West Indies captain Shai Hope commended his team’s all-round performance in their five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first ODI of the three-match series in Basseterre on Sunday, December 8. The win ended an 11-match losing streak for the hosts, as Sherfane Rutherford’s brilliant century anchored the successful chase of 295 runs with 14 balls to spare.

Hope acknowledged the collective effort that fueled the victory: "Just the way the guys went out there and showed we wanted to turn around that 11-game streak. We spoke about that quite a bit."

He explained the strategic bowling adjustments, giving credit to Justin Greaves: "Chase wasn’t getting much turn on the pitch. We had the luxury of Justin Greaves, and there was more on offer for pace."

Hope was particularly impressed with Sherfane Rutherford, who scored a match-winning 113 off 80 balls: "I think he’s really improved his batting. We ask for consistency, we always speak about it, and he’s showing that. He strikes the ball really well and the hard work is paying off in the middle. He was disappointed not to finish the game."

The skipper also emphasized the need for continued consistency: "We ask batters to put their hands up and put up big scores more often. The top three, top four need to put their hands up. We want to continue, not relax, we have to stay as consistent as possible."

Coming back to match, Bangladesh posted a competitive 294/6, thanks to notable contributions from Mehidy Hasan Miraz (74 off 101) and Tanzid Hasan Tamim (60 off 60). Mahmudullah’s quickfire 50 off 44 balls and Jaker Ali’s 48 off 40 added valuable runs. Romario Shepherd (3/51) was the pick of the bowlers for the West Indies.

Despite an early wobble at 27/2, Shai Hope (86 off 88) and Sherfane Rutherford’s 113 off 80 balls built a solid foundation. Rutherford’s innings included seven fours and eight sixes. Justin Greaves sealed the win with a composed 41 off 31.

Sherfane Rutherford was named Player of the Match for his game-changing performance.