Kevin Pietersen admits England's minds were not focused on cricket at Stanford Series

England were comprehensively defeated by Chris Gayle's team inside 13 overs of the chase after posting only 99 at Coolidge.

In typically flamboyant style, left-hander Gayle cracked a fifth six, off Andrew Flintoff, to seal the US dollars 20million affair and opening partner Andre Fletcher sank to his knees in delight.

It will not go down in the official records but this clash for cash was one of the most humiliating defeats for an England team in history – and came at the end of a week in which most of the talk has been about the conduct of Sir Allen Stanford and the facilities at his ground.

"It was a disappointment really on how the team have handled the week," said Pietersen. "I said it was diving into the unknown, those deep waters of uncertainty.

"We certainly jumped in, got involved in the week, but as a team I don't think we did it the right way.

"We concentrated too much on other things in terms of outside stuff and distractions. We've probably not done it the right way, we have not solely concentrated on the cricket.

"There has been a lot of talk and when we do this next year it is a case of buying into it and giving it a heck of a good go and concentrate like we did in the one-day series against South Africa. We have not just been thinking about cricket and the game.

"Nobody in the world has played for US dollars 20million in three hours before. Now we know how to deal with it in future years."

Gayle finished unbeaten on 65 as he guided his team-mates to a life-changing cash bounty.

It was an innings that ensured the mind games of his good friend Pietersen pre-match came back to haunt him.

"Words can't explain it," said Gayle. "Trust me, I am just glad it is over, the feeling is tremendous. We are very grateful for what happened tonight.

"The guys really turned up to the party tonight, we hit the England guys from ball one and you couldn't ask for a better performance than this.

"KP told me he didn't really need the money but we need it and we really wanted it. Who wouldn't need a million, you would have to be crazy, you know?

"We would take it any day, so we went out there to take it and we deserved it. We worked very hard for six weeks at our camp, and this was actually some of the biggest pressure I have ever been under.

"So I am grateful for the way my family has brought me up, my back is broad. This is better than anything in the world. Straight up. To win a million means we have made history."

Although England captain Pietersen opted to bat first in Sir Allen Stanford's financial bonanza, only three men reached double figures during an underwhelming batting effort.

They managed only seven fours between them, a proportion of which were via edges – a total the opposition openers managed inside the first five overs of the reply.

Upon levelling that boundary count, Superstars captain Gayle then upped the tempo to pump up the volume levels in the stands, by turning his attention to sixes, cracking Steve Harmison over the rope at long-on and deep midwicket.

After Owais Shah was caught in the deep hauling a pull from outside off-stump, Pietersen missed an attempted sweep shot off medium-pacer Darren Sammy, which exposed and knocked over his leg-stump.

It triggered one of a number of extravagant celebrations from the West Indian players – Sammy lying on his back with arms aloft in an outpouring of emotion.

When Flintoff and Paul Collingwood perished in consecutive overs, England were 54 for six and struggling to set a three-figure target.

Only a 28-run stand for the ninth wicket between Patel and Stuart Broad averted even greater ignominy.