Hope scored 132 while Pooran made a brisk 115 as the pair put on 216 for the fourth wicket to help the two-time champions post 339-7 after a bad start to the innings.
Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran both scored centuries to lead the West Indies to a dominant 101-run victory over Nepal in the World Cup Qualifier in Harare on Thursday.
Hope notched up an impressive 132 runs, while Pooran contributed a brisk 115, forming a formidable partnership of 216 runs for the fourth wicket. This partnership helped the two-time champions recover from a shaky start to post a total of 339-7.
The West Indies initially struggled, losing Kyle Mayers for just one run and Johnson Charles for a duck, leaving them at 9-2. Opener Brandon King managed to score 32 before being dismissed by leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane.
Shai Hope commented on their performance, saying, “We were put on the back foot there. The key was absorbing as much pressure as possible and then finding a way to transfer that pressure in the back end. Pooran made it a lot easier for me. The aim was to take it as deep as possible to give us the best chance towards the end.”
Hope and Pooran joined forces in the 16th over, taking control of the game and leaving Nepal to regret a dropped catch off Pooran’s bat early in his innings. Wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh missed a catch off Pooran when he was only on three.
While Hope played at a steadier pace, Pooran took on the role of the aggressor. Both players reached their centuries in the 40th over, with Hope completing his 15th ODI century off 107 balls and Pooran achieving his second one-day century off 81 balls, four years after his first.
Dipendra Singh Airee eventually dismissed Pooran for 115 with a remarkable catch off his own bowling. Rovman Powell contributed a quick 29 runs, while Jason Holder remained unbeaten at 16. Hope was caught at long-off in the final over for 132, and Keemo Paul was bowled off the last ball as Lalit Rajbanshi finished with figures of three for 52.
Nepal’s chase got off to a poor start with Alzarri Joseph removing Kushal Bhurtel’s off stump in the second over. Bhim Sharki soon followed, caught behind off Holder while attempting a scoop shot. Several Nepali batters made decent starts, but only Aarif Sheikh managed to pass fifty, scoring 63 before falling to a spectacular catch by Pooran in the deep. Nepal was eventually bowled out for 238.
Holder took 3-34 for the West Indies, with Joseph, Paul, and Akeal Hosein also picking up two wickets each.
With two wins in their first two matches, the West Indies moved ahead of tournament hosts Zimbabwe in Group A based on net run rate. The two teams will face each other in their next match on Saturday.
In another match on Thursday, the Netherlands recovered from their opening loss to Zimbabwe by defeating the United States, who suffered their third consecutive defeat.
Shayan Jahangir top-scored for the USA with 71 runs, but Dutch captain Scott Edwards led his team to a five-wicket victory with an unbeaten 67, supported by Teja Nidamanuru’s 58.
The USA has been eliminated from contention, while the Netherlands and Nepal will face off on Saturday in a crucial match that will likely determine which team advances to the Super Six stage.
The qualifiers continue on Friday with Group B leaders Oman seeking their third consecutive win against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo, while Scotland plays against the United Arab Emirates.
Brief Score: West Indies 339 for 7 (Hope 132, Pooran 115, Rajbanshi 3-52) beat Nepal 238 all out (Aarif 63, Holder 3-34, Joseph 2-45) by 101 runs.
Man of the Match: Shai Hope
View this post on Instagram