clarke, is a "strong candidate" to succeed Andy Flower as the man in charge of all formats.
His team selection will be closely monitored and whether he tinkers with the XI remains to be seen. On Friday, some of his picks underperformed, but there were others who took their chances.
One of those was 34-year-old Nottinghamshire left-hander Lumb, who produced a near-perfect performance as an ODI opener; steady, while keeping the scoring rate moving along during the early stages.
On a momentous day for the Johannesburg-born player, his innings of 106 from 116 balls was the highest by an England one-day debutant and the seventh highest of all time.
Both he and fellow debutant Moeen, 26, also produced the highest opening ODI partnership by debutants, surpassing the previous record of 71 held by Piet Rinke and Terry Duffin for Zimbabwe against Kenya in 2006.
The pair had never played together before but showed the understanding of a veteran partnership. They reached 53 in 10 overs with little trouble, bar one delivery that struck Lumb in the groin area.
Worcestershire's Moeen was languid but calculating in his stroke-making, although a miscalculation led to his dismissal in the 20th over when he found Sunil Narine at long-on.
ODI and T20 veteran Luke Wright was in next but never looked at ease during nine balls which brought just one run, before Yorkshire's Joe Root, who scored a century in the pre-series warm-up match, appeared to settle the tourists' nerves with a calm knock.
Lumb survived the nervous nineties to raise his bat for a brilliant, maiden ODI ton following a single off Darren Sammy. Eight balls later he was out, after trying to drive Narine over cover, and that precipitated England's collapse.
The score moved from 180-3 to 192-4 when Durham's Ben Stokes saw his leg stump clipped by Narine. Root (37) continued to offer a steadying influence until he too was out when he nicked off-spinner Narine to keeper Denesh Ramdin.
Even after Jos Buttler skied Bravo to Jason Holder at extra cover for 12, England still had a good chance to win the match with Ravi Bopara and Tim Bresnan at the crease. However, the pair failed to find much-needed boundaries as England's innings ended meekly - the visitors scoring just 30 runs in the final five overs.
This was all in sharp contrast to the West Indies innings. The home side were reduced to 45-4 after 16 overs, more as a result of poor judgement rather than spectacular bowling.
However, their innings was saved by 108-run partnership between the patient Lendl Simmons (65) and the more cavalier Dwayne Bravo, who was later joined by the explosive Darren Sammy (61 from 52 balls) as the West Indies finished strongly, a late burst which ultimately proved the difference between the two sides.
Eng 254/6 (50 overs)
FOW: 95/1 Ali c Narine b Smith 44 (Moeen Ali's luck's run out, not sure he can have too many complaints, but some encouraging shot-making on his debut. This is not a brilliant shot, he's tried to flip it over midwicket, not really got hold of it, and he's spooned it for a simple catch to deep midwicket. Dwayne Smith the man to take the wicket, an inspired bowling change from Bravo, I guess.)
106/2 Wright c Bravo b Sammy 1 (An innings so forgettable I am already having to look up what happened, as Luke Wright pulls a regulation ball from Sammy straight to midwicket for a simple catch. Probably not quite short enough for the catch, Bravo didn't have to move.)
180/3 Lumb c Dwayne Bravo b Rampaul 106 (Ravi Rampaul. Excellent slower ball, cutter, Lumb tries to work it to leg and gets the leading edge back over the bowler's head. England reall have had the rub of the green today. Ah, but Lumb cannot just count his blessings, he's had a go at another cutter, Lumb charges down the pitch and slaps it to cover. No real need for that. Still, good innings.)
192/4 Stokes b Narine 5 (Ah, England lining up something a bit special here, I fancy. Ben Stokes sweeps, misses, is bowled leg stump, and decides to wait for the umpires to look at it on the TV. Erm.... I guess in fairness he wondered if he had come off the keeper. It hadn't.)
205/5 Root c Ramdin b Narine 37 (Buttler improvises a clever reverse sweep to plunder a four against Narine, then helps one down the leg side, but now it's all over for Root as he sweeps and feathers an edge to the keeper. Is that the sound of the wheels coming off the New England juggernaut?)
211/6 Buttler c Holder b Dwayne Bravo 12 (An over of attempted yorkers, some of which become low full tosses, sees England knock it about and run well for a trio of twos. But now Bravo produces a nice slower ball, rolling the fingers across the seam, and Buttler has gone for it hook, line and sinker. Scoops it up in the air, and that is a sitter at mid off.)
WI 269/6 (50 overs)
FOW: 19/1 Powell c Jordan b Root 5 (That pressure's paid off. Powell had to try something, and what he tried to do was to try and force the issue by hitting on the up through the offside. Super catch by Chris Jordan at short extra. Brilliant, in fact, diving low down)
38/2 Smith c Buttler b Tredwell 24 (James into the attack, Smith pushes forward and the ball turns. Pops up in the air, well caught by Joss Buttler throwing himself forward to where a very silly short leg would be. Umpire Gregory Brathwaite, for reasons best known to himself, gives that not out. Huge edge, surely? England waste no time in asking for the review, and TV umpire Rod Tucker wastes no time in telling his colleague to sort his act out, because that is quite clearly out.)
40/3 Edwards b Bresnan 10 (Getting better and better for England! Bresnan with a good ball on off stump, maybe tails in a tiny bit, not even sure if it did that really. Edwards just misses it and is bowled off pole. Edwards was trying to work it to leg with the bottom hand, and to all intents and purposes he's played aroudn a straight one)
45/4 Darren Bravo lbw b Ali 2 (Hit on the pad playing forward. Given out. Bravo reviews. Has it straightened enough from that round the wicket angle? Going to be tight.... It hasn't turned massively. But of course, he's been given out on field so it only has to be clipping. Yep, that'll do 'er. Erasmus had it right first time, and Darren Bravo is on the bike, taking the Windies' review with him Fantastic moment for Moeen Ali, well done son. Hope there are many more.)
153/5 Simmons c Ali b Bresnan 65 (94) Big wicket! Bresnan drags his fingers across the seam - a slower bouncer - and Simmons gets himself into all sorts of trouble, at first backing away to give himself room and then groping for the ball as it stops in the pitch. The top edge flies into the air and lands in the hands of Moeen Ali, running in from cover. That's a crucial time for England to make the breakthrough. Darren Sammy promoted up the order to No7.
269/6 Sammy c Broad b Bresnan 61 (Sammy chips the last ball to cover, where Broad takes the catch)
Eng won toss & will bowl
West Indies 1 Dwayne Smith, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Kirk Edwards, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Lendl Simmons, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Dinesh Ramdin, 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Jason Holder, 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Ravi Rampaul
England 1 Michael Lumb, 2 Moeen Ali, 3 Luke Wright, 4 Joe Root, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Ravi Bopara, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Tredwell
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