Brilliant Hope sets up historic WI win

NORTH SOUND, Antigua (CMC):

Captain Shai Hope produced a sublime masterclass in the form of his 16th One-Day International (ODI) hundred as West Indies pulled off a record run chase to stun England by four wickets in the opening ODI here yesterday.

Asked to chase a demanding 326 at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, the home side overhauled their target with seven balls to spare, to register their highest successful run chase in the Caribbean and second highest overall.

The unflappable Hope was at the heart of his side’s enterprise, carving out a sparkling unbeaten 109 off 83 deliveries - his fastest ever ODI century.

He struck four fours and seven sixes – the last three of which came in the penultimate over from wayward left-arm seamer Sam Curran.

The first of the three – over wide long on – took him to 97, the second off the fourth ball raised his hundred off 82 deliveries, and the final one of the very next ball fired West Indies to only their fourth victory over England in their last 20 ODIs.

Left-handed opener Alick Athanaze dazzled with 66 from 65 balls, big-hitting Romario Shepherd helped turn the game with a 28-ball 48 at number seven, and Brandon King chipped in with 35 and Shimron Hetmyer, 32.

“It was in a winning cause, and that’s all I play for,” the 30-year-old Hope said of the hundred, which pulled him within one of chief selector Desmond Haynes and within three of batting great Brian Lara on the all-time West Indies list.

“The stats will come as a [by-product], but my aim is to win games, so I’m just happy that the guys crossed the line today.”

England had earlier gathered 325 all out off their 50 overs after choosing to bat, Harry Brook top-scoring with 71 off 72 balls, number three Zak Crawley lashing 48 from 63 deliveries, and opener Phil Salt getting 45 from 28 balls.

Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie (2-49), along with fast bowlers Oshane Thomas (2-57) and Shepherd (2-77), grabbed two wickets each but struggled to contain England early on.

Salt lashed five fours and three sixes in a 77-run opening stand with Will Jacks (26), and when both fell in successive overs with no addition to the score, Crawley added a further 33 for the third with Ben Duckett (20).

Crawley, who counted five fours, combined with Brook in a 71-run fourth-wicket stand that put England in charge of the contest, the visitors cruising to 163 without further loss at the half-way stage.

When Crawley was tragically run out in the 30th over, captain Jos Buttler followed soon after for three, gloving a reverse sweep to first slip off Motie at 191 for five in the 34th over.

Two partnerships then lifted England to their eventual total. Brook, who struck seven fours and two sixes, put on 41 for the sixth with Liam Livingstone (17) before Curran (38) and Brydon Carse (31 not out) posted 66 for the eighth.

Athanaze then provided the early fireworks in the West Indies reply, the 24-year-old lashing nine fours and a brace of sixes in a 104-run opening stand with King, who counted four fours and a six in a measured 44-ball knock.

Athanaze perished leg before wicket in the 18th over, missing a sweep at a googly from leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed (2-40), and King followed six balls later in the next over, bowled off his thigh pad by off-spinner Livingstone.