Skipper Shai Hope starred with the bat in West Indies’ four-wicket victory over England in the first ODI in Antigua on Sunday (December 3).

Chasing 326 to win, the hosts overhauled the target in 48.5 overs on the back of Hope’s unbeaten century (109 off 83) and vital contributions from Alick Athanaze (66 off 65) and Romario Shepherd (49 off 28).

For his match-winning ton at No. 4, Shai Hope deservingly won the Player-of-the-Match award. It was his 16th hundred in the 50-over format.  

After the game, the West Indies captain acknowledged the influence of a conversation he had with Indian cricket legend MS Dhoni some time back.

"A very, very famous person, MS Dhoni - we had a chat a while ago, and he was saying, 'You always have a lot more time than you think.' That is one thing that has stuck with me throughout the years I have been playing ODI cricket," Hope said at the post-match presentation.

Hope also praised all-rounder Romario Shepherd for his outstanding contribution in the victory.

"He was amazing. He is one of those guys you can depend on, and he has continued to show his worth at this level."

Reflecting on the performance, Shai Hope stressed on the need for West Indies to improve their bowling in the initial phase and also rued the dropped chances.

"Their openers played really well, we need to try to start a bit better in the next game. We also had a few dropped catches, if you want to be the best team in the world, you also have to start playing like the best team in the world," he said.

Hope was pleased to see the responsibility taken by the opening duo of Alick Athanaze and Brandon King, who provided a perfect platform with a 104-run partnership.

"Nice to see the openers taking responsibility, they are both great players. It is about seeing how we can continue to repeat these performances," he concluded.

(With ANI Inputs)