Guyanese-American Gajanand Singh playing for the US, returned to haunt West Indies with a counter-attacking maiden One-Day International hundred but veteran Johnson Charles headlined a quartet of half-century makers as the Caribbean side coasted to a 39-run victory over United States in Zimbabwe.

In their opening Group A game of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers, West Indies rallied to a competitive 297 all out in the final over with veteran Johnson Charles top-scoring with 66 off 80 deliveries. Jason Holder struck a swift Man-of-the-March 40-ball 56, while all-rounder Roston Chase chipped in with a run-a-ball 55 and Captain Shai Hope punched 54 from 60 deliveries.

West Indies endured a nightmare start when openers Brandon King (0) and Mayers (2) perished cheaply inside the first 6 overs with only 14 runs on the board.

West Indies, however began to rebuild the innings. Charles spearheaded the revival, lashing 7 fours and 2 sixes posting a crucial 115 for the third wicket with Hope who counted 7 fours and a six. But both of them fell within a space of six balls to leave West Indies perched on 137 for 4 in the 28th over.

West Indies’ Shai Hope bats during the fourth day of the second cricket Test match between England and West Indies at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Sunday, July 19, 2020. Associated Press / Jon Super, Pool/File

Chase and Pooran then combined in a 55-run, fifth wicket partnership to keep the innings humming along. Chase struck 4 fours and a six in his first half-century in four years while Pooran drove the scoring with 2 fours and 3 sixes before picking out deep cover on the ropes with off-spinning all-rounder Steven Taylor.

Off the very next delivery, Rovman Powell holed out in the deep to depart for a first-ball ‘duck’ and suddenly West Indies were stumbling on 192 for six at the end of the 36th over.

Holder then arrived to launch a counter-attack, striking 2 fours and 3 sixes, dominating a 74-run, seventh wicket partnership with Chase.

In reply, United States’ steady start to their chase was undermined and the innings slumping from 35 without loss in the eighth over to 55 for 4 in the 14th over, with medium pacer Kyle Mayers snatching two of the early wickets to fall. A total of four wickets tumbling for 20 runs in the space of 36 deliveries.

However, Gajanand nearly turned the game on its head when he took control, gathering his first half-century off 67 balls in the 36th over with a boundary to mid-wicket off fast bowler Alzarri Joseph.

He posted an unbeaten 101 off a further 42 deliveries in the final over of the game, hitting 8 fours and 2 sixes, engineering partnerships of 42 with Barbados’ Aaron Jones for the fifth wicket and 59 for the sixth wicket with Shayan Jahangir who struck 3 fours and a six. 76 unbroken for the eight wicket with Nothush Kenjige, 34 not out, notched 2 fours and a six, providing support to Gajanand.

West Indies will take on Nepal in their next game.