A week after the Test team slumped to a series defeat in Pakistan, England named four ODI debutants for the first of three matches against the West Indies.
Their rookie line-up laboured to a disappointing 209 all out from their innings.
With captain Jos Buttler out injured and several Test stars unavailable, England gave debuts to Jordan Cox, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton and John Turner.
All of the top-six reached double figures but contributed to their own demise, unable to battle through tricky conditions where timing was an issue, with Liam Livingstone's 48 off 49 balls their top score.
The demise of Livingstone, captaining England for the first time, after a restorative 72-run stand in 84 balls with Sam Curran (37 off 56) led to the tourists losing their last six wickets for 44.
Gudakesh Motie took four of them in 15 balls, starting when Livingstone limply poked a return catch to the slow left-armer, who snared Mousley and Overton with successive deliveries before Curran holed out.
"I think the test we have to overcome the next few games is to get into the rhythms of 50-over cricket," Livingstone said.
"We have to get up to speed as quickly as possible. We know someone in the top six has to get a big score."
The hosts made a fine start to their reply before a rain delay gave them a new target via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, one they strolled to with nine overs to spare.
Evin Lewis' magnificent 94 off 69 deliveries helped them chase an adjusted target of 157 in 35 overs with 55 balls to spare to draw first blood in the three-match series.
Lewis was irresistible, pummelling sixes at will - seven of his eight were in the arc between long-on and long leg, with one hit off Adil Rashid going the distance despite having one hand off his bat.
"Evin Lewis is experienced and has been around for a long time," West Indies skipper Shai Hope said. "You can see he is a different beast.
"He's hungry. I'm glad with the scores he's getting now."
England get the chance to redeem themselves at the same Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Saturday before the final ODI of the series in Barbados next Wednesday.
with PA
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