WI VS NEP - 9th Match, Group A, ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023

Two wins in two matches for West Indies. Their next game will be against the other unbeaten team of this group - hosts Zimbabwe. Both sides are through to the Super Sixes and that should be a cracking game. Nepal, on the other hand, have lost two out of their three games and they'll be locking horns with Netherlands. The winner of that game will progress to the Super Sixes. On that note, it's time to bid goodbye. Tune in tomorrow for two Group B encounters. Cheers!

Shai Hope: It was a commendable effort after the start that we had. We had to find a way to stabilise in the middle to give ourselves a chance for the bowlers to bowl at something. Happy with the result, there's always room for improvement. Absorb as much pressure as we can. Their bowlers were bowling pretty well. The key was to take it as deep as we possibly could. (On Pooran) I am happy, anytime he's scoring runs, we are doing well. He's such an exciting player. This is the first time we are playing against them (Nepal) but they played some good cricket today. I must commend them for their effort. The key was to put pressure on their openers and take early wickets. The short ball was part of the plan. We just need to work on the mindset in the field. The guys know that we let ourselves down there. We have to do better. The aim is to get the best out of the players. Everyone's encouraging each other and that needs to continue. I am happy with the direction we are taking but we need to make sure that we get better quickly as well.

Rohit Paudel: Early stage, our bowlers bowled really well but we dropped a few catches. We could have done better in the field. Usually we do better fielding, today we missed few opportunities. Pooran and Hope batted really well, credit to them. We have a good fielding side, we'll improve in the next match. They bowled good short balls to us. We could have done better by using the pace. Aarif and Gulsan played well. We'll look forward to tackle those short balls in the next match. Playing against Test playing nations, it has taught me a lot. You have to be up to the mark. You can't take any game lightly. We are looking forward to that game (vs Netherlands). We'll go and express ourselves.

Shai Hope | Player of the Match: I still believe the rhythm was a bit off. In that situation, I am just happy that I came good for the team. We were put on the back foot there, happy to get the team over the line today. The key was absorbing as much pressure as possible and then find a way to transfer that pressure in the back end. Pooran made it a lot easier for me. The aim was to take it as deep as possible, give us the best chance towards the end. I don't think I hit the targets where I wanted to but happy to just bat as deep as I possibly could there. The team really needed me. They bowled well, must commend their bowlers, especially their spinners, they stuck to their task well. We batted well in that period to overcome their spin threat. There's obviously room for improvement, so we need to make sure we are ticking those boxes going into the next game.

16:53 Local Time, 14:53 GMT, 20:23 IST: Comprehensive win for West Indies! Inserted to bat, they posted a mammoth score of 339 on the back of centuries from Shai Hope and Pooran who also stitched a 216-run partnership. In reply, Nepal never really looked threatening. They lost wickets at regular intervals. Aarif Sheikh notched up a fifty and was involved in a 68-run partnership with Gulsan Jha for the seventh wicket which delayed the inevitable and also reduced the margin of defeat. Karan KC struck a few boundaries towards the end to drag it till the final over. West Indies employed six bowlers; barring Chase, everyone picked at least one wicket.

Mayers to Karan KC, out Caught&Bowled!! Very full delivery, Karan KC can't quite get under it and ends up chipping it back at the bowler. West Indies win by 101 runs. Karan KC c and b Mayers 28(27) [4s-4 6s-1]

Mayers to Karan KC, THATS OUT!! Caught&Bowled!!

Mayers to Karan KC, SIX, full and in the slot, Karan KC goes downtown. Slightly moves leg-side, gets under it and bludgeons it for a biggie

Mayers to Karan KC, no run, very full, drilled to mid-off

An additional fielder brought inside the 30-yard circle for the final over due to WI's slow over-rate

Mayers to Karan KC, no run, full toss on the pads, flicked to deep square leg. Karan KC wants to keep the strike

Kyle Mayers [6.0-0-31-0] is back into the attack

Keemo Paul to Rajbanshi, no run, pitched up, played back at the bowler

Keemo Paul to Karan KC, 1 run, chopped down to third man for a single

Keemo Paul to Karan KC, no run, slower ball, full in length, Karan swings hard and inside-edges it onto his pad

Keemo Paul to Karan KC, FOUR, pace on, Karan KC looks to heave it away and gets a thick inside edge that runs away to fine leg for four

Keemo Paul to Karan KC, no run, off-speed delivery outside off, Karan KC swings and misses as the ball moves away

Keemo Paul to Karan KC, wide, bumper, too high and it's been wided

Keemo Paul to Karan KC, FOUR, short ball, pulled away by Karan KC. In the air and it falls between the two converging fielders - Charles and Holder - running from deep mid-wicket and deep backward square leg. There's a bit of miscommunication and Charles fails to flick it back into play

Alzarri Joseph to Karan KC, 1 run, dropped! Karan KC moves leg-side and guides this short of length ball to the right of wide slip. King dives to his right but fails to hold onto the catch. Single taken off the last ball and Karan will keep the strike