Friday, March 29, 2024

Hope’s 10th hundred anchors Windies to victory in first ODI

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NORTH SOUND – Shai Hope reinforced his class in the One-day International format with his 10th hundred and West Indies drew first blood in their three-match series against Sri Lanka in Antigua with an eight-wicket win.

Hope cracked 12 fours and one six in 110 from 133 balls to lead a successful chase of 233 for the Caribbean side in the first ODI at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

He became the eighth Windies batsman to collect 10 careers hundreds in ODIs, following in the footsteps of Chris Gayle (25), Brian Lara (19), Desmond Haynes (17), Gordon Greenidge, Viv Richards and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (11) and Marlon Samuels (10).

“I just want to go out there and score as many runs as I can for the team and win as many games as I can,” Hope said in a post-match interview. “I just love batting and being out there doing what I love.

“The key is always staying there for the team as long as I can and I wanted to bring home the game for the team, but I did not do it (this time).

“It was all about patience and trusting my ability, understanding the situation and being as aware as possible, and make sure that I negate the threats they throw at us and just finish the game.”

Hope shared 125 with fellow opener Evin Lewis and put on 72 for the second with Daren Bravo to set the foundation for West Indies.

Lewis made an out-of-character 65 from 90 balls and Bravo was not out on 37 before Jason Mohammed, not out on 13, formalised the result, when he drove pacer Dushmantha Chameera through cover for four to end a streak of five consecutive losses for Windies against the Sri Lankans in this format.

Earlier, Windies overcame a strong start from openers Danushka Gunathilaka and Dimuth Karuratne to dismiss Sri Lanka for 233 in 49 overs, after the visitors chose to bat.

But the unusual dismissal of Gunathilaka, obstructing the field, changed the course of the Sri Lankan innings and overshadowed a resilient performance in the field from the Caribbean side.

West Indies were put on the back-foot when Gunathilaka and Karunaratne put on 105 for the first wicket with little trouble before Pollard made the breakthrough that started the unravelling of the Sri Lankan innings.

Pollard held a return catch to remove his opposite Karunaratne for 52 in the 20th over before he triggered the sequence of events that led to the dismissal of Gunathilaka in the 22nd over.

A delivery from Pollard was played by Gunathilaka was played just off the pitch and non-striker Pathum Nissanka charged through for a single and had reached the point of no return when he was sent back by Gunathalika.

Pollard tried to retrieve the ball to try to complete a run out of Nissanka, but Gunathilaka back-heeled the ball in retreating, preventing the Windies captain from collecting it.

Umpire Joel Wilson referred a decision to the TV umpire Nigel Duguid and a bemused Gunathilaka was adjudged out for obstruction.

It was a fortunate break for West Indies because Gunathilaka looked in firm control at the time and his dismissal brought instability to the rest of the visitors’ batting and they lost their last eight wickets for 93, with only an even 50 from Ashen Bandara saving them from despair.

Summarised scores:

SRI LANKA 232 all out off 49 overs (Danushka Gunathilaka 55, Dimuth Karuratne 52, Ashen Bandara 50, Lakshan Sandakan 16 not out, Dinesh Chandimal 12; Jason Mohammed 2-12, Jason Holder 2-39).

WEST INDIES 236 for two off 47 overs (Shai Hope 110, Evin Lewis 65, Daren Bravo 37 not out, Jason Mohammed 13 not out; Dushmantha Chameera 2-50).

(AR)

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