A classy 112 from Brandon King and a three-wicket haul from Keemo Paul powered West Indies to a resounding victory as they chased down 203 with 88 balls to spare against UAE, in the first of the three-match ODIs in sultry Sharjah on Sunday.
While Paul was playing an ODI after almost a year, King marked his promotion to vice-captaincy with a match-winning performance.
Kicking off a new era for West Indies under new captain Shai Hope and new head coach Daren Sammy, the visitors looked untroubled chasing in testing conditions, on a pitch offering turn and uneven bounce.
The win comes as a boost to West Indies as they prepare for the ODI World Cup Qualifier later this month in Zimbabwe.
King’s maiden ODI hundred came off 107 deliveries and he also stitched a crucial 91-run match-defining stand for the second wicket with Shamarh Brooks to crush UAE.
SUMMARY: West Indies 206-3 from 35.2 overs (Brandon King 112, Shamarh Brooks 44) beat UAE 202 all out from 47.1 overs (Ali Naseer 58; Keemo Paul 3-34) by seven wickets