Alick Athanaze, playing his first ODI for West Indies, equalled the record for the fastest half-century on debut, helping his side complete a 3-0 sweep over UAE in Sharjah.

A 26-ball half century from opener Athanaze put West Indies on course to chase down 185, which they did with 89 balls to spare, despite a middle-order stutter that saw them lose four wickets for 49.

The 24-year-old Athanaze, who is known to idolise Brian Lara, was part of West Indies’ 2018 U19 World Cup squad. His List A debut had come a year before. On West Indies A’s recent tour to Bangladesh, he averaged 44 in five first-class innings, paving the way for an entry into the senior team. In just over an hour at the crease, Athanaze justified the promotion.

His opening partner Johnson Charles departed in the fourth over, but Athanaze had already put on a quick start, racing to 30 off 11. It included three fours off one over from Junaid Siddique. He reached his fifty off just 26 balls, drawing him level with India’s Krunal Pandya for the joint-fastest half-century on ODI debut. Krunal’s record came against England at Pune in 2021.

Athanaze found support from Shamarh Brooks, but was dismissed in the 15th over: yet, he had scored 65 of the 99 runs at that point, at a strike rate of 144.44, nine fours and three sixes included.

At the end of the over, West Indies required just 83 runs with 35 overs still to go. There was a stutter, but they managed to overhaul the target comfortably.

Earlier, it was Kevin Sinclair, returning to the side after nearly a year, who shone with the ball, plucking a four-wicket haul to play a key part in UAE’s collapse from 142-2 to 184 all out. The four-wicket win for West Indies completed a three-nil sweep, having comfortably won the previous two games earlier this month.