Shai Hope impressive run machine

Shai Hope’s rich vein of form continued as the West Indies second day of their Best vs Best warm up match concluded.

Hope is striving to make it back to the West Indies Test team after opting out of the Bangladesh and then only being selected to returned to the international side earlier this year in the ODI against Sri Lanka but did not make it into the Test team.

He opened the batting in the Best vs the Best and in the first innings and scored 79 runs from 88 balls. He then backed it up with an unbeaten century in the second innings.

Hope is on 104 runs off 132 balls which included nine boundaries and six maximums and said after the first innings that he is very eager to get back into the Test set up.

“I am trying to be as consistent as I can be especially where it is the best red ball cricketers in the Caribbean. So I am just trying to prove my point if there is a point to be proven.” Said Hope.

He said that playing red ball cricket and opening the batting the principles apply across the formats.

“You still have to play the ball on merit, it depends on how the surface is playing and how the bowlers a playing.”

However in terms of playing he said he ‘just sees the ball and hit it’.

“It was good to get back out there as he hasn’t been playing the amount of cricket that he would have liked within the couple month to a last year.”

“Hopefully I can continue learning and improving my game as we go along.”

He was well supported by Jermaine Blackwood who scored 85 runs in the first innings and is unbeaten on 23 is the second.

Kyle Mayers who got a golden duck in the first innings, returned in the second innings to score 40 runs off 43 balls.

Roston Chase who was left out of the team for Sri Lanka after initially failing the first fitness test showed that he is putting his hands up for selection taking four wickets, while young fast bowler Chemar Holder took three.

The WI Best A reached a total of 264 all out in their first innings and are on 197/3 in their second innings.

In reply to the first innings score Raymond Reifer was the top scorer for the WI Best B with an unbeaten 60 runs, while Chase scored 35 runs as they were bowled out for 178.

Keon Harding and Shannon Gabriel took two wickets apiece, while Niall Smith bagged three wickets. (CG)