West Indies edged past United Arab Emirates (UAE ) in the first ODI of the three-match series on Sunday (June 4). They defeated the hosts by seven wickets with 88 balls to spare in the match played at Sharjah International Cricket Stadium. With the victory, West Indies took a 1-0 lead in the series.
UAE won the toss and chose to bat first. They were bundled out for 202 in 47.1 overs, with paceman Keemo Paul taking 3 wickets for 34 runs. The 19-year-old Ali Naseer top-scored for UAE with 58 off 52 on debut, while Vriitya Aravind scored a slower-paced 40 off 77. Dominic Drakes (2/29), Odean Smith (2/40) and Yannic Cariah (2/26) were the other wicket-takers for West Indies.
Chasing 203, the opening duo of Johnson Charles and Brandon King gave Men in Maroon a steady start. Charles took on Naseer early in the powerplay, extracting 18 runs off the fourth over. However, Charles could not continue long as he fell just before the end of the powerplay, and West Indies were 50 for 1. After the departure of his opening partner, King joined hands with Sharmarh Brooks and stitched a 91-run stand to put the tourists on driver’s seat. King started dealing in boundaries as he progressed in his innings and stroked his maiden ODI hundred. Towards the end, Shai Hope provided the finishing touch by striking two consecutive sixes to take West Indies home.
Kicking off a new era for West Indies under new captain Hope and new head coach Daren Sammy, the visitors looked untroubled chasing in testing conditions on a pitch offering turn and uneven bounce. The win boosts West Indies’ morale as they prepare for the ODI World Cup Qualifier later this month in Zimbabwe.
The second ODI between the UAE and West Indies will take place on Tuesday (June 6) at the same venue.
All hail the K👑NG!
Brandon brings up his maiden ODI Century.💯 #UAEvWI pic.twitter.com/8JoDCNIyRs
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) June 4, 2023
WI WIN! A dominant display in the 1st ODI v UAE. #UAEvWI
SCORECARD⬇️https://t.co/n2Ul2QmfKx pic.twitter.com/F9fusenvNS
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) June 4, 2023
West Indies win the 1st ODI by seven wickets.
Excellent performance by Ali Naseer on debut.
2nd ODI to be played on Tuesday from 4:30 pm at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. #UAEvWI pic.twitter.com/0ls0wWlcOZ— UAE Cricket Official (@EmiratesCricket) June 4, 2023
