Stunning Batting Show Sends West Indies to Heavy Defeat
Shambolic West Indies crashed to their lowest ever Twenty20 World Cup whole and their second-lowest in T20 Internationals, as they suffered an embarrassing six-wicket defeat to England to start the protection of their title in abject style on Saturday.
Despatched in on the Dubai Worldwide Stadium, the Caribbean aspect did not rid themselves of the lethargy that plagued them of their two warm-up video games this week, and collapsed for a meager 55 within the fifteenth over, in one other stunning batting effort.
Veteran Chris Gayle was the one participant to achieve double figures with 13 as West Indies by no means recovered from a place of 31 for 4 after the primary power-play, and 44 for six on the half-way stage of the innings.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid spearheaded England’s assault with 4 wickets for 2 runs from 14 balls in a career-best efficiency whereas off-spinner Moeen Ali and left-arm pacer Tymal Mills – in his first T20I in three years – each completed with two for 17 from four-over enhances.
In reply, England took a number of the shine of the victory by dropping 4 tender wickets earlier than overhauling their goal within the ninth over, with opener and vice-captain Jos Buttler hitting an unbeaten 24 off 22 deliveries.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein snatched two for twenty-four from 4 overs and snaffled an astonishing return catch to take away Liam Livingstone for one however even his heroics did not brighten an in any other case miserable efficiency from the reigning champions.
“It was an unacceptable efficiency however we do have to take this on the chin and transfer on,” a dejected captain Kieron Pollard mentioned afterwards.
“Now we have to discover a option to get a combating whole on the board. At the moment was a day the place we couldn’t discover that steadiness, however we have to neglect this and transfer on.
“That is a global sport – such days occur – however we have to discover a resolution.”
Coming into their opening Group 1 match with their batting beneath scrutiny following emphatic defeats to Pakistan and Afghanistan within the official warm-ups, West Indies did valuable little to silence detractors.
Left-hander Evin Lewis smashed the ultimate ball of the primary over from Moeen for a gorgeous straight six nevertheless it was the one one of many innings as issues fell aside thereafter.
He perished for six within the second over by seamer Chris Woakes making an attempt an analogous stroke, however solely succeeded find Moeen operating again at lengthy off. And his opening accomplice Lendl Simmons adopted within the subsequent over from Moeen when he picked out Livingstone at deep mid-wicket for 3.
Shimron Hetmyer (9) flattered to deceive, hanging two successive pleasant boundaries on both aspect of the wicket within the fifth over from Moeen earlier than tugging an innocuous supply in the identical over to mid-wicket, offering captain Eoin Morgan with the only of catches.
Struggling on 27 for 3, West Indies wanted a particular innings from Gayle however none such was forthcoming. In truth, the 42-year-old out-of-form left-hander belted three off-side fours in 13 balls on the crease earlier than mistiming a pull at Mills within the sixth over and skying a catch to Dawid Malan pedalling backwards at mid-wicket.
The top then got here swiftly as West Indies misplaced their final six wickets for 18 runs with Rashid ripping by the decrease order.
Dwayne Bravo, promoted to quantity 5, slashed seamer Chris Jordan low to Jonny Bairstow at level to depart for 5 within the eighth over earlier than Nicholas Pooran nicked a booming drive at Mills to be taken behind for one in an unmemorable nine-ball keep on the crease.
Andre Russell, an harm doubt 24 hours earlier, was bowled by the gate by Rashid with out scoring off the primary supply after the drinks break and the important thing wicket of Pollard (6) got here at the beginning of the thirteenth over when the right-hander lifted an easy catch to Bairstow at lengthy on off Rashid.
Obed McCoy holed out off the very subsequent ball and Ravi Rampaul (3) was the final to fall when he missed a heave at Rashid and had his stumps shattered.
The full – the third lowest at a T20 World Cup – was by no means going to be sufficient however Hosein at the least compelled England to struggle for his or her runs.
A late alternative for the injured Fabian Allen, the 28-year-old claimed each Bairstow (9) and Livingstone caught and bowled – the second dismissal a exceptional one-handed catch diving full stretch to his left within the seventh over.
Pacer Rampaul had earlier helped Gayle to his one hundredth catch in T20Is when he induced opener Jason Roy (11) right into a lazy clip to brief mid-wicket within the fourth over at 21 for one, however not even Moeen’s pointless run out for 3 within the sixth over was sufficient to conjure up the miracle West Indies wanted.
CMC