India 223 all out (Abhishek 69, Kishan 37; Chase 2-38) beat West Indies 209 for 7 (Hetmyer 43, Pooran 42; Arshdeep 3-44) by 14 runs
The West Indies suffered a 14-run defeat to India in the third T20 International in Indore on Sunday, falling 2-1 behind in the five-match series. After rallying to dismiss India for 223 in their allotment, the Caribbean side failed to get out in front of the chase against an ever-climbing required rate.
When Arshdeep Singh bowled Shai (5) in the second over, it meant the West Indies needed 216 Hope-less runs for victory. Shimron Hetmyer’s attempt to answer the call saw him top-scoring with 43. He dominated the 60-run second-wicket stand alongside Kamil Pooran.
Despite Hetmyer’s 26-ball knock, the West Indies never came neck-and-neck with the required rate, with Pooran on a run-a-ball 12 when Hetmyer was bowled at 67 for two in the 7th.
Rovman Powell’s dismissal for five in the ninth prompted an early drinks break, which saw coach Daren Sammy sprinting to deliver a message to the pedestrian Pooran. He responded by smashing Naman Dhir for three sixes in the 11th but was caught attempting a fourth to be dismissed for 42 (27 balls).
West Indies (Hope 102*, Rutherford 84; Mayank 3-36) beat India 249 for 5 (Samson 82, Tilak 44; Chase 3-24) by 6 wickets
Hope: “I really believe that we need to bat a lot better in partnerships”
The West Indies are still a six-hitting team. They scorched 20 of them to complete a successful chase of 250 with nine deliveries to spare in the second T20 International against India in Ranchi on Friday.
Nine of them came off the bat of captain Shai Hope, whose unbeaten 102 (45 balls) helped West Indies to their highest successful chase in the format. Hope shared in a tide-turning 120-run fourth-wicket partnership with Sherfane Rutherford to drag the Caribbean side back into the contest.
“The thing about cricket is,” Hope said after the chase, “I really believe that we need to bat a lot better in partnerships. It's something that we tend to lapse on now and again.”
Rutherford was responsible for seven of the maximums Windies scored. After lacing danger man Mayank Yadav for back-to-back fours and a maximum in his first four balls, the left-hander showed no prejudice to pace or spin.
Rutherford, Chase and Hope were crucial to WI's win (Courtesy BCCI)
West Indies 143 for 2 (Taylor 64*, Claxton 38; Mutasa 1-19) beat Zimbabwe 142 for 6 (Ndhlovu 63, Mutasa 24*; Taylor 2-8) by 8 wickets
A vintage Stafanie Taylor fifty helped the West Indies to an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the third Women’s T20 international in Harare on Wednesday, securing a series sweep for the Caribbean side.
The classical Taylor scorched 11 fours in her 39-ball unbeaten 64, anchoring West Indies’ chase of the hosts' 142 for 6. The total was Zimbabwe’s highest of the series and held a potential threat for the largely inexperienced Windies batting line-up.
Following the dismissal of Realeanna Grimmond (17) in the third over, Taylor joined Jahzara Claxton to fashion a nerve-settling and ultimately match-winning 71-run partnership for the second wicket.
Though the pair seldom rotated the strike, they found the boundary frequently in their 56-ball stand to stay ahead of the required rate.
When Claxton fell for 38, West Indies were still 53 runs away from victory. Taylor then accelerated alongside Jannillea Glasgow (15), with the pair scoring 53 in 31 balls to see the visitors home at 143 for two in 17 overs.
Jahzara Claxton & Stafanie Taylor (Zimbabwe Cricket)
India 172 for 2 (Shreyas 102*, Ishan 37*; Hosein 1-37) beat West Indies 171 all out (Rutherford 56, Hope 52; Naman 3-31) by 8 wickets
The West Indies suffered a humbling eight-wicket defeat at the hands of India in the first T20 International in Lucknow on Tuesday. Following an underwhelming batting display, the Caribbean bowlers failed to provide the wicket-taking spark necessary to defend a below-par total, conceding the required 172 runs in 14.4 overs.
India’s captain, Shreyas Iyer, scorched 102 off 43 deliveries to right the hosts’ chase after an early wobble. The right-hander cashed in after a measured start, with an array of shots square of the wicket on his way to a maiden T20I hundred.
His 68-ball unbroken 137-run third-wicket stand with Ishan Kishan (37*) batted West Indies out of the game. Opener Abhishek Sharma started like a house on fire, taking a maximum and two boundaries from Matthew Forde’s opening over, racing to 21 from 10 balls.
He was brilliantly caught by Shimron Hetmyer, with Roston Chase finding the breakthrough at 29 for one in the third. Partner Samson (11) followed six runs later, caught and bowled by Akeal Hosein at 35 for two.
Debutant Kamil Pooran was dismissed by Arshdeep Singh (BCCI)
Cricket West Indies (CWI) and new Caribbean-born brand SUPERFAN on Monday announced the launch of the first SUPERFAN x West Indies Cricket collection, a new line of licensed fan merchandise designed and produced by SUPERFAN.
SUPERFAN was created by Trinidad and Tobago entrepreneur and designer Nicolette Leacock, founder of Caribbean Carnival and lifestyle brand MRCH. After building MRCH around products designed specifically with the Caribbean consumer in mind, Leacock saw an opportunity to bring that same design-led approach to Caribbean sport and fan culture.
“I grew up seeing what West Indies Cricket means to the Caribbean. It is one of the few things that can make us forget which island we are from for a moment and collectively identify as West Indian,” said Leacock.
