In a commanding performance, West Indies clinched the three-match series against the UAE with one match remaining, thanks to impressive contributions from Brandon King and Johnson Charles with the bat, coupled with a disciplined bowling display. The West Indies, opting to bat first, posted a formidable total of 306, and then restricted the UAE to 228/7, sealing victory and giving Shai Hope his first series win as ODI captain.
Brandon King, coming off a century in the previous game, played a pivotal role in the opening partnership of 129, providing stability. Meanwhile, Johnson Charles showcased his aggressive batting style, reaching a quick fifty off just 33 balls. Charles’s innings of 63 came to an end with a mistimed pull shot off Ali Naseer after hitting 8 fours and three sixes. King, who reached his half-century off 52 deliveries, was dismissed by debutant Adhitya Shetty after scoring a well-compiled 64 off 70 balls, including 4 fours and as many sixes.
After the strong start, West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals. However, several valuable cameos from the lower-middle order ensured they surpassed the 300-run mark. Of note was Odean Smith’s crucial knock at No.9, rescuing the team when they had slipped to 249/7. Smith’s quickfire 37 off just 24 balls propelled the West Indies to a competitive total. Unfortunately for the hosts, their chase did not begin on a positive note as they found themselves struggling at 95/5 halfway through the innings. While Vriitya Aravind and Aryansh Sharma showed promise, they failed to capitalize on their starts, with the top-order batsmen succumbing to loose shots.
Basil Hameed (49) and Ali Naseer (57) combined for a sixth-wicket partnership of 80 runs, but their efforts were not enough to bring the UAE closer to victory. Their partnership came at a rate of less than 70 runs per 100 balls, leaving the UAE with a daunting task towards the end. With 109 runs required from the last five overs, they fell well short as West Indies comfortably secured the win in their preparations for the World Cup Qualifiers.
Final scores: West Indies 306 in 49.5 overs (Brandon King 64, Johnson Charles 63; Zahoor Khan 3-44) defeated UAE 228/7 in 50 overs (Ali Naseer 57, Basil Hameed 49; Roston Chase 2-49) by 78 runs.
