West Indies defied the odds to claim their first World Cup in 33 years
after upstaging Sri Lanka by 36 runs in the final of the World Twenty20
at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
The Caribbeans, always favourites with the game's romantics, bowled their opponents for 101 in 18.4 overs defending a modest 137-run total. This is their first major global title since 2004 when they won the Champions League.
The low-scoring final was turned on its head after Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene's dismissal for 33.
Concerned at being behind the Duckworth-Lewis score, an unsettled Jayawardene tried to reverse sweep but succeeded in top-edging to point.
And thereafter the Lankans lost three more wickets, two of them being run outs for nine runs.
Nuwan Kulasekara entertained the crowd with cameo 16-ball 26 that took them close to the 100-run mark.
Sunil Narine took 3 for 9 and Darren Sammy 2 for 6.
Sri Lanka's chase got off to a terrible start when Tillaratne Dilshan (0 ) was clean bowled by Ravi Rampaul with the score on six in the second over.
Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara however steadied the ship putting on 42 runs.
But Sangakkara (22) was taken out at deep midwicket trying to pull Samuel Badree.
All-rounder Angelo Mathews, having faced a couple of dot balls, tried to scoop over short fine leg but was bowled by Sammy.
Earlier, Marlon Samuels launched an audacious counter-attack under pressure to smash a superb half-century and rally the West Indies to 137 for six after they won the toss.
The right-hander, Man of the Final, saved his best performance for the final with a 56-ball 76 that contained six sixes and three fours.
Towards the end, Sammy made a quick 15-ball 26 not out.
All of Sri Lanka's frontline bowlers subjected the West Indies to a torrid time at the crease. Ajantha Mendis led the show with four wickets for 12 runs.
The West Indians laboured to 32-2 after 10 overs.
Johnson Charles was out for a duck off the fifth ball of the opening over that was a maiden bowled by Angelo Mathews.
Much was expected of Chris Gayle; however, he was trapped lbw by Ajantha in the sixth over when he missed a straight delivery. He faced 16 balls to make three – a rare failure.
Such was the dominance of the Lankan bowlers that the West Indies had managed to score just one four at the halfway point of the innings.
Samuels and Dwayne Bravo added 59 runs for the third wicket after their side slumped to 14-2 after six overs.
But Mendis ended the stand getting Bravo lbw for 19 in the 14th over.
The spinner then put the Windies under more pressure with a double-wicket strike to remove Kieron Pollard (2) and Andre Russell (0), who tried to sweep the first ball he faced. It made the score read 87-5.
All the time though Samuels was dealing in boundaries until Akila Dananjaya had him caught at mid-wicket as he pulled one from outside off for another big hit.
West Indies qualified for the final after inflicting a crushing 74-run defeat on Australia. Sri Lanka sealed their place with a 16-run victory against Pakistan in their semi-final.
The West Indians, the original kings of one-day international cricket, last won a global title at the 2004 Champions Trophy held in England. Sri Lanka had been to three major finals - two World Cup 50 overs finals losses in 2007 and 2011 and the T20 final loss to Pakistan in 2009.
Meanwhile, Australia's Shane Watson has been named World Twenty20 player of the tournament after dominating the event with both bat and ball.
The opener topped the run-scoring list with 249 at an average of 49.80, including three half-centuries.
Watson also claimed 11 wickets at 16.00, second on the bowling list behind Mendis (15 victims at 9.80)
The Caribbeans, always favourites with the game's romantics, bowled their opponents for 101 in 18.4 overs defending a modest 137-run total. This is their first major global title since 2004 when they won the Champions League.
The low-scoring final was turned on its head after Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene's dismissal for 33.
Concerned at being behind the Duckworth-Lewis score, an unsettled Jayawardene tried to reverse sweep but succeeded in top-edging to point.
And thereafter the Lankans lost three more wickets, two of them being run outs for nine runs.
Nuwan Kulasekara entertained the crowd with cameo 16-ball 26 that took them close to the 100-run mark.
Sunil Narine took 3 for 9 and Darren Sammy 2 for 6.
Sri Lanka's chase got off to a terrible start when Tillaratne Dilshan (0 ) was clean bowled by Ravi Rampaul with the score on six in the second over.
Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara however steadied the ship putting on 42 runs.
But Sangakkara (22) was taken out at deep midwicket trying to pull Samuel Badree.
All-rounder Angelo Mathews, having faced a couple of dot balls, tried to scoop over short fine leg but was bowled by Sammy.
Earlier, Marlon Samuels launched an audacious counter-attack under pressure to smash a superb half-century and rally the West Indies to 137 for six after they won the toss.
The right-hander, Man of the Final, saved his best performance for the final with a 56-ball 76 that contained six sixes and three fours.
Towards the end, Sammy made a quick 15-ball 26 not out.
All of Sri Lanka's frontline bowlers subjected the West Indies to a torrid time at the crease. Ajantha Mendis led the show with four wickets for 12 runs.
The West Indians laboured to 32-2 after 10 overs.
Johnson Charles was out for a duck off the fifth ball of the opening over that was a maiden bowled by Angelo Mathews.
Much was expected of Chris Gayle; however, he was trapped lbw by Ajantha in the sixth over when he missed a straight delivery. He faced 16 balls to make three – a rare failure.
Such was the dominance of the Lankan bowlers that the West Indies had managed to score just one four at the halfway point of the innings.
Samuels and Dwayne Bravo added 59 runs for the third wicket after their side slumped to 14-2 after six overs.
But Mendis ended the stand getting Bravo lbw for 19 in the 14th over.
The spinner then put the Windies under more pressure with a double-wicket strike to remove Kieron Pollard (2) and Andre Russell (0), who tried to sweep the first ball he faced. It made the score read 87-5.
All the time though Samuels was dealing in boundaries until Akila Dananjaya had him caught at mid-wicket as he pulled one from outside off for another big hit.
West Indies qualified for the final after inflicting a crushing 74-run defeat on Australia. Sri Lanka sealed their place with a 16-run victory against Pakistan in their semi-final.
The West Indians, the original kings of one-day international cricket, last won a global title at the 2004 Champions Trophy held in England. Sri Lanka had been to three major finals - two World Cup 50 overs finals losses in 2007 and 2011 and the T20 final loss to Pakistan in 2009.
Meanwhile, Australia's Shane Watson has been named World Twenty20 player of the tournament after dominating the event with both bat and ball.
The opener topped the run-scoring list with 249 at an average of 49.80, including three half-centuries.
Watson also claimed 11 wickets at 16.00, second on the bowling list behind Mendis (15 victims at 9.80)
0 comments:
Post a Comment