 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Windies keep semis hopes alive
A spirited West Indies kept alive their semi-final hopes in the ICC World Twenty20, pulling off a sensational victory over New Zealand via the Super Over in their last match of the Super Eights, in Pallekele, on Monday.
New Zealand crashed out of the tournament following the defeat in the Super Over after both teams were tied at the end of the match.
Early wickets rock West Indies
Put into bat, West Indies were bowled out for 139 in 19.3 overs with Chris Gayle top-scoring for them with a fluent 30 off 14 balls.
West Indies squandered a great start provided by their top order to finish on a disappointing 139 all out after being 86 for three at the half-way mark.
Tim Southee got the key wicket of Gayle, caught behind by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, while fellow pacer Doug Bracewell provided New Zealand with the early breakthrough, dismissing Johnson Charles and Andre Russel in his first spell.
Bracewell, Southee restrict WI to 139
Marlon Samuels (24) and Keiron Pollard (28) also chipped in with useful cameos but rest of the batting order could not capitalise on the start.
New Zealand seam bowlers Bracewell (3-31) and Southee (3-21) shared six wickets between them as West Indies managed 53 runs in the second half of the innings while losing seven wickets.
NZ batsmen struggle after early wickets
New Zealand's chase never really gained momentum as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Ravi Rampaul made the first breakthrough for West Indies with the wicket of Kiwi opener Rob Nicol, who was trapped leg before wicket for 3.
Brendon McCullum threatened with a 18-ball 22 before he was beaten in the flight by Samuel Badree and was bowled. Guptill was dismissed in the very next over when he was caught at deep midwicket off Darren Sammy.
NZ skipper Taylor leads from the front
Captain Ross Taylor was positive right from the start, hitting three sixes and as many boundaries in his unbeaten 40-ball knock to tie the score and force the Super Over.
New Zealand struggled against the spin of Sunil Narine (3-20) but skipper Ross Taylor's unbeaten 62 helped them to finish on 139 for seven and force the Super Over.
Windies triumph in Super Over
Batting first in the Super Over, New Zealand scored 17 runs off the over sent down by Marlon Samuels.
Taylor hit a four and six off successive deliveries to help his team make a strong finish in that over.
While Gayle started the chase in the Super Over with a huge six over long-off, off a no-ball from Tim Southee, Samuels scored the winning run, hitting a six off the fifth delivery to knock New Zealand out of the tournament.
NZ crash out, WI still alive
With three loses from as many games, New Zealand crashed out of the tournament.
It was New Zealand's second Super Over loss in this year's World T20, following Thursday's defeat against Sri Lanka.
The West Indies' fortunes now hinge on the result of the other Group 1 match between hosts Sri Lanka and England.