Kolkata: West Indies emerged as the champion of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup at the Eden Gardens displaying the might of their batting. From a hopeless state of 19 runs needed off the last six balls, Carlos Brathwaite hit four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes to win the match by four wickets with two balls to spare.
After the match, a thrilled Brathwaite said: “Want to give God thanks that was an amazing knock from Marlon. He took responsibility and played a fantastic knock. Can't really express how much of a top knock that was. The Under-19s did it, the girls did it, and now us."
An emotional West Indian skipper, Darren Sammy, said: "This win I dedicate to all the people of the Caribbean. I am going to celebrate with the 15 boys with these team, I don't know when we are going to play together again as we don't get picked up for the One-dayers.
"We came up from a situation where we didn't know if we could finally participate in the World Cup because of all the initial troubles. Mark Nicholas called us a team of no-brainers...all these factors helped us come together as a team" he added.
Marlon Samuels, who played a pivotal role in their Twenty20 World Cup triumph in Sri Lanka, remained unconquered on 85 while Brathwaite remained unbeaten on 34. Together they put on 54 runs in 4.1 overs to shatter the hopes of England. West Indies thus became the first nation to win the ICC Twenty20 World Cup twice.
Many thought it would be England’s Joe Root’s day at the Eden Gardens. Top scoring for England with 54 runs off 36 balls with seven boundaries to help his team post 155 for 9, he also picked the prize wickets of West Indies openers Johnson Charles and the dangerous Chris Gayle. He also took the catch of Dwayne Bravo to steer the West Indies towards the target through 75 runs in 11.3 overs for the fourth wicket.
It was a treat for the 49,818 fans in the stadium. A moderate total of 155 requires a steady start. West Indies mounted pressure on themselves getting off to a poor start losing three wickets for 11 runs in the 2.3 overs. The first to go was Johnson Charles. He skied Root to mid-on for Ben Stokes to take an easy catch. The second wicket was that of Chris Gayle, who tried to clear long on for a six but Stokes took the catch. The third was that of West Indies semi-final hero Lendl Simmons. He got trapped leg before for David Willey for a duck.
Samuels and Bravo put on 26 runs in 3.4 overs when Samuels on 27 edged Plunkett to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. The umpire declared him out but television replays showed Buttler had completed the catch after the ball had touched the turf.
At the halfway mark, the West Indies were 54 for 3 needing another 102 from the next 60 balls. The asking rate had shot up to over 10. Bravo and Samuels put 75 runs in 11.3 overs for the fourth wicket.
In the 15th over, Samuels hit Plunkett for two consecutive sixes to steer to a stage of 52 runs being needed off 30 balls. Willey dismissed Andre Russell for one caught by Stokes at the deep mid-wicket boundary. Darren Sammy followed hitting Willey into the hands of Hales at deep cover for 2.
Earlier, Joe Root played a brilliant fighting knock of 55 runs despite England batting being blown away by some tight intelligent bowling from West Indies in the final at the Eden Gardens. Through a 61-run partnership in 6.4 overs for the fourth wicket with Jos Buttler, England managed to post 155 for 9 in 20 overs.
After leg break bowler Samuel Badree’s early strikes with two wickets, medium pacers Dwayne Bravo and Carlos Brathwaite took three wickets each to restrict England’s run flow.
West Indies won the toss and had promptly elected to field. Badree struck with the second ball of the first over by clean bowling Jason Roy with a straight delivery. Roy seemed not to have done his homework on facing Badree. He bowls skidding top spinners and Roy allowed the ball to hit the leg stump letting the ball pass through the gates. Roy had survived a bit shout for leg before with the first match of the match.
In the second over from Andre Russell made Alex Hales hit straight to a fielder at short fine leg. It was an horrendous start for England with score on 8 for 2. More trouble was to follow with skipper Eoin Morgan failing to read a googly from Badree and edged to Chris Gayle at slip for 5. Once again the batsman seemed to have failed to realise that Badree does not spin the ball and the delivery as usual skidded on and Gayle at slip took the catch.
Despite the disastrous start Joe Root played confidently. Jos Buttler hit left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn for a six over extra cover. At the halfway mark, England was 67 for the 3 with Buttler and Root putting on a 50-run partnership. The 11th over from Benn was a very useful one for the England team. Buttler hit him for two sixes. Sixteen runs came off that over.
England lost their fourth wicket at the score on 84 when Buttler pulled Carlos Brathwaite straight to Dwayne Bravo at mid-wicket for 36. Root reached his half century in 33 balls with six boundaries. Ben Stokes lasted only eight balls to score 13 runs before Bravo deceived him with a slower delivery for Lendl Simmons to take an easy catch. Moeen Ali lasted even lesser, getting out in two balls for duck gloving the delivery from Bravo to wicketkeeper Ramadin.
Finally, Root’s valiant knock came to an end when Brathwaite made Root scoop to Benn at short fine leg. David Willey played some aggressive shots to score 21 runs before he hit Brathwaite to Charles at deep mid-wicket. Next man Liam Plunkett fell to a brilliant catch by Badree at point off Bravo for 4.
West Indies believe that they had stopped England 10 to 15 runs short of a total they would have like to have posted. Surely a total of 155 is not a small core but whether England bowlers will be affected by the dew factor one will have to see. Willey’s 21 runs down the order can prove decisive if West Indies lose some early wickets.
