CWC Qualifiers 2023: Johnson Charles smokes his 6th ODI fifty
West Indies batter Johnson Charles smoked an important half-century in his side's opener against the USA at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023. The dasher paced his knock brilliantly and scored 66 off 80 balls. His knock was laced with seven boundaries and a couple of maximums. This was Charles's sixth fifty in ODI cricket. Here are his stats.
A crucial knock from Charles
West Indies were off to a poor start as opener Brandon King was dismissed for a duck. Soon, they were reduced to 14/2. Charles, who arrived at number three, joined forces with skipper Shai Hope (54), and the duo rebuilt the innings with a 115-run stand. The former eventually fell prey to off-spinner Steven Taylor in the 28th over.
Here are his ODI stats
Notably, Charles was not a part of WI's initial squad for the tournament. He was later brought in as a replacement for injured left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie. Charles has indeed made the most of the opportunity. The 34-year-old has played 52 ODIs since making his debut in the format in 2012, scoring 1,439 runs at 27.67 with two tons and six half-centuries.
Charles's journey at the highest level
Having made his international debut in 2011, Charles has struggled to cement his place in WI's white-ball teams. The wicketkeeper-batter was also a part of West Indies's ICC T20 World Cup-winning squads in 2012 and 2016. The T20I series against Australia last year marked his return to the WI team after almost six years. He has played some brilliant knocks since then.
The breakthrough hundred in South Africa
Earlier this year, Charles made headlines with a jaw-dropping hundred in a T20I versus South Africa. His ton came off just 39 balls, the fastest for a WI batter. The 34-year-old ended up scoring a superb 46-ball 118 in that contest with the help of 11 sixes and 10 fours. His brilliance helped WI post their highest-ever T20I total, 258/5.
