Bridgetown [Barbados]: West Indies skipper Shai Hope said that he was happy with the batters’ performance in the third ODI match of the series against England at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown on Saturday.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Hope said, “Till my runs are contributing to the win, I am happy.”
The Caribbean skipper added that he remembered his international debut while leading the West Indies side in the third ODI match since it was also played at the same ground.
He also heaped praise on Matthew Forde and said that he has a bright future ahead of him. Forde was also named the ‘Player of the Match’ following his extraordinary performance.
While concluding, he said, “Any chance to play for the Windies is a massive proud feeling.”
“We got the win, that’s what we wanted. I don’t think much. I stick to the basics. I try to play the situation. I am setting a decent example for my team. Great to see the batters chipping in with good performances. Too much of history in cricket. Hard to keep up with them. I remember making my debut here. It is always an amazing feeling. Forde has a bright future,” Hope said.
Recapping the game, after winning the toss, the Caribbeans decided to field first. Following this, Philip Salt (4 runs from 6 balls) and Will Jacks (17 runs from 20 balls) opened for the English side but failed to make an eye-catching inning.
However, Ben Duckett (71 runs from 73 balls) played a fiery knock and was the only standout batter for the away side. Duckett’s stellar knock helped to maintain his side’s middle order and took England to 206/9.
Meanwhile, Matthew Forde and Alzarri Joseph led the Caribbean bowling attack after picking up three wickets each in their respective spells.
Rain played a spoilsport before the start of the second inning, following which the target was reduced to 188 runs. Alick Athanaze (45 runs from 51 balls) had a scintillating start to the inning and set the momentum for his side. Later, Keacy Carty (50 runs from 58 balls) and Romario Shepherd (41 runs from 28 balls) assisted the West Indies to clinch a big win in the game.
The four-wicket win helped the West Indies clinch a 2-1 series victory.
