CHENNAI, India - England captain Andrew Strauss said the fear of more World Cup embarrassment had been a key motivating factor as his side stayed alive after a thrilling 18-run win over the West Indies.

Thursday's success at the Chidambaram Stadium meant England retained a shot at the quarterfinals - which it will be in if South Africa, already through to the last eight, beats Bangladesh on Saturday.

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England was indebted to World Cup debutants James Tredwell and Luke Wright against the West Indies.

The men from the Caribbean were all but into the quarterfinals when they were 222 for six chasing 244 for victory.

But offspinner Tredwell, man-of-the-match with four for 38, had allrounder Andre Russell lbw for 49 to spark a collapse that saw the West Indies lose their last four wickets for three runs as they were bowled out for 225.

Earlier, Wright's 44 had been vital in taking England to 243 all out after it had been 151 for six.

England's see-saw World Cup has seen it involved in several nailbiters.

It tied with India, lost to Ireland and Bangladesh but still beat South Africa by six runs on another spin-friendly Chennai pitch.

"I was buoyed by the thought we had one more opportunity to show what we could actually do in this World Cup," Strauss said.

"None of us wanted to go home tomorrow, and we were very motivated to not let that happen.

"We've been through some tough times together this winter as a group - and we didn't want to be leaving the World Cup at this stage.

"We've obviously got to rely on other results going our way. But if we do progress in this tournament, we've got to be a lot better than we have been. We're not going to hide from that.

"But it's one of those situations where you've got to be in it to win it."

Ashes winner England is without star batsman Kevin Pietersen (hernia) and paceman Stuart Broad (side strain) after both were forced out of the World Cup through injury.

So too was seamer Ajmal Shahzad (hamstring) and England then dropped the experienced but struggling duo of new-ball bowler James Anderson and batting all-rounder Paul Collingwood.

Agence France-Presse