Story Calypso vs. Collapso - A West Indies story (WI/Aus posted!)

Sri Lanka had an imposing total, and West Indies had not had the best of times with their batting thus far in the tournament. They needed to get themselves off to a good start and then maintain that throughout their innings.


Kulasekera started things off with good control, giving both openers nothing to work with. They could only manage a few singles from the first over and the pressure was on them early on. If Kulasekera bowled a good first over, as Chattergoon looked up to face the first ball of the second, he would definitely have had some nerves as he saw Malinga preparing to bowl.


But he played the first ball well. As is Malinga's usual, the ball was full, straight, and at pace. Chattergoon played it past cover for a single. Perkins then played and missed the next ball, lucky to keep his off stump intact. But the third was not so lucky for him. He tried a shot across the line and the ball took the leading edge before popping up into the air. Malinga himself took the catch in his follow through. West Indies were 5 for 1.


Thankfully that would be the only big trouble in the over as Lewis and Chattergoon played out the rest of the over for singles. Chattergoon then let things loose in the next over, taking Kulasekera for consecutive boundaries. But as he attempted a third, he got his timing all wrong and the ball took the bottom edge before bouncing and hitting the stumps. A very unfortunate way to get out, but out nonetheless. West Indies were in early trouble at 17 for 2.


Banks came to the middle ahead of Hyatt, and he needed to get himself in and stay in for as long as possible. Kulasekera had other plans, and his first ball was just squeezed out of the block hole by the batsman. In the next over, Malinga made no mistake when he beat Lewis for sheer pace, forcing the batsman back onto the crease and trapping him on the pads. The appeal went up, and it took the umpire a moment, but he eventually rose the finger. Lewis seemed unhappy with the decision but in reality he had no right to be, and he was probably in line for a meeting with the match referee after the game was over.


Hyatt then came out, and after not getting off the mark in his past two matches, he would have breathed a massive sigh of relief when he hit his second ball past backward point for a single. He almost jumped into the air with the run. Banks had no trouble rotating the strike off of the next ball, coolly playing it down to fine leg for another single. Hyatt was facing again, with his first major hurdle already passed. Malinga bowled a good length ball, outside off stump. Hyatt played a straight drive back up the pitch with some force. Malinga stuck out his hand and the ball stayed.


Even Malinga seemed surprised at having held on, and he threw the ball up in celebration before running away to midwicket where Sangakarra was standing. Hyatt had played an excellent stroke, but unfortunately it was an excellent, albeit lucky, catch. West Indies were struggling to cope with the slinger, and they were crumbling. The score stood at 20 for 4.


Stoute, one of the rescuers of the batting last time around, walked in to the middle. He found himself in another difficult position early on. With Malinga already having taken three wickets in less than two overs, he would be on a high. Stoute played and missed his first delivery, a quick one outside off stump that swung away. But the second ball was right in his slot and with lightning quick bat speed he sent it to the cover boundary.


With 5 overs gone, West Indies were a measly 24 for 4. To make matters worse, they now had to contend with one of the greatest spinners to ever play the game in Muralitharan. He handed his cap to the umpire and no doubt Banks would want to play him very carefully. It would be difficult, if not practically impossible, to get him away.


Murali started right on target, pitching the ball outside off and getting the new ball to skid into the pads. Banks cautiously played him into the on side, where it was picked up by short midwicket. The second ball was swept with the turn around the corner, and the batsmen took on the fine leg fielder for a hustled single. Stoute then got one past square leg for another single. But Murali refused to allow any further runs in the over, with the batsmen simply not able to get him away. The result was that West Indies had only score 26 in the Powerplay and had also lost 4 wickets.


It would be a dual spin attack from that point, as Randiv took over from Malinga at the other end. Again, both batsmen were very cautious, and Banks definitely was uncomfortable with both spinners. The runs were few and far between, with singles being the mainstay of the scoring, and even then it was not off of every delivery.


The pressure was telling, especially on Stoute, who did not seem very happy to be tied down. More than once he would attempt a big shot, and more than once he would be unsuccessful. Something had to give, and unfortunately it was Stoute, who tried a slog sweep in the ninth over to a faster, flatter ball from Randiv. He was struck in front and the ball would have easily taken leg stump. West Indies were further in trouble with the score at 35 for 5.


That scoreline would soon become even worse. While Browne seemed comfortable against spin, Banks was having trouble picking up Murali, and the wily spinner used his variations well. The doosra was exceptionally rare, instead the bowler relied on mixing the arm ball with the regulation offspinner at various levels of flight and speed. Banks played and missed the first ball of the tenth over before getting a lucky edge that went past the keeper into the boundary for four. Murali was not impressed and he sent the next ball spearing into middle and leg. Banks had no answer to it and he had to walk off, LBW.


Kelly knew how to bat, but he was certainly not the best of them out there. He showed everyone what he was capable of first up, however, taking a step out of his crease to meet the ball as it pitched, and he took it over the cover fielder and into the boundary for four.


Browne was not to be outdone, and he took Randiv for a four of his own in the next over, this one swept neatly past short fine leg with the turn. A good, safe shot, and with the fine leg in the circle it paid off in the best way.


Still, after 10 overs, West Indies were just 57 runs. And with 6 wickets down, it would be almost impossible to go at above 10 runs an over for the latter half of the innings.


Murali was the recipient of the first six of the chase, with Browne taking a couple of steps up the pitch and hitting a perfectly straight shot that sent the ball clattering into the sight screen. A shot reminiscent of the great Brian Lara when he did battle with Murali on so many occasions. But that six was still one shot, and Murali did not let any further runs go in the over.


Randiv had one more over to go, but Sangakarra held him back. Instead, the batsmen now had to cope with Mendis. The commentary team stated that it was just surreal. Just when you think okay, Malinga is out of the attack, you have Murali. You play him as best as you can but then there is Mendis. And to add to them and the other specialist bowlers, you had both Matthews and Dilshan who were in their own right more than useful on any given day. The other teams in the group needed to look out.


As Mendis started his runup, Browne pulled out. Somebody had been walking in front of the sight screen. He prepared to face again and got one that skidded into him. He swiveled and pulled, connecting well. The ball just about managed to beat both deep midwicket and long on into the fence. He followed it with a single to get Kelly on strike. Kelly was having some trouble with Mendis, though, and he could only manage one other run in the over.


The batsmen were getting their one boundary an over, but they needed to work the singles more. The asking rate was nearing 12, but even one good over with a couple of fours and some singles and twos would ensure that it did not get out of control.


That required actually getting the bowlers away, though. And Sri Lanka was giving absolutely nothing away when it came to that. Randiv replaced Murali at the next end, and despite being driven for four by another good looking shot from the dancing Kelly, it was just not enough.


When Browne decided to attack Mendis in the next over, taking him on and hitting consecutive fours, it was simply a case of too little, too late. Even another straight six in Mendis' next over would not help the West Indies.


When Malinga returned to take Kelly's wicket, a miscued swipe over long on that was easily held by Mendis, the score was 97 for 7 in the 18th over. Malinga had gotten himself a five wicket haul in a T20 match, and despite the strength of the opposition, it was a great display of aggressive bowling and an example of line and length.


Victory for Sri Lanka was a mere formality but they still kept their intensity up and managed to get one further wicket, that of Emrit. But by the end of the innings, West Indies had been well and truly beaten.


End of West Indies innings – 106/8(20), Browne 35*(32), Malinga 5-16(4)

Sri Lanka win by 59 runs

(No prediction contest for this match. I'm falling behind with match updates, and that's what makes this story what it is. The scorecard will be edited onto this post in time. Then expect the post-match and the next match preview.)
 
PM: Good evening folks, Pommie Mbangwa here with this, the presentation ceremony for the West Indies' and Sri Lanka's first match in the Super Eights of the World T20 tournament. First of all, the presentation party standing behind me. To my extreme left is Gillette McArthur, ICC representative. Next to him stands Anil Roberts, Minister of Sport in Trinidad and Tobago. To my right is Larry Gomes, the man of the match adjudicator and former representative for both Trinidad and Tobago and the West Indies. First on the list, I'll invite Omari Banks, the West Indies captain...now Omari, tough luck today, it looked like a good bowling attack from the Sri Lankans.

OB: Yes, first of all I'd like to say congratulations to them, they definitely had everything working for them. Their batting, especially Matthews, tough to bowl at. Then when we batted you had guys like Malinga, Mendis, I mean it's never easy facing them on an average day, much less in a tournament setting. Our batting wasn't up to par today and it ended up being a good victory for them.

PM: There have been many questions about your batting lineup, especially the top order. It seems like the middle and lower middle are the guys scoring the bulk of the runs. How is the team going to address that issue?

OB: That's a difficult question to answer. I don't think it's a matter of the numbers 1 to four being short on confidence or talent, but these are top bowlers they're facing against a white ball that does more in the air than you might think. Batting is a team effort though, and we're happy to have guys like Browne coming in and getting among the runs himself. What we need to do is have guys put their hands up and say I'm willing to bat. It's a new team, we're still finding roles for everyone.

PM: You have India and Australia to play still in this group. What do you see the team getting out of those matches?

OB: I've heard many people call this the group of death, but to me, it's not. Yes, those teams have reputations, but in 20 overs many things can happen. One good over can change a game, and we're not going to just lie down and let those other teams run through us.

PM: Thanks, Omari...ladies and gentlemen, Omari Banks. Now I'd like to call on Kumar Sangakarra, the Sri Lankan captain...as he collects the winner's cheque from Minister Roberts, he'll hopefully come across to have a word with me...Kumar...congratulations, well played today.

KS: Yes, it was an entire team effort, starting with the way we batted, you know Matthews got himself among the runs and then our bowlers came out and did the job that we planned out in the dressing room and in the end the result went our way. The West Indies didn't take it lying down but at the end of the day, I think the better team won today.

PM: You say the better team...some people have said you've got the best team in this tournament in terms of both batting and bowling. That must be a lot of pressure on you and the guys.

KS: Well I don't know about having the best team. Certainly we all believe in ourselves and on paper we have the statistics, but cricket is a game where you can show up and have a bad day and things won't go your way. Mentally we're doing well, and the results have been going our way, so we're going to keep the morale high and take the fight to whoever our opposition is in the rest of the tournament.

PM: Well you've got strong opposition. India, your perennial rivals, and Australia. After such a convincing victory against the home side, will you look to change anything?

KS: Well, obviously changing a winning team is not the best of things, however I have been playing with a bit of a hand injury and a couple of the other players do have small niggles. Still, given the stakes that we're playing for, we all hope that we can push on and take things home for Sri Lanka cricket. We have a break between this and our next series, so if we can push through...you never know what can happen.

PM: Well, thank you Kumar, nice chatting with you. Now, folks, it's time to announce the winner of the man of the match award. For that, I invite Larry Gomes, former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies player to say who he has picked. Larry?

LG: Thank you. Well in this match we had a few good performances. First when the West Indies bowled, Matthews did well for his 80-something runs, but then you had someone like Kelly, who I think was the pick of the West Indies bowlers. But I have decided that the man of the match award should go to a man who has done something you rarely see in 20-over cricket, and that is a five-wicket haul. The man of the match is Lasith Malinga!

PM: Lasith collects his medal from ICC representative Mr. McArthur and then Larry Gomes will give him his cheque...Kumar Sangakarra will hang around and help us translate for Lasith as he comes up. Kumar, can you ask him what it was like getting 5 wickets in a T20 match?

LM (via KS): First of all I would like to thank God for this match and the victory and my bowling performance. Getting five wickets in four overs is a big feat, and it's one that will be in my mind for a long time to come.

PM: What was it like bowling out there? What was your strategy?

LM (via KS): I knew that the top few West Indies batsmen were struggling for runs and they wanted to score. But I wasn't going to give them easy runs. I knew that if I stuck to the plan we had discussed in the meetings we would get them out, and everytime I saw a wicket fall I begged the captain, let me have an over. But we had a plan and it worked for me and I got wickets.

PM: You've been successful in all formats of the game, but it seems as if you've almost made Twenty20 your preferred format. Is there a reason why?

LM (via KS): Four overs in a match is harder than it looks. You have to be in rhythm from the start. Sometimes it takes a few overs for you to find your lines and lengths before you really settle. In short overs matches you need to hit the stumps with all your deliveries or the batsmen will make you look bad. I have been lucky to be successful at the highest levels in spite of that, and hopefully there will be more to come.

PM: Well thank you, Lasith, thanks Kumar for being our interpreter. That about wraps it up for the presentation here at the end of this match. Let's take you back up to the box with Tony Cozier and Ian Bishop.

EDIT: I apologise, but I really don't know any Sky Sports Sri Lankan commentators back in 2010, else I'd have one there. But Mpuelo Mbamgwa is an awesome commentator and he did Sky commentary for a bit...
 
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Source: espnquickinfo.com

West Indies player suspended

Evin Lewis, the young West Indian batsman who has shown some potential for the regional team, has been officially suspended for a breach of conduct.

This suspension relates to his actions after being given out in the West Indies last match. He was seen to clearly oppose the standing umpire's call of out, and indeed pleaded guilty to a level 3 offense after meeting with the match referee. He was fined 50% of his match fee and according to the ICC was free to play further matches.

However the WICB had suspended him for a further two matches, stating that "any player who gives opposition to a world class umpire will be reviewed and their selection status is at stake. In the case of Mr. Lewis there was clear dissent about a decision that upon analysis, was not warranted. Mr. Lewis must realise that we represent the best of the region and such actions are contrary to the spirit of the game."

That the local cricket board is harsh on such things may or may not be good for cricket in the region.

More to follow
 
May 9, 2010

West Indies vs. India

World T20, Super Eight

After being beaten comprehensively by Sri Lanka, West Indies need to register their first points in this the second stage of the World T20. That is much easier said than done as they face up to an Indian team filled with a mix of youth and experience, almost all of which have loads of experience from playing in the IPL with and against some of the best players in the world.

Their batting remains a matter of concern, and that issue needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. Their bowlers have been doing the job more often than not, but against good bowling their batsmen find ways to get themselves out and if not for the lower order, their previous matches could very well have been embarrassing.

India, meanwhile, have beaten Australia in their first Super Eights match and they are riding high after that victory. With Gambhir among the runs in the tournament so far, they always back themselves to get off to a good start while batting, and their bowlers have found it easy to both pick up wickets and keep the run rate down.

This is, on paper, a total mismatch of class.

Conditions and pitch

An excellent day greets everyone today, with the few wisps of clouds set against the brilliant blue of the sky. Do not expect things to be too hot, however, as there is a cooling breeze coming in from the sea which the players and fans will no doubt be relived to have. With an expected high of 34 Celsius though, it will be about staying loose and hydrated to avoid cramps.


As for the pitch, it has been used before in the competition, but it remains a god one. Word is that the groundsman has rolled an extra layer of grass into the surface, and that will help the faster bowlers. The spinners will find it hard to get turn but if they give it a god rip, expect the ball to deviate.

The outfield has not been cut since the tournament began several days ago, and so the grass is a bit on the higher side. But given the flat nature of the ground in general, expect balls to go away to the boundary once timed well.

Teams

WEST INDIES

William Perkins (Bat)
Sewnarine Chattergoon (VC - Bat)
Tamar Lambert (Bat)
Omari Banks (CAPT – All)
Kevin Stoute (All)
Patrick Browne (WKB)
Romel Currency (Bat)
Rayad Emrit (Bowl)
Richard Kelly (Bowl)
Kavesh Kantasingh (Bowl)
Kevin McClean (Bowl)

This is a different team from the one that we are supposed to get used to in this new era. At the top are Perkins and Chattergoon, both not having made much impact thus far. Lambert comes in to replace Hyatt, who has definitely been struggling at this level thus far. His spot at number three is vital. The only surprise comes from Kantasingh replacing Mohammed. The latter has not bowled particularly badly on his return to the top level thus far, and trying an unplayed bowler in Kantasingh in such a vital match may be a mistake. But time will tell.

Watch out for

Patrick Browne – He actually does not yet have an average in T20 Internationals. He has batted in every single match thus far and has yet to get out. With his form, it is unwise that the West Indies bat him so low in the order, however he steadies an otherwise shaky batting lineup.

Kevin McClean – After announcing himself to the world with an excellent display of fast bowling, he has remained consistent, albeit over a short time. If he can keep his bowling ability up to match what he has shown thus far, expect him to get more wickets today at an economy that would make any international bowler proud.

INDIA

Gautam Gambhir (Bat)
Murali Vijay (Bat)
Suresh Raina (VC – Bat)
Yuvraj Singh (Bat)
MS Dhoni – CAPT – WKB)
Yusuf Pathan (All)
Ravindra Jadeja (All)
Piyush Chawla (Bowl)
Praveen Kumar (Bowl)
Harbajhan Singh (Bowl)
Vinay Kumar (Bowl)

India have gone for a team with a blend of youth an experience, no doubt their selections being influenced by the success and performances of a few players in the IPL. Their bowling attack will be headed by Kumar, but they have depth in bowling, with Pathan, Jadeja, and Yuvraj all being known to turn their hands over more often than not.

Their batting will be centred on Gambhir and Vijay getting off to a good start, with Yuvraj and Raina to keep things going along, then the captain himself, Dhoni, coming in at the end to get some quick runs.

Watch out for

Harbajhan Singh – He has definitely been among the wickets in the tournament thus far and he was almost the single bowler to take the sting out of the Aussies in India's last match. Against what must be labelled as weaker opposition, he will be looking to do more of the same.

Murali Vijay – His tournament did not start off in a very good manner, but he has gotten better in the innings to follow. A perfect partner to Gambhir, he both rotates the strike and goes for the big shots. He is due for a big innings, and perhaps today it will come.

The toss

A strong gust of wind almost blows the cap off of Banks' head as he holds the coin and inspects it before giving it to Dhoni. The coin gets thrown into the air, and with no rolling around at all, comes to rest almost perfectly at everyone's feet. The camera zooms in and the match referee confirms that Dhoni has won the toss.

He says that he wants to bowl first. Given the way that the West Indies have batted so far, they will either be all out for a low total, or fail to make the most use of their 20 overs. Their top order has been struggling and with some good bowling, they hope to be into the middle and lower order before the Powerplay overs are up and then get out there with the bat and hit whatever runs are needed to secure a win.

Banks says that conditions are such that bowling or batting first does not quite matter, as nothing is likely to change between the two innings. When asked about the top order, he says that yes he admits that performances were not up to par, however the guys have all rallied and their mental strength cannot be beaten. With that they have taken to the nets and trained hard and hopefully the results will show today.

Play – West Indies vs. India

The Indian fielders were already on the field as the two West Indian batsmen passed them. A lot had been said off of the pitch about the performances of the team recently, but the former President of the WICB, Julien Hunte, had hit back at critics stating that an alleged full strength West Indies team often struggled to beat even ordinary teams.

But that would be out of the openers' minds. Today, for a change, Perkins would take first strike. That had always been a job for Chattergoon, but he made no protests as he stood at the non-striker's end. Praveen did a few final stretches and a practice run up before he was ready to bowl the first ball of the match.

The lack of pace on Kumar's medium delivery seemed to surprise Perkins. He was through his shot before the ball even reached him. Thankfully it had hit the top of the pad and the LBW appeal was quickly muted. The next ball, he got off the mark with a glance down to fine leg. Chattergoon was not without his problems at the lack of pace as well, as he had his own trouble timing the ball. But he survived, despite only the single resulting in the over.

The other Kumar, the much faster Vinay, opened at the other end. The quicker pace left the batsmen much more comfortable and they were able to take a few singles from the over without much problems. But Praveen returned for his second over, and Chattergoon and Perkins had a lengthy mid-pitch discussion before the latter settled to take strike.

Whatever was said in that little meeting seemed to work, as Chattergoon played a good shot through midwicket for two early on in the over before following it with a hard square cut that went all the way to the boundary. Under the circumstances it was a relatively good over and as the batsmen touched gloves at the end of it, they would have been a bit more confident.

Perkins got into the boundaries himself, taking Vinay for a cover driven four that coaches would want to videotape and replay to the youngsters. But he would be deceived by an off cutter right after. The ball hit his pads and he started to walk as soon as he saw the finger being raised. No real doubt about the decision there, and West Indies had lost an early wicket in yet another match.

Lambert came out on debut. He had played two domestic T20 matches in his career thus far, but had failed to make much impact in either. What the selectors were going on was his List A career of 19 limited overs matched at an average of 37 and a decent strike rate.

He defended his first ball and then played and missed at his second before showing some pure class with an on drive. Mid on only had a couple of steps to take to save it, but by the time he did so, the ball was already way past him on its way to the boundary for four.

West Indies were certainly not off to a flyer, but they had gotten themselves into perhaps their best position of the tournament by the time the fielding restrictions were up. They were only 30 for 1...or rather they were 30 for only 1, as one radio commentator put it. It was a mere 5 an over, but it was a platform where they now had wickets in hand and the field would be spread so that hopefully they could pick up some singles and doubles, with the odd boundary here and there.

Chattergoon did not leave the fans waiting much longer for a maximum, as the second ball after the Powerplay ended he hit out and connected well. The ball flew over mid off, and kept going as it hit the rope on the full for the first six of the innings. He then took a single, and in all the over went for 9 runs.

Lambert then showed in the next over why he was selected despite little T20 experience when he backed away to leg against Jadeja and played an inside out cover drive for four. He did the same to the next ball, but Jajeda followed him with the ball and all he could do was get a top edge that unfortunately went onto the stumps. Lambert looked stunned but he had to go and India had their opponents at 44 for 2.

Banks was slated to come in next, but instead out walked Stoute. The commentators wondered if it was due to Banks' seeming unconfidence against the slower bowlers. Either way, it was Stoute who met Chattergoon in the middle, and he was on strike to Jadeja first up.

His promotion may not have been such a bad thing, however. His very first delivery was one floated up outside off stump that he waited on, and then unleashed a shot of such power that the ball was at the boundary before anyone had time to blink. There was only one camera angle that managed to get the ball in time as it made its way to the rope. Amazing stuff.

Chattergoon fell in the next over though, hitting one to midwicket for a soft dismissal. He fell for 21 off of 23 balls with the score now at 50 for 3. Banks still held himself back, instead sending Browne to the middle. After the record-breaking stand two matches ago, none would say it was a particularly bad decision to have Browne meeting Stoute at the crease.

Stoute continued to take a liking to Jadeja, hitting him for another lightning quick four in the next over before he and Browne ran a few singles to keep things ticking along. The two batted like a pair used to each other, and it took Ian Bishop on commentary to remind/alert the viewers that the two men played first class cricket for Barbados together, so they were used to batting with each other.

Browne survived a close caught behind shout against Harbhajan in his final over. Dhoni went up immediately in appeal, and so did the bowler. The umpire was unmoved. They appealed again, with a fresh breath of air. No luck. Replays did not go either way, and one ex-West Indies wicketkeeper turned commentator stated that Browne was lucky to still be in the middle. Browne nervously took a single down to deep square leg to finish the over.

Chawla was called into the attack for the next over, and he was carefully played away by the batsmen without too much fuss. An eye needed to be kept on the run rate though, with it floundering below six an over and with a strong Indian batting lineup.

The two men went about trying to fix that in the next over, Jadeja's last. First came a couple of singles before Stoute cut one hard that beat deep cover. Then he ran another single, bringing Browne on strike. The wicketkeeper-batsman, still never out in his T20 International career, took a few steps up the pitch. Jajeda saw him coming and dropped it shorter. Browne adjusted and still managed to play a square drive that saw the ball just beating the fielder into the boundary.

Chawla was the thorn in their side as they tried to push harder, however. With the other Indian bowlers wanting to go for flatter deliveries, Chawla kept floating it up at a slower pace. It was hard for them to time the ball well, and they could only take three from his second over. After a relatively uneventful over from Praveen that saw only one boundary, the batsmen faced Chawla again.

Stoute asked for his guard again and stood just outside his crease as he had done against England. A risky tactic with someone who was getting something from the pitch and the keeper just a few feet away. Chawla gave him nothing to work with, however, and he could only get his first ball down to mid on for a single. Browne then hit one with the spin to deep midwicket for another single before Stoute took advantage of a fumble from short third man for a third single. Browne was actually the one to hit out in the over, slog sweeping the bowler past both deep midwicket and deep backward square for four.

That would be the last shot he would score from, however. He tried to take Chawla's next ball over long on for six, but Pathan did well to judge the catch and not touch the ropes. Browne finally had gotten out and now had an average to his name, but after a quick 20 runs, he had done his job.

Banks finally came out to bat. Singh and Jadeja had bowled out their four overs, and Chawla had just one over and a ball to go. Some may call it cowardice, others may call it tactics.

Whatever it was, Banks would do his duty without Stoute, as the aggressive batsman found his bails flying all over the place in Vinay's next over. West Indies were 95 for 5 and it was not a terrible score, but they needed to do much better.

Currency came to the middle and immediately looked in trouble. It seemed as if he just was not ready for the international level and by the time his wicket fell a few balls later, more than one person was happy to see him go.

Kelly was the new batsman, and after a couple of decent shots in the last match, he reminded everyone that he actually can bat with a four off of Praveen before getting a single and then getting back on strike later in the over to hit a huge six that had people scurrying for cover in the stands.

With one over to go, West Indies were 113 for 6. Praveen had the final over entrusted to him. The first ball was one that followed a backing-away Banks. He could make no contact. The second was short of a length, Banks faked going away to leg but stepped back inside the line and pulled the ball away past the short fine leg for four.

The third was a leg cutter that Banks tried all he could to get out of the way of, but he just could not and in the end he ended up being LBW. West Indies had lost another batsman just when things were looking good. India, on the other hand, were into the tail.

Emrit was not much of a batsman, despite having figures that would show otherwise. He managed to get his first ball down to mid on for a single to put Kelly on strike. Kelly then hit out hard at the next ball, but he only got air, not distance. Deep midwicket and long on both ran in, with Jadeja at deep midwicket calling for it and taking a good catch running forward.

With one ball to go, McClean walked to the middle. He was on strike, the batsmen having given up all thoughts of a run the moment the ball had been hit into the air.

He got a shorter one that he tried to hook, but the ball took the toe of the bat and limped into the off side. The batsmen scrambled a single as short third man ran in and threw to the wicketkeeper. The man at square leg referred it upstairs. After a short deliberation, Emrit was found to be home and the West Indies ended their innings.

End of West Indies innings – 119/8(20), Stoute 30(27), Chawla 2-15(4)

India need 120 to win at 6.0 per over

---

It wasn't much, but it was a total. West Indies, yet again, needed to rely on their bowlers to crawl out of the hole into which they had dug themselves. All of the men in their bowling lineup had been doing relatively well in the tournament thus far, but the batting was simply lacklustre.

Facing first up was Gambhir. His record more than spoke for itself, and he had good form coming into this match as well. McClean would do well to contain him early on. And he did. He bowled short of a length, the ball coming at the Indian opener at good pace and bounce. Gambhir was forced onto the back foot immediately as he defended his first two deliveries back up the pitch. The third ball was fuller, starting on off stump and swinging into the left hander just a bit. Gambhir played an unconvincing pull shot out to square leg and set off for a sharp single.

Vijay seemed more comfortable with the ball going away from him in the air and his first ball was played between the slips and backward point for a single to get his account opened. Gambhir took strike again and McClean ruffled him with a true bouncer that rapped the gloves before bouncing harmlessly in mid pitch. Clearly the plan was to bowl short to him, at least early on. He managed another single at the end of the over, but he was not comfortable against the shorter balls at pace.

Stoute opened at the other end, but his pace, while not the slowest, was more comfortable for Gambhir, and he was greeted with a straight drive for four. In all honesty, it was a rare bad delivery from Stoute, and it deserved to be hit away. Stoute was not happy and he adjusted well, only allowing four further runs in the over. West Indies did not have a score they could really play around with, and they needed to be tight, especially early on.

McClean returned for his second over, and he continued to give the batsmen some problems. But he erred ever so slightly twice in the over, and both times he was punished. The first was to Gambhir, who cut him for four, the ball flying over a leaping backward point. The second was to Vijay, who hit a classic on drive past mid on.

Stoute returned for his second over, and was tighter than he was in his first, but Gambhir was now playing like a man with his eye in, and he calmly hit the bowler back over his head for four early on in the over to assert his team's dominance.

Banks had some thinking to do,and he decided to change things up at the start of the next over. McClean made way for Kelly, but it was more of the same as the batsmen got the early boundary and then settled into a routine of singles. Emrit took over from Stoute for the sixth over, the last of the fielding restrictions.

That brought some attacking intent from Gambhir. Coming into strike after a single off of the first ball, he let Emrit's first delivery to him pass the stumps without much fuss. The commentators said that he had both the time and the deliveries left to do such things. But it seemed as if that was just a sighter for him, as he let loose starting with the next ball. A straight drive went for four, before a pull over midwicket went for another four. The best was yet to come, however, when he advanced down the pitch and played a helicopter shot that many associated with Dhoni. The ball flew into the air and for a second, deep fine leg thought he might have had a chance. That chance went begging as he saw the ball sailing over the ropes and beyond the boundary for a six. Emrit's first over went for 18 runs total, and he walked back to his mark looking a dejected man.

It seemed as if nothing would stop India, but with the Powerplay over, Banks opted to go for his spinner. Kantasingh was on his debut, but he had played against some of the top players in the world before, playing in the Trinidad campus of the UWI in warmup games against international teams on several occasions. The atmosphere and pressure was different in this match, however.

He began his run up, only to be halted by the batsman walking away. A fan's sign had gotten away from them in the wind and was flying past the sight screen. As the groundsmen chased behind the errant poster board, Kantasingh spun the ball from hand to hand. After a few seconds, everything was ready again. He stepped up to bowl, and gave the ball a good rip. Gambhir let it go into the keeper's gloves. The second ball was more of the same, but this time Gambhir played it out into the covers for no run.

Gambhir then seemed to decide that enough was enough. He cut hard at the third ball, sending it past the short third man all the way for four. Kantasingh then bowled the arm ball that surprised the batsman, but in the end it was no real harm as he defended it back up the pitch to be fielded by the bowler himself. The next ball was another arm ball. Gambhir was waiting on it. He turned and pulled hard, sending it between long on and deep midwicket for four.

Kantasingh was not happy, but he stood at his mark and prepared to bowl again. The final ball of the over was again the arm ball, but this time it was delivered quicker and flatter and Gambhir had no answer to it. He was late on his shot and the stumps were rattled. Gambhir hit his bat on the ground in frustration but he had to go. Kantasingh had his first international wicket, and while he himself did not celebrate much, his teammates all surrounded him with high fives.

But now Banks had a quandary. Kelly and Emrit were not bowling well, and the opening bowlers had not been effective. He gave his cap to the umpire himself, and stretched a bit, preparing to bowl. His first ball was genuinely poor, wide outside off stump. Vijay promptly dispatched it to the long on boundary for four. Banks needed to tighten things up, and that he did, only allowing three further runs in the over.

After his first wicket at the top level, Kantasingh was entrusted with the ball for another over. It was Vjay on strike, however. He had been something of the quiet partner to Gambhir in the opening stand, but he had still hit out when the ball was to be hit. Kantasingh needed a good over to quiet India down.

And what an over it was. The bowler did not let Vijay settle at all. From constantly switching between over and around the wicket, to mixing up the arm balls with the conventional spinners, the batsman was always left guessing. At the end of the over, Vijay had not managed to score a single run and West Indies had upped the asking rate somewhat.

Banks continued for his second over. Instead of keeping the new batsman Raina guessing, he focused on his lines and lengths, and only two runs resulted. On came Kantasingh once more, and he continued to keep Vjiay guessing. A solitary run came from the over and suddenly, the West Indies were back into the match, albeit with only half a shot.

The spinners were doing well in tandem. Banks started his third over on the trot and was greeted with a shot down to long on that brought a single before Raina smashed him for four down the ground. Raina followed it with an easy single and the commentators said that India was making this chase look all too easy despite their run rate slowing up a bit.

Banks made them swallow those words with his next ball, one floated outside off and turning into the batsman. Vijay tried to back away but was left playing a nothing shot that took the top edge and went right into the hands of Browne. West Indies had their second wicket with the score at 77.

Kantasingh continued to show that Vjay was clay in his hands in his next over, preventing the Indian opener from scoring for the entirety of the over. Vijay was obvious in his frustration with the last two balls, playing big shots and missing badly to both of them. By the end of the over, Kantasingh had bowled four overs for just 9 runs, including 2 maidens. Superb bowling figures from a man on debut.

Banks finished his own four over spell next, allowing only three runs from his last over and finishing with credible figures of 1 for 18.

But now, the thinking began yet again. With only the quicks left, it was a tough decision. None of them had really made much impact in the match thus far, and the Indian batsmen had played them with ease. Still, with the openers out of the way, they may just have some luck going their side.

McClean returned to the attack. Raina was the man on strike. McClean bowled full and straight to him, maybe slightly erring on the leg side. Raina glanced it down to fine leg for a single. Yuvraj then took strike and got a snorter first up, the ball passing right next to his face. The umpire called one bouncer in the over. McClean asked for square leg to be moved back. Perhaps the bluff, perhaps the double bluff?

He answered everyone's questions with a full delivery that Yuvraj got an inside edge to and was lucky not to play it onto the stumps. The ball passed a diving Browne before being picked up by fine leg. A single resulted. One further single was scored in the over.

McClean was being aggressive and while he was not picking up wickets, he was keeping the asking rate down. Banks now needed someone else to do a similar job at the opposite end. He decided to let Kelly do that job. With India needed something approaching 7 an over, it would be a tough ask.

Kelly did not bowl badly, but he was not very threatening, and while the batsmen could not play the big shots, the singles and doubles scored in the over was more than enough to keep them within touch of the asking rate.

Banks then called Chattergoon, the vice-captain for the match, and McClean over. The strike bowler had just one left, but four overs needed to be bowled. Stoute had two, Emrit had three, Kelly had two. The discussion would no doubt have been whether to bowl him out then, or leave his one over in the bag and bowl someone else. McClean seemed eager to bowl, but Banks had other ideas.

He called Emrit over and gave him the ball. After going for 18 runs in his first over, it was a gutsy decision. But he took the ball and within a few moments, was ready to run in. His first ball to Yuvraj was full, straight, and asking a lot of questions from the batsman. Yuvraj tried to hit it but missed, and saw his leg stump pegged back. Emrit had at least gotten some revenge on India, and West Indies had once again picked up a wicket at a vital time. India were 90 for 3, some 30 runs away and 3.5 overs to go.

Dhoni, the captain, walked to the middle. In all, there was nothing too special required of him. But he decided to show some class anyway as he coolly hit his second delivery for four, and then a couple of singles later, followed it with another four to keep his team in control of the match. Emrit walked back to his fielding position at the end of the over, looking just as crestfallen as he had after his first over. He did not even seem happy at having gotten a wicket.

Stoute then came back into the attack and saw Raina hitting a solid shot that unfortunately went right to long off. A yard or so either left or right would have resulted in a four, such was the power behind the stroke. But the absence of the boundary then would be absolved when Dhoni slammed Stoute clean over deep midwicket for a four that managed to bounce inside the rope by a few inches.

Stoute had a lot to think about, and his thinking paid off with his next ball. A full toss on off stump. Dhoni's eyes would have opened up big, but he mistimed the pace of the slower ball and lost that very same off stump. India were now 106 for 4.

Pathan had a no nonsense attitude about him as he came to the middle, playing straight and picking up a single to get the more settled Raina on strike. Two more runs came from the over after that, and with two overs to go, India required 11 from the final two.

There was no doubt as to who would get the penultimate over, and that man McClean was soon ready to go. Pathan was the one facing. McClean continued as he had in his previous spells, bowling it short. In the 19th over of a T20, not many bowlers would dare pitch it short, but McClean did and he had Pathan struggling to cope with the pace. Once he attempted a yorker, only to see it go wide past leg stump and saved by Browne. After that experiment, he continued with the shorter stuff, and Pathan simply could not do a thing.

With one over to go, India needed 10 runs to win. Raina was on strike. With only 4 wickets down, the match was India's to lose.

Stoute was the man bowling. Figures of 1 for 23 were not bad, but it showed that he could be hit away. He ran in to bowl his first ball to Raina. The batsman swung hard. The ball flew high into the air, and third man ran around as it swirled around with the breeze.

He settled and caught it. India were 110 for 5.

The new man in would be facing immediately, Raina not having crossed as he stood in frustration at his shot. Stoute waited as Jadeja took guard and then assumed his stance. His first ball was a yorker, just outside off stump. Jadeja swung with all his might and missed. Stoute glared at him as he turned to go back to his mark.

India needed 10 from 4.

Stoute repeated the same delivery. Jadeja this time managed to get bat on ball and called for a single to get the better batsman Pathan on strike. Stoute ran in his follow through and tried to kick the ball towards the stumps but missed.

9 from 3.

The crowd was by this time red hot, with the significant Indian contingent begging for a boundary, while the larger percentage of West Indian fans urging their team on. A shot of the digital scoreboard faded out to a shot of Stoute, at the top of his run up.

Pathan tried everything, from the fake to leg side to then stepping up the pitch. But Stoute knew his lines and lengths well and he struck the batsman full on the back pad, right in front of the stumps. The appeals went up. The only thing the umpire had to think of was the distance in front of the stumps. Pathan had been struck on the full, though. And soon enough the finger was raised. As Pathan walked away, the Hawkeye showed the ball crashing into the bottom of leg stump.

9 from 2 now.

Chawla was more used to the ball in hand than the bat. He came in with absolutely no time to spare. He had to hit out, and hit hard. Stoute was bowling the over of his lifetime at the moment, and he needed to finish well. Banks only patted him on the back and nodded as if to say, keep going.

And keep going he did.

Chawla got another one of those full and straight ones that Stoute had been bowling all over long. He had no response to it and his wild swing seemed out of a comic book instead of something on the cricket pitch. He lost his middle stump and walked back, a golden duck.

9 from 1 and the West Indian team and fans began to celebrate. But the final ball needed to be bowled. And Stoute was on a hat trick. As the new man walked in, Banks decided to go all out attack. It was a field out of a Test match. Three slips, a gully, a short leg, silly point, mid off, mid on, and cover.

Stoute decided that he would also bowl this one full and straight. But the batsman got enough onto it to send it into the leg side for a single. Only a single, though, and West Indies had completed a hard fought victory.

End of India innings – 112/7(20), Gambhir 45(31), Stoute 4-25(4)
West Indies win by 7 runs
 
RS: Ravi Shastri here with the post-match presentation as the West Indies have pulled a victory out of the top drawer, restricting India and keeping their chances alive in the tournament. First off, I will introduce the presentation party behind me. First off, Mr. Gillette McArthur, ICC representative. Then we have Mr. Tim Gopeesingh, Minister of Education of Trinidad and Tobago, and finally the man of the match judge, former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies player, Mervyn Dillon...so first off, I will ask the Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni to come forward and say a few words...tough match, right up until the final over.

MS: Yes, the West Indies team showed a lot of heart today and they bowled well and kept things tight. We just weren't good enough today and we need to go back and look and where we went wrong and look to fix that.

RS: 120 to get, surely you would have considered yourselves the favourites at the halfway mark.

MS: It was a score that we thought we would easily get, but runs on the board always puts pressure on the team batting second. And when you bowl with the sort of passion that they did, it's always going to be a tough match. But credit to them, they stuck to their game and they didn't give up.

RS: Where do you think the Indian team went wrong with their batting?

MS: Well, this is a short game and a few quiet overs can put so much pressure on the guys. Wickets falling at regular intervals also put us on the back foot. We have to try to do better in the next match and improve on several things, so hopefully we can do that.

RS: Thank you...ladies and gentlemen, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian captain, let's have a round of applause for him...and now the winning captain will come forward, and that man is Omari Banks of the West Indies...Omari, how does it feel to win such a close match?

OB: I have to give thanks first of all to the fans who didn't give up on us or the West Indies as a whole. The support today was the best. The feeling is a very good one, up until the last couple of balls you didn't know which way the match would go. But our bowlers did well again for us, and they defended the score the batsmen put up.

RS: This is not the first match in which you have taken the opposition right into the final over. Today, you held your nerve. Surely there must have been some tension out in the middle.

OB: Yes, it was a lot of pressure on us. But we backed ourselves, and I kept telling all the bowlers and fielders to stay sharp. When we bowled some quiet overs and saw the run rate going up, it gave us a lot of confidence. One or two of our bowlers didn't have a great day today, but everyone just rallied around it and as they say..."Rally round the West Indies" and that attitude saw us through today.

RS: And what do you have to say about the spell of bowling from young Kantasingh, and even yourself. Many people think that period of play when you two bowled in tandem turned the tide of the match.

OB: I wouldn't single out any particular performance as turning the tide of the match, but Kantasingh bowled brilliantly on his debut, and seeing the sort of assistance he got from the wicket spurred me to bring myself on. I think that he has a good future ahead of him, and it's good to see the sort of talent that we have in the region.

RS: Okay, Omari, I'll let you go collect your winners' cheque now, thank you for speaking to us...ladies and gentlemen, Omari Banks, the West Indian captain! And as he collects the cheque from Mr. Gopeesingh...now I will like the former Trinidad and West Indies fast bowler, Mervyn Dillon, to come up and announce his choice for the man of the match!

MD: Good evening. I would like to congratulate the West Indies team first of all for showing immense calm under a lot of pressure. There were a few performances that stood out to me, mostly in the bowling department. When India bowled there was Chawla with good figures of 2-15 or so, he did well to restrict the West Indies to a low total. Then when it was the West Indies' turn, Kantasingh on his debut bowled superbly but did not have much to show for in the wickets column. Even Omari Banks chipped in with a credible performance. But my choice for man of the match is Kevin Stoute, for his new ball and death bowling.

RS: Thank you, Mervyn. Kevin Stoute is going to collect a medal and a cheque from the other members of the presentation party, and then he will hopefully come up to have a few words...yes indeed he will. Kevin, congratulations. What a superb performance.

KS: I am happy to have done my part in this victory for the team, but in the end it was a total team effort. I don't think I would have been able to do this alone.

RS: Take us through that final over. McClean had just restricted India to only 5 from his over and you had to defend ten runs with Suresh Raina on strike.

KS: Well, I knew that he was a dangerous batsman and he would want to get the big shot out of the way early on to get the pressure off. So I knew I had to bowl a good ball, and I did, and he got caught at third man. Once he was out I felt more confident about everything and I just kept focusing on putting the ball on a good line and length and not letting them hit me away.

RS: Some people are saying that you should maybe have been selected for the senior team a long time ago. What do you have to say to that?

KS: I trust the selectors, and I am happy for my chance in the team now. I have been bowling well so far and hopefully with how I'm going so far, I have a lot more matches to play.

RS: Well thank you, Kevin Stoute, and with that we come to the end of this presentation ceremony. We will take you back up to the commentary box for further coverage.
 
Recent real life developments with the West Indies make this story a little more interesting...my how so often life imitates art.

Just saying though, I had it before them lol.
 
May 11, 2010


West Indies vs. Australia

World T20, Super Eight


This, the group of death as many have referred to it, has gotten much more interesting going into this match. All four teams have recorded a victory and sit on the same number of points. Due to net run rates, West Indies are at the bottom. But with the points as they are presently, it means that whoever wins these last two matches will see themselves gaining a semifinal berth.


Essentially, this has now become a knockout. The focus will be on the India and Sri Lanka clash, as the two subcontinent teams battle it out for a spot in the next stage. But before that match comes Australia and the West Indies.


The Aussies have not had the best of times in the tournament thus far, losing to Pakistan in their opening match before beating Bangladesh to get themselves into the Super Eights. After being beaten comprehensively by India, they managed to scrape by Sri Lanka by a mere 7 runs to record their first win in the second stage. A team with the likes of the Hussey brothers, Michael Clarke, Dirk Nannes and Mitchell Johnson should not have the poor run of form in which they find themselves.


On the West Indies side of things, they would be looking to back up their victory against India with another win here today. Against an Australia team which is not performing up to expectations, anything can happen. Too much has been said about the batting, but at the end of it all, when you have the sort of controlled and aggressive bowling that makes one remember the glory days of the 70s, 80s, and early 90s of West Indies cricket, who needs batsmen?


This match promises to be one that nobody should miss. Winner advances. Loser goes home. It's as simple as that.


Conditions and pitch


Some clouds about, and while some look grey and threatening, there is a good breeze that should take them away to the hills by late afternoon. With this match starting at 2pm, the fielders will have the shade of the clouds early on, and then the cooler afternoon and evening to do their jobs. In all it should be comfortable for them throughout.


The pitch is a new one, to the left of the previous two which have been used thus far in the tournament. The groundsman has promised us a lot of runs on this one, with true bounce that the batsmen can trust and not a lot of grass on the surface. This may just be the sort of pitch that the West Indies need to get a big score for the first time all series.


Add in a quick outfield, freshly mowed, and you won't expect much triples on offer today. In fact, doubles may even factor out of things. It looks as if it will either be singles, or boundaries. Fans should get their money's worth this evening.


Teams


WEST INDIES


William Perkins (Bat)

Sewnarine Chattergoon (VC - Bat)

Tamar Lambert (Bat)

Omari Banks (CAPT – All)

Kevin Stoute (All)

Patrick Browne (WKB)

Romel Currency (Bat)

Esuan Crandon (Bowl)

Richard Kelly (Bowl)

Kavesh Kantasingh (Bowl)

Kevin McClean (Bowl)


Crandon replaces Emrit, who did not have a very good match with the ball the last time around. From all reports, he is genuinely quick, and has the ability to swing the new and old ball around a bit. Kantasingh gets another game, being preferred ahead of Mohammed after his good spell in the last game. Someone in the top half of the lineup needs to put their hand up and play a good innings with the bat today, however.


Watch out for


Siewnarine Chattergoon – He had a very slow start to the tournament, but he has shown that he can get off to a good start since then. All he needs to do is kick on and get a bigger score. With this Trinidad pitch perhaps the best for batting as it has been all tournament, he needs to settle quickly and then get runs.


Kavesh Kantasingh – One international match into his career and he already has the world talking, mainly from the BCCI. Be it his mixing up of over/around the wicket deliveries, to the liberal use of the arm ball, he managed to bowl two maidens against the ever-strong India. In this, the shortest form of the game, these tactics will work. He may not do as well with them in the longer form, but for now, they will work.


AUSTRALIA


Tim Payne (WKB)

David Warner (Bat)

Michael Clarke (CAPT - Bat)

Mike Hussey (Bat)

Shane Watson (VC - All)

Dave Hussey (Bat)

Cameron White (All)

Mitchell Johnson (Bowl)

Ryan Harris (Bowl)

Shaun Tait (Bowl)

Dirk Nannes (Bowl)


This team will focus on nothing but pace. With Nannes and Johnson providing some variety with their left arm seamers and then Tait screaming through with his slinging action, make no doubt about it that the West Indian batsmen need to look out for more than a few shorter ones. As for the batsmen, Mike Hussey has been in run-scoring form and his wicket will be important for the West Indies today.


Watch out for


Dirk Nannes – Against Sri Lanka he kept his nerve and managed to pick up 4 wickets to win the match for his team. Holland's latest export to Australia will be looking to do more of the same today.


Michael Clarke – After half centuries in the first two matches of the tournament, he has fallen away a little, failing to truly bother the scorers with too many runs to his name. But he is the sort of player who bounces back well, and today is as good a day as any to score some vital runs for his team.


The toss


The commentator reminds everyone about the virtual knockout nature of this match, and the first battle that must be fought is over the toss. Banks tosses and Clarke calls tails correctly. He decides to bowl first. He says that the pitch will most likely hold up well later on, so batting second will not be a problem. West Indies have not had a good time at setting totals, and despite winning against India, he believes that his Australian team has what it takes to chase down anything that is set before them.


Banks says he would have probably bowled first as well, as knowing the target is always a good thing. Still, batting on this wicket should be easier than in the past few matches, and he hopes that the top order puts value on their wickets and get themselves in and score big.

Play – West Indies vs. Australia


The stakes were never higher for the two openers. After failures in each match so far, they really needed to step up and bat. But they knew that. The world knew that. Any batsman would say, however, being in the middle is a different thing altogether.


Johnson was the man entrusted with the first over. Chattergoon took his guard and then stepped out of his crease to do some gardening. With play not even officially started yet, some in the commentary box thought it was a bit of nerves more than anything. What would his bat do that the heavy roller could not do just a few minutes ago?


He was eventually ready to face. Johnson, left arm over the wicket, bowled short of a good length. Chattergoon was equal to it and opened the face of the bat to guide the ball past the slips to third man for a single. Perkins then took advantage of the ball coming across him to play a cover drive that was half stopped by the fielder. They ran the first hard and took Mike Hussey's arm on as they came back for the second. The throw was accurate and Payne had the bails off quickly, but Perkins was well within his ground. Two balls later Perkins had Hussey working again, but this time it was simply to fetch the ball back from the fence as his drive sent the ball all along the turf for a boundary. He then cut one past backward point that third man ran across to field well to limit him to a single. 8 runs from the first over.


He was on strike to the first ball of the second over, an over that Tait would bowl. Tait was fuller than Johnson, and at good pace. Perkins squeezed one down to third man, more of a thick outside edge than an actual timed shot. The batsmen scrambled a single. Chattergoon then got one that went across him and he flashed at it, being lucky not to get an edge to the slips. He settled down after that and played a square drive for a single.


Perkins, the more aggressive of the two early on, continued to play his shots. Again the cover drive came out of the locker, and again Hussey was the man in action. Two runs resulted. Perkins then pulled one into the on side, but perhaps not timing it as well as he could have. It went past midwicket but slowed up before the ropes. Another double. Tait then attempted a yorker, but missed it by some way. The full toss seemed to surprise Perkins, but he played a cross batted shot to get it between mid off and mid on for another couple to end the over.


At the end of the over, West Indies were 16 without loss and the commentators pointed out that this was in fact their best start of the entire tournament. Something had to be said in the locker room about that statistic.


Best start or not, Johnson trapped Perkins right back on the crease in the next over, ruining what had so far been a promising start. West Indies were 17 for 1 and more than a few fans started to see their team in a familiar position.


17 for 1 almost became 19 for 2 in the next over. Lambert tried to pull Tait away, but the ball got high on him and hit the top edge. White at mid on called early for the catch and settled under it, only to grass the chance. It was not that difficult, but somehow he managed to let the ball slip through his fingers without so much as even touching it, it seemed. Lambert had a lifeline after scoring just 1. He needed to take full advantage of it.


He went about doing that in a positive manner, sending Johnson for a good four on the on side. It was a swipe to cow corner, but as the commentators put it, his shot still seemed like he was in control of it. With the fielding restrictions in place, it was a safe shot to play.


Against Tait, both batsmen were happy to get singles, and by the end of the Powerplay, the team was 35 for 1. Marginally less than a run a ball, but the batsmen were not looking flustered, and they would no doubt build on what they had scored thus far.


Clarke spread the field but still kept two or three men in attacking positions. Lambert responded with his own bit of counterattacking play. Watson, bowling his first over of the game, gave him too much room outside off stump and he simply played with an open face to guide the ball all the way to the third man boundary for four. Watson seemed unhappy with Johnson's effort in the deep, but in reality the ball was always going to win the race. Watson then bowled one aimed at the stumps, but his length was all wrong. Lambert stood tall and smashed it high in the air past the bowler. Long on had no chance of getting to it and in fact it landed just beyond the boundary for the first six of the match.


Lambert had a yet another life later on in the over when he hit a ball to the right of long on. He ran the first quickly and turned for the second, only to realise that Chattergoon had no interest in a second run. Lambert was almost mid-pitch by the time he started to scramble back. But the throw was wild and missed the stumps by some way. Replays showed that he would have been out by yards. He and Chattergoon had quite the animated meeting mid-pitch following that incident.


Nannes took over from Tait at the other end, and his accuracy was commendable. He gave neither batsman any room to work with, and they could only get singles. But he overstepped with his fifth delivery and a free hit would result. Lambert would not be on strike for it, however, instead the relatively tamer Chattergoon would face. He got a good yorker, one that he just managed to get bat on and send it to long off for a single.


Lambert continued with his aggression in the next over, Watson's second. The Aussie fielders, though, were known for their athleticism and they threw themselves around, limiting the batsmen to singles. Lambert was finding it hard to score a boundary, but he got one off of the final ball of the over, playing a vicious cut that again third man could not save. Watson glared at Johnson once again, and this time he perhaps had some right to, as the four might have been saved had Johnson put in a dive.


Nannes continued for his second over. Chattergoon was on strike, and he did the right thing, simply playing the ball away to get the single to get Lambert facing. Lambert kept connecting well with the ball, only for it to be cut off by the fielders. Still, singles kept things ticking along, and when Lambert hit another square cut past third man for his third boundary in that area, West Indies had taken 8 from the over and were looking relatively good.


After 10 overs they were 68 for 1.


Lambert entered the 40s in the next over, this time a leg glance off of Harris that seemed to almost pick up speed on its way to the boundary. He was definitely staking his claim for permanent selection, and his ability was being shown.


Watson returned for his third over. After going at 10 runs in each of his first two, he needed to keep things tighter. He did just that, going around the wicket to Chattergoon and rapping him on his pads. Payne and Watson went up in unison. The umpire's finger stayed down. Replays showed that Chattergoon was hit outside off and it might have been too high either way. But that good start ensured that the batsmen did not try anything extravagant, and even Lambert seemed to calm down once he was on strike. Only three runs came from the over.


As seemed to be the case, the batsmen were hitting the ball well but just not finding the gaps. The singles came, but the boundaries seemed to dry up. After a six-run Harris over, the West Indies needed to kick on from the platform they had built.


They continued to get the singles, though, and at least that was a good thing. Lambert inched closer to his fifty but he would not get there. Seemingly frustrated with the lack of boundaries, he tried to hit one over midwicket's head to the boundary but mistimed Harris' slower ball. The fielder had no problems with the catch and Lambert had to go after a good partnership with Chattergoon.


West Indies had 5 overs and two balls to go. They had thus far scored 89 runs and needed to get something from those last few overs. Stoute walked onto the pitch, perhaps an attempt from the captain and coach to get things moving along again.


And move things along he did. His first ball, one outside off, was given a massive hit that just sounded so sweetly that the shot echoed around the ground. The ball flew into the stands at extra cover, a big six to get him going.


That seemed to get Chattergoon going as well, and he hit a boundary of his own in the next over, a straight drive for four. Those would be his last runs unfortunately, being caught back on the crease for an easy LBW decision from the umpire. West Indies were 101 for 3 at that stage.


Browne walked out to meet Stoute, and if there were two batsmen the West Indies would rather have out there at that time, it was them. A man doing radio commentary said no, not Stoute and Browne. Bravo and Pollard. Another commentator hit back immediately, saying Lara and Viv.


The two batsmen ran well together, though, and they definitely played their shots. When Harris overstepped, Browne made sure that he paid for it by sending the ball to the midwicket boundary, beating both deep midwicket and long on.


But the onslaught was reserved for Nannes, who had so far not bowled badly for 18 runs and a wicket in three overs. Stoute seemed to care little for those figures as he promptly sent Nannes' first ball of a new over between long off and deep cover for four. He and Browne then took a couple of singles before he sent one past third man for another four and finished with a cut shot for a third boundary in the over. By the end of it, Nannes' figures read 1 for 33.


There were still two overs to go, and Johnson would bowl one while no doubt Tait would close off the innings. Stoute showed Johnson no respect, though, taking his second ball high and long. The ball flew over the stands and hit the roof with a loud clank that sent the fans into raptures.


It was up to Tait to finish tidily, and he did just that, bowling straight and at pace. Both Browne and Stoute had difficulty picking him up, and they could only manage three in the over. Still, it was a score that West Indies would definitely feel comfortable defending given their bowling attack.


End of West Indies innings – 138/3(20), Lambert 47(44), Johnson 1-23

Australia need 139 to win at 6.9 per over

It was a good pitch for batting, but the West Indies bowlers could equally be as good, as their previous matches in the tournament had shown. They needed to ensure that Australia did not get off to a flying start, and their lines and lengths needed to be right on target from the very start. Australia, on the other hand, would look to their openers to build a good foundation before trying to up the scoring, similar to the West Indian innings.


Some banter was made in the press box about the lack of using Cameron White. Why pick him for his spin bowling if Australia would not use him? Pace seemed to be ineffective on a pitch such as this, and perhaps taking speed off the ball might work better. West Indies had both Kantasingh and Banks to turn to, and Kelly could vary his pace a bit as well.


With that, Banks opened the bowling himself. Paine would be the man facing. Banks set an attacking field first up, and then had the confidence to flight one up to Paine, who played and missed a straight one. He nervously smiled as he assumed his stance once more. Banks gave him a little room to work with next, to which he played it out into the off side for a single. Warner then got a beauty that hustled onto him after having seen two slower, loopy deliveries at the non striker's end. He got bat on ball in time, and saw the bowler field himself. After another single, Paine was on strike once more. He decided that enough was enough and hit out, connecting well enough to send the ball over the infield but not as far as the rope. Warner showed him how to do it, though, hitting the final delivery well and down to the cover boundary for four. More than enough to make the batsmen think twice in the first over, though.


Stoute shared the new ball at the other end, and was accurate as usual with his first ball. Paine guided it down to third man for a single. Warner then continued his boundary-hitting, taking Stoute for two straight fours off of balls that were not that bad in all honesty. But the bat speed and movement of the feet were just too good.


The bowler had to make some adjustments. He did so, easily. His next ball, the fourth of the over, was full, honed in on leg stump. Warner could do nothing with it but defend it into the on side, where short midwicket fielded. Stoute then gave Warner one of the better disguised slower balls seen in some time. The hand speed and delivery stride was the same. All Stoute did was roll his fingers around the ball at the time of release, ever so subtly. Warner was through his shot way too early, and ended up being caught right in front. As the fielders appealed, Warner stood his ground but he had to walk off when the umpire gave the dreaded finger. West Indies were underway with Australia 16 for 1.


Banks continued for his second over, seeing Paine in an attacking mood but still being able to connect well. Another single resulted. Clarke, the new man, took his guard and was ready to face. He tried to take a few steps up the pitch, but Banks saw it coming and speared the ball wide down the leg side. Browne had some way to go but he collected and then tried to effect the stumping. The umpire at square leg decided to be safe and go upstairs.


It was a close thing. Browne had to take a couple of steps to his left to collect, but he did so superbly and then almost dived back at the stumps, the bails coming off almost at the same time Clarke had turned back and gotten his bat down. It came down to two frames. Bat just in the air and bails on, then bat down and bails just off. The television umpire took his time to decide, but too much doubt in the end, and Clarke survived.


Banks continued to give him trouble, preventing him from getting off the mark until his fifth legal delivery, and the last of the over. In the end, only three runs came from the third over, and almost the vital wicket of the Aussie captain.


Stoute returned for a second over, but pace on a pitch such as this was what batsmen eat, buffet style. Both Clarke and Paine had no problems in getting the ball away, including a good cut shot for four from Paine that he made into a shorter length ball by stepping back and so close to his stumps he was in danger of trodding on them.


But just as it was easy with pace on the ball, it was hard with pace off of it. As Banks continued to lead by example and bowling his third over in a row, he showed the batsmen that it would not be easy to score off of him. While the ball was coming onto the bat nicely, Banks found just enough in the pitch to get it to either hold up slightly, or skid on. The result was that timing the ball became harder, and only three runs came from the over once more.


Kelly then came into the attack to bowl the last of the Powerplay overs. Banks and him had a long chat before he ran in to bowl. It seemed as if the plan was not to bowl all out, but to use the variations to his benefit. And that he did. From little off and leg cutters, to the scrambled seam slower ball, not a single stock delivery was bowled in the over. And it worked, too. The batsmen were restricted to singles only. The asking rate kept climbing all the time. After starting at just under 7 an over, now it was over 7.5 and steadily going up.


Banks continued to finish his four over spell, but this time the batsmen were wise to him and not afraid to use their feet to get to the pitch of the ball. Whether it skidded on or held up did not matter then. Banks was forced to pitch it shorter as a result, preventing them from coming up the track. But then, they just held back in the crease and cut or pull it away. In the end, Banks ended up conceding 7 runs from his final over, but no boundaries still. It was the beginning of the 8th over and Australia had not scored a boundary for some 20 balls.


Kelly was certainly not going to let them score any off of his bowling. He continued to bowl the variations, mixing them up well and in this over he actually bowled a couple of his stock balls as well, pitching and just going into the batsman slightly. While Paine and Clarke were more than equal to it, they found it hard to get away, and Banks had set a good leg side oriented field to defend against it as well. At the end of the over, Australia had scored just four runs. The asking rate crept closer to 8.


Kantasingh could ask for no better stage at which to come on to bowl. Australia had a manageable asking rate, but the batsmen were struggling to find the fence. He started around the wicket to the right handers, and remained that way for the rest of the over. His line was simple, pitching it on off stump and just getting it to deviate enough to straighten and cramp the batsmen for room. Again, the singles came, but only singles. Something had to give, and that something was the wicket of Clarke.


He tried to hit one over midwicket, but against the spin. The ball peeled off of the outer half of the bat and looped into the air. Currency ran in from deepish midwicket to take an easy catch, and Australia had lost their second wicket with the score on an even 50. Clarke departed for 17 off of 30 balls, a testament to how much the West Indies had restricted the opposition from scoring.


But the new man in was Michael Hussey. While not someone with the slogging reputation of his younger brother, he was still a formidable T20 player. His wicket was crucial. Banks decided that McClean would finally have a chance to bowl.


That was the wrong decision. McClean saw Paine take a single off of the first ball before the elder Hussey teed off. First came a clean hit past a diving deep midwicket for four, then a straight drive that bisected long off and long on for another four. He followed that with a cut shot that deep point just about managed to save from being the third consecutive boundary, but could not prevent two runs by the batsmen. Hussey then nonchalantly took a single to get off strike, as if to say to Paine that it was his turn. Thankfully for the bowler, Paine did not go for the big shots, but at the end of the over, all of 13 runs were scored and the pressure that West Indies were slowly building had just been relaxed significantly.


It was the halfway point. Australia were 63 for 2, still some 77 runs away. With two wickets down, that would have been an easy ask for most teams.


Kantasingh continued and gave Hussey some serious problems early on in the over. Hussey tried to play a square drive, but Kantasingh had gotten some bounce with the delivery. The ball took the outside edge and went to short third man, but was dying fast. The fielder dived forward and landed on the turf, ball in his hands. The fielders all went up in celebration, but Stoute, the man who had caught the ball, hrugged his shoulders and turned to the umpire at square leg. He was unsure if he had made a clean catch, it seemed.


The two umpires met in the middle of the pitch and eventually sent it to the booth. The replays showed Stoute diving forward to meet the ball, fingers under it. But did it hit the grass just before? The magnifier came out, but again no real answers there. The shot from side on seemed a bit more conclusive. Stoute had done an excellent job, but the ball had just seemed hit the ground before he collected. Not out was the decision.


Kantasingh continued his good work of restricting the batsmen. Now Banks had some tough times ahead. He was already bowled out. Kantasingh had two left. McClean had been carted away in his only over thus far. Kelly had two left, as did Stoute. Crandon had yet to bowl.


It was that last man who was entrusted with the ball. His international debut, and he needed to make it matter. He bowled to Paine and got the batsman hustled for pace, only getting it down to third man for a single. He then rapped Hussey on the pads right in front of the stumps. The umpire said not out. Replays showed the ball to be just too high. A good decision. Crandon's first over only went for 5 runs.


Back came Kelly, who had done relatively well thus far. He continued his good work, only restricting the batsmen to singles. Crandon continued in the next over, and immediately had a wicket, that of Paine. Bowling with sheer pace once again, he hustled the batsman back onto the crease and got him plumb in front. He went LBW for 32. Australia were 80 for 3 and now West Indies were clawing their way back into the match.


As Watson came to the middle, there was a lot of chirping going on. Crandon bowled his first ball to him, fast, full, and straight. Watson played an ugly sort of cross batted shot to fine leg to get himself underway. Hussey then played one of the shots of the match thus far, simply opening the face of the bat to run the ball past the diving keeper and a running third man for four. Pure class all the way.


Kelly finished his spell in the next over, but compared to how he had done before, he would have been very disappointed. A no ball that resulted in a free hit being smashed for four, followed by another boundary by Hussey, and again the West Indies had let the pressure slip. The heads were starting to droop in the field, and when Crandon bowled an ordinary over next up, the faces began to grow ever longer.


Even the return of Stoute, who was always good with his lines and lengths, could not prevent the batsmen from taking him to the boundary as well. West Indies were lacking in confidence. With three overs to go, Australia needed 19 runs.


Kantasingh came back on and was promptly hit for four by Hussey. He switched to over the wicket and fired one is as fast as he could at leg stump. Hussey had no reply, and was out LBW. But he had made a rapid 43. West Indies barely celebrated the fall of the wicket, and would have been even less confident when David Hussey smashed his first ball for four.


With two to go, Australia needed 11.


Stoute bowled with all his heart, though. He would not give up, even as the fielders slowly walked back to their positions, seemingly defeated already. He was full, straight, and deadly accurate when he had Watson LBW. And while White managed a lucky edge first up that went for four, Stoute's effort meant that the match would go into the final over.


7 runs needed from 6 balls. They had done similar against India, and with the deejay on the PA system gearing up the crowd behind the West Indies, the fielders seemed to get back some belief.


Banks was forced to bring the men in, saving the singles. Kantasingh ran in from over the wicket to Hussey. Dot ball. The fans cheered even more.


Kantasingh ran in again, slanting the ball across Hussey and drawing him into a false shot. The ball took the edge but went past the wicketkeeper and dropped in front of Stoute at short third man. Another dot ball. The fans, West Indian and Aussie alike, were on their feet.


He came in once more. The arm ball this time, and Hussey was in some trouble, the ball bouncing and taking his glove before falling to the pitch. Still, a dot ball. Hussey looked up and the young bowler and nodded. Too good for me, he seemed to indicate.


7 runs needed from 3 deliveries. The crowd was red hot. The rhythm sections hammered away on their steel drums. The atmosphere was thick with more than just the party. This was the return of true West Indian pride. One section of the stands started to sing the team anthem...rally round the West Indies indeed.


But Kantasingh bowled one too much on the legs. Hussey clipped it away. Fine leg ran across from some distance and put in the dive and slide, limbs flailing on the ground, trying to save the boundary. He stuck out his hand and pushed the ball back. The standing umpire wanted it checked. It looked tight. Surely there was no actual body part contacting the rope. But...did the tail of the jersey just barely touch? Eventually the third umpire rules that it did. Four runs. The fielder hung his head in shame and tucked his jersey into his pants.


The crowd was silent. 3 from 2. Kantasingh applauded the effort from the fielder and ran right up to him, patting him on the back for the effort. The standing umpire gave captain Banks a speech about delaying play, heard very clearly on the stump mic. But with two balls to go in such an important match, nobody really cared at that time.


Kantasingh bowled the fifth ball of the over. Again, sliding across Hussey. Hussey tried the big shot but could not connect well. The ball took the outer half of the bat and went straight to short third man. White had been backing up a long way and called for the single. Hussey hesitated but eventually took off. Stoute fielded and threw to the keeper. Browne had the stumps off in a flash and the entire fielding team appealed, along with abut ten thousand West Indian fans.

It was too close to call. The umpire went upstairs again. On the replay, the throw came in. White kept his bat grounded as he ran in. The stumps were broken. The line belonged to the umpire, the commentators said. What was the exact instant when the bails could be seen as totally off? By inches, White was found to be in his crease. Not out was the eventual call.


One ball to go. Two runs needed.


Banks adjusted the field. There were two trains of thought in the commentary box. Did he keep the fielders in, saving the single and forcing White to risk hitting over the infield if he wanted to go for the win? Or did he spread the field, allowing the single and possibly the Super Over? Lambert and Browne, with Kantasingh as the bowler...that would be the combination. Australia would probably go for Mike Hussey and maybe Watson, with Tait or Johnson bowling.


Banks kept the field tight, not allowing the easy single. He was going to go for the outright victory, and if Australia wanted to win, they would have to go for it as well.


With the crowd on their feet and cheering loudly, Kantasingh bowled. Over the wicket to the right-handed White, it was faster, flatter, and not a lot of spin. White got down on one knee and swept. The sound of the bat connecting with the ball was comparable to the noise of the crowd.


The ball went down to deep backward square leg, bouncing once, twice, slowing each time. Both deep fine leg and deep midwicket were in pursuit. The batsmen were running hard. Two runs maybe. Take the fielders on.


Neither fielder would get there in the end. The ball crossed the rope and the Australia team swarmed the field. Kantasingh stooped down in mid-pitch, head in his hands. Banks walked across and pulled him up, putting an arm around him.


The handshakes were given, words of congratulations were exchanged, and more than one West Indian fan was leaving the ground in disappointment.


End of Australia innings – 141/5(20), M Hussey 43(26), Stoute 2-27(4)

Australia win by 5 wickets

(NB - I HATE PLANETCRICKET'S "NEW" FORUMS.)
 
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