‘It’s great to see the progression’

Dec 14, 2024 Sports

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…Hope views sweep of Bangladesh as step forward in pursuit of consistency

(SportsMax) – West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope exuded pride and optimism following his team’s commanding 3-0 series victory over Bangladesh at Warner Park in St. Kitts.

The clean sweep, achieved with wins by five wickets, seven wickets, and four wickets, not only marked another feather in the team’s cap but also reinforced the strides they have made in recent months.

“Anytime you win a series, it’s always good. Before the series, you could see a group of guys raring and ready to play cricket, so you can’t ask for a better result than 3-0. We’ve been planning well, and we’ve been playing good cricket, so it’s just great to see that we can get over the line and actually sweep the series,” Hope told reporters after Thursday’s final game.

One of the standout features of the series was the collective effort from the entire squad, as Sherfane Rutherford (113), Hope (86), and Justin Greaves (41 not out) stood out with bat in the first game, while Romario Shepherd (3-51) did damage with the ball.

The second contest saw positive knocks from Brandon King (82), Evin Lewis (49) and Keacy Carty (45), while Jayden Seales (4-22) shone with the ball.

Meanwhile, debutant Amir Jangoo with an unbeaten 104, Carty (95), Gudakesh Motie (44 not out), and Alzarri Joseph (2-43) stood out on Thursday.

Hope highlighted the significance of various players stepping up at crucial moments rather than relying on a single individual to carry the load.

“It was pleasing for me as a leader to see everyone putting their hands up in different situations,” he declared.

“There’s not one particular guy doing the bulk of the work every single time. Sherfane [Rutherford] has been consistent for the last three series, and it’s great to see guys contributing when the team needs it most, so I’m very happy with where the team is at this point,” he added.

Jangoo’s century on debut was a crowning moment in the final match, as the 27-year-old joined Desmond Haynes as the only West Indians to achieve this milestone. His unbeaten 83-ball knock, alongside Carty’s half-century, was instrumental in chasing down a challenging target.

“It’s great. I always speak about the accolades and milestones coming after the fact, but the way he played throughout the innings was impressive. It’s great to see him get a century while winning the game for the team. I’m very happy to see him get runs on debut,” Hope noted.

While the batting unit garnered much praise, the bowlers also played their part in containing Bangladesh to totals of 294, 227, and 321 across the series.

Hope addressed the consistency of the bowling attack, particularly in the challenging conditions of Warner Park, affectionately known as “the bull ring.”

“In this day and age, 300 is a par score, so I think the bowlers did very well, especially here in St. Kitts,” he explained.

“To restrict a team to less than 290 without bowling them out is a great sign. In the second game, the way we came back after their strong start was fantastic. Today’s (Thursday’s) pitch was the best of the three, and even though we didn’t start well, we had it under control. But again, as a strong team, pulling ourselves out of different situations shows that we’re building something,” Hope stated.

That said, Hope acknowledged the strides the team has made in maintaining intensity throughout a series as the back-to-back series victories—2-1 against England and now 3-0 against Bangladesh—reflect a growing consistency in their performances.

“The progression is showing. It’s clear we’re improving because before, we would take one step forward and two steps back. We would start a series well but play mediocre cricket in the back end, but we really keeping the foot down now, especially when we’re up.”

“This time, I challenged the boys to keep the foot down, especially after that England series. When we have teams in strong positions, especially at our home, we’ve got to finish strong. We got to make sure we can finish the season and try to win a lot more three-nil if we can,” Hope stressed.

With the Darren Sammy-coached team, currently ranked 10th, targeting a move up the ODI rankings and, by extension, a spot at the 2027 50-over World Cup, Hope is encouraged by the emergence of batsmen stepping up in recent series.

In fact, he emphasized the importance of providing opportunities to new players while identifying areas for improvement, such as in their spin options.

“There’s good competition among the players, and it’s giving us a better understanding of what the guys are capable of at this level,” the Barbadian said.

“The more opportunities they get, the better for us, especially now when we’re doing well, so I’m just happy to see the guys getting opportunities and grab them with both hands. I think we need to find more spin options, especially wrist spinners, and we’ll get there one step at a time, but it’s great to see the progression,” Hope ended.

(‘It’s great to see the progression’)

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• Amir Jangoo, Bangladesh, Sherfane Rutherford, Warner Park, West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope

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