In a remarkable team performance, the West Indies emerged victorious in their series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), sealing a commanding 78-run win in the second one-day international on Tuesday.

Opening batsmen Brandon King and Johnson Charles set the tone with impressive half-centuries, propelling the West Indies to a total of 306 all out in their innings.

The West Indies bowlers then demonstrated their skill as they shared the wickets, causing the UAE’s batting line-up to stumble to 95/5. The UAE eventually finished their innings on 228/7 after the allotted 50 overs.

Looking ahead, the West Indies are now focused on the World Cup qualifying event set to take place in Zimbabwe from June 18, where the UAE will also be participating.

As two-time world champions, the West Indies have a strong track record in reaching the global showpiece. However, in the upcoming qualifier, only two out of the ten competing teams will secure a spot in the World Cup in India later this year.

“The key was always to take wickets and build pressure on the opposition,” commented West Indies captain Shai Hope. “Although we didn’t manage to wrap up the game earlier, I am still pleased with the victory.”

Johnson Charles provided a blazing start for the Windies, scoring a rapid 63 off just 47 balls, while Brandon King, following his century in the first ODI on Sunday, contributed 64 runs to the total.

After a slight collapse, all-rounder Odean Smith played a blistering knock of 37 runs off 24 deliveries, guiding the West Indies past the 300-run mark before they were bowled out on the last ball of their innings.

Smith also proved his worth with the ball, conceding only 27 runs in his eight economical overs and claiming a wicket. Spinners Kavem Hodge, Roston Chase, and Yannic Cariah combined to take five wickets among them.

Youngster Ali Naseer continued to impress for the UAE, scoring 57 runs from 53 balls, building on his fifty during his ODI debut over the weekend.