Captain Shai Hope and wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran displayed exceptional batting prowess as they both notched centuries and forged a remarkable partnership of 216 runs for the fourth wicket, propelling West Indies to a resounding 101-run triumph over Nepal in their Group A match of the Men's ODI World Cup qualifiers at Harare Sports Club.
After a shaky start that saw West Indies lose three early wickets for just 55 runs, Hope (132) and Pooran (115) orchestrated a remarkable recovery, guiding their team to a formidable total of 339/7 in their allotted 50 overs. In pursuit of the daunting target of 340, Nepal struggled to find their rhythm, losing wickets at regular intervals throughout the innings.
Despite contributions from Aarif Sheikh (63), Gulsan Jha (42), and captain Rohit Paudel (30), Nepal fell short, ultimately getting bowled out for 238 in 49.4 overs. West Indies' Alzarri Joseph led the bowling attack with figures of 3/34, while Jason Holder, Keemo Paul, and Akeal Hosein claimed two wickets each, ensuring the Super Six hopes of the two-time World Cup winners remained alive.
West Indies encountered a nightmarish start to their batting innings, losing Kyle Mayers (1) and Johnson Charles (0) within the first five overs, as Nepal's bowlers maintained a tight grip with probing new-ball spells. However, Hope and Brandon King gradually gained confidence and accelerated the scoring rate after the conclusion of the first powerplay, taking the total to 30/2.
Just as the partnership started to flourish, King fell to Sandeep Lamichhane in the 15th over, giving the leg-spinner his first wicket of the tournament. Nepal came close to claiming their fourth wicket when Pooran edged a delivery from Lalit Rajbanshi, but the wicketkeeper failed to grasp the catch, granting the left-hander a crucial reprieve.
The dropped chance proved costly as Hope and Pooran unleashed a flurry of exquisite shots against both pacers and spinners, steering West Indies back into the match and firmly establishing their dominance.
Between the 26th and 37th overs, Hope and Pooran amassed nearly 100 runs, reaching their respective centuries in the 40th over. This marked Hope's 15th ODI hundred, while Pooran celebrated his second ODI century.
Nepal finally found a breakthrough when Dipendra Airee executed a spectacular catch off his own bowling to dismiss Pooran for 115, terminating their extraordinary partnership at 216 runs, the second-highest fourth-wicket partnership for West Indies in ODIs.
However, Pooran's dismissal provided little respite for the bowling side, as West Indies continued to wreak havoc on the pitch. Hope's outstanding innings (132) concluded in the final over, while cameos from Rovman Powell and Holder propelled West Indies beyond the 350-run mark, securing them their second consecutive victory in the tournament.
Brief Scores: West Indies 339/7 in 50 overs (Shai Hope 132, Nicholas Pooran 115, Lalit Rajbanshi 3/52) beat Nepal 238 all out in 49.4 overs (Aarif Sheikh 63, Gulsan Jha 42; Jason Holder 3/34, Alzarri Joseph 2/45) by 101 runs