Hope, Powell warm up with half-centuries

CHIT­TAGONG, Bangladesh, Nov 18, CMC – Shai Hope and Kier­an Pow­ell struck half-cen­turies on the open­ing day of the two-day tour match yes­ter­day as West In­dies geared up for next week’s first Test against Bangladesh.

Opt­ing to bat first against a Bangladesh Crick­et Board XI, West In­dies end­ed the day at the MA Az­iz Sta­di­um on 303 for six, with Hope top-scor­ing with 88 and Pow­ell get­ting 72.

Ros­ton Chase chipped in with 35 while both Shane Dowrich and Shim­ron Het­my­er got 24.

Play­ing in their on­ly warm-up match be­fore the open­ing Test, the tourists lost cap­tain Kraigg Brath­waite cheap­ly for six with the score on 11 in the sev­enth over of the day.

How­ev­er, Hope and Pow­ell then came to­geth­er in a 163-run, sec­ond wick­et stand to lead the Windies re­cov­ery.

Hope faced 112 balls and struck 10 fours and three six­es while the left-hand­ed Pow­ell was more cir­cum­spect, count­ing six fours and a six in a 142-ball knock.

Hope re­tired hurt and Pow­ell fell to a catch at the wick­et off left-arm spin­ner Fa­zle Mah­mud, paving the way for Chase, Het­my­er and Dowrich to spend valu­able time at the crease.

West In­dies will face Bangladesh in two Tests start­ing next Thurs­day at the Za­hur Ahmed Chowd­hury Sta­di­um here in Chit­tagong.

The tour al­so in­cludes three One-Day In­ter­na­tion­als and three T20 In­ter­na­tion­als.

SCORES

WEST IN­DIES 303 for six (Shai Hope 88, Kier­an Pow­ell 72, Ros­ton Chase 35, Shane Dowrich 24, Shim­ron Het­my­er 24; Nay­eem Hasan 2-104) vs BANGLADESH.