Captain Shai Hope delivered a exceptional efficiency, notching his sixteenth One-Day Worldwide (ODI) century, as West Indies achieved a historic victory by defeating England by 4 wickets within the opening ODI held on the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, on Sunday.
The house facet efficiently chased down a formidable goal of 326 with seven balls to spare, marking their highest-ever profitable run chase within the Caribbean and the second-highest total.
Hope, displaying unwavering composure, led the cost with a stunning unbeaten 109 runs from simply 83 deliveries, recording his quickest ODI century thus far. His innings included 4 fours and 7 sixes, with the ultimate three sixes coming within the penultimate over off the wayward left-arm seamer, Sam Curran.
The primary of those sixes took him to 97, the second off the fourth ball introduced up his century in 82 deliveries, and the final one, off the very subsequent ball, secured West Indies’ fourth victory over England of their final 20 ODIs.
Left-handed opener Alick Athanaze made a powerful contribution with 66 runs from 65 balls, whereas Romario Shepherd’s big-hitting efficiency with 48 runs from simply 28 balls at quantity seven performed a pivotal function in turning the sport. Brandon King added 35 runs, and Shimron Hetmyer contributed 32 runs to the profitable run chase.
Hope, reflecting on his century, emphasised that his main purpose was to win video games for his group, inserting better significance on the group’s success than particular person information. His century introduced him inside one century of chief selector Desmond Haynes and inside three of batting nice Brian Lara on the all-time West Indies century checklist.
Of their first innings, England managed to attain 325 runs for the lack of all their wickets of their allotted 50 overs after opting to bat. Harry Brook top-scored with 71 runs from 72 balls, Zak Crawley contributed 48 runs from 63 deliveries at quantity three, and opener Phil Salt scored 45 runs from 28 balls. The left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie (2-49), together with quick bowlers Oshane Thomas (2-57) and Romario Shepherd (2-77), took two wickets every however struggled initially to include England’s batting onslaught.
Salt led the way in which with 5 fours and three sixes in a 77-run opening partnership with Will Jacks (26). Nonetheless, each openers fell in successive overs with none addition to the rating. Crawley then mixed with Brook in a 71-run, fourth-wicket partnership that put England in a commanding place, with the rating at 163 with out additional loss on the midway mark.
The turning level occurred when Crawley was run out within the thirtieth over, adopted by captain Jos Buttler’s dismissal for 3 runs, as he gloved a reverse sweep to the primary slip off Motie, leaving England at 191 for 5 within the thirty fourth over. Two partnerships helped England attain their eventual complete: Brook and Liam Livingstone (17) added 41 runs for the sixth wicket, whereas Curran (38) and Brydon Carse (31 not out) put collectively 66 runs for the eighth wicket.
Within the West Indies’ reply, Athanaze supplied an explosive begin with 9 fours and two sixes in a 104-run opening partnership alongside King, who contributed with 4 fours and a six in a composed 44-ball innings. Nonetheless, Athanaze fell leg earlier than wicket within the 18th over to leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed (2-40), and King was dismissed six balls later within the subsequent over, bowled off his thigh pad by off-spinner Liam Livingstone.
