At the World Cup Qualifier held in Harare on Thursday, the West Indies defeated Nepal by a comfortable margin of 101 runs, thanks in large part to hundreds scored by both Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran.
After a shaky beginning to their innings, the two-time defending champions were able to record a score of 339-7 because to the contributions of Hope (132 runs) and Pooran (115 runs, including a quick one), who combined to add 216 runs for the fourth wicket.
The West Indies were reduced to 9-2 as a result of Kyle Mayers being run out for just one and Johnson Charles being run out for nothing. Before being bowled by leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, opener Brandon King scored 32 runs before being dismissed.
Hope stated that at that point, “we were put on the back foot.”
“The trick was to absorb as much pressure as possible and then figure out how to transfer that pressure in the back end,” he explained.
“Thanks to Pooran, I was able to do a lot more. The goal was to get as far as we could into it so that we would have the best chance of winning in the end.
When Hope and Pooran joined forces in the 16th over, they were able to take control of the game and win it for themselves. Nepal was left to lament the fact that one of Pooran’s catches was missed early on in his innings.
When Pooran was just three runs into his at-bat, wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh intercepted an edge off the bat of left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi.
Both players achieved their hundreds in the 40th over. Hope was progressing at a more moderate pace, so Pooran took up the role of the aggressor before both players reached their hundreds.
Before Pooran sliced Gulsan Jha to the boundary a few deliveries later to bring up his second one-day century off 81 balls — four years after his maiden one-day century — Hope finished his 15th one-day international hundred off of 107 balls.
Pooran was finally dismissed by Dipendra Singh Airee for 115 when he took a spectacular catch off of his own bowling, but Rovman Powell kept the runs coming with a quick-fire 29 and Jason Holder remained not out.
Keemo Paul was bowled off the penultimate delivery, bringing the score to 132, and Hope was out by holing out to long off in the final over, bringing Rajbanshi’s overall tally to 3-52.
– A rocky start for Nepal’s chase Nepal’s chase got off to a rocky start as Alzarri Joseph removed Kushal Bhurtel’s off stump in the second over of their innings. Soon after, Bhim Sharki came after him and was the one who was caught behind off Holder when he was attempting a scoop shot.
Only Aarif Sheikh of the Nepalese batting lineup managed to reach the fifty-mark, scoring 63 runs before being caught by Pooran in the deep as his side was bowled out for 238. Other Nepalese batters got off to solid starts, but Aarif Sheikh was the only one to cross the fifty-mark.
Joseph, Paul, and Akeal Hosein each picked up two wickets for the West Indies, and Holder grabbed three of the West Indies’ wickets.
The West Indies have jumped ahead of the tournament hosts Zimbabwe in terms of net run rate to claim first place in Group A after winning their opening two matches. The next encounter between these two countries is scheduled to take place on Saturday.
In the other match that took place on Thursday, the Netherlands got back on track after suffering their first setback of the tournament against Zimbabwe by handing the United States their third consecutive loss.
The United States of America struggled their way to a score of 211-8, lead by Shayan Jahangir’s score of 71, but the Dutch captain, Scott Edwards, guided his side to a victory by five wickets with an unbeaten 67. This came after Teja Nidamanuru’s score of 58 had stabilized the innings.
The United States of America have been eliminated from the competition, and on Saturday, the Netherlands and Nepal will compete in a match that will almost certainly decide whether team progresses to the Super Six round.
On Friday, the qualifying competition will continue. Oman, who have surprised everyone by leading Group B, will play Sri Lanka in Bulawayo, looking to win their third game in a row. Scotland will play the United Arab Emirates.