In an inconsequential ICC 2023 ODI World Cup qualifiers match held at the Harare Sports Club, Romario Shepherd claimed three wickets, and Brandon King scored a century, as West Indies beat Oman by 7 wickets for their first win of the Super Six stage.
Oman managed to reach a total of 221/9, thanks to half-centuries from Shoaib Khan and Suraj Kumar. Shepherd bowled impressively, taking three wickets for 44 runs in his 10 overs. West Indies’ response was strong, with King playing a composed knockof 100 runs off 104 balls including 15 fours. Captain Shai Hope contributed with 63 runs, supporting King as they chased down the target with 62 balls to spare.
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Opting to bowl first, West Indies got off to a good start as Shepherd and Kyle Mayers dismissed Jatinder Singh and stand-in captain Aqib Ilyas within the first ten overs. Ayaan Khan and Kashyap Prajapati tried to rebuild the innings for Oman, but their partnership was interrupted when Roston Chase ran out Prajapati.
Oman faced multiple run-outs throughout their innings, causing significant setbacks, including the dismissal of Shoaib Khan, who fought hard to score 53 runs off 65 balls. Just before being run out by Akeal Hosein, Shoaib and wicketkeeper Suraj Kumar (50 off 54 balls) led Oman’s recovery.
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Starting from a challenging position at 116/6, Shoaib and Suraj combined for an 85-run partnership, taking Oman past the 200-run mark and salvaging their innings. After Shoaib’s dismissal, Kumar continued to accumulate runs with the lower-order batsmen, reaching his half-century off the final ball of the innings.
In addition to Shepherd’s performance, Mayers was economical, conceding only 31 runs in his seven overs while taking two wickets. The spinners, Hosein (0/48), Roston Chase (0/36), and Kevin Sinclair (1/42), maintained tight control from their end.
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West Indies faced an early setback in their chase as Kaleemullah bowled Johnson Charles with a superb delivery that deceived him for pace in the second over. Keacy Carty played cautiously for his 29 runs off 49 balls but was eventually run out by Sandeep Goud.
However, by that point, Carty and King had already added 80 runs for the second wicket. King then partnered with Hope to neutralize any threat from Oman’s bowling attack, which lacked penetration and struggled to contain the batsmen.
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King’s innings concluded soon after he reached his century, but a composed Hope and a fluent Nicholas Pooran ensured there were no further obstacles in the run-chase. Hope remained unbeaten on 63, while Pooran scored 19 runs, guiding West Indies to their first victory in the Super Six stage.
