West Indies 170 for 5 (Rutherford 54, Powell 33; Hasaranga 2-17) beat Sri Lanka 169 all out (Wellalage 43, Mishara 28; Joseph 5-33) by 5 wickets
Prior to Sunday’s thrilling 5-wicket triumph over Sri Lanka at Sabina Park, which handed them a 2-1 victory, the West Indies hadn’t won a T20 International series since last October. And with a required run rate of 15.0 at the end of the 16th over, they were staring down the barrel of a fifth consecutive defeat.
It took three maximums off Dushmantha Chameera’s 17th over—two from the bat of Sherfane Rutherford and one from Rovman Powell's—to drag the rate back to two runs per ball.
The pair fashioned an 81-run (53 balls) fifth-wicket partnership to take the score from 53 for four in the ninth to put the West Indies in with a chance, needing 36 from the final three overs. Theirs was a partnership dotted with missed opportunities, but the important thing for the hosts is that they stuck around long enough to punish Sri Lanka for their errors.
Rutherford, who was dropped twice, saw the chase through to the tune of 54 unbeaten runs (40 balls). And while Powell’s 27-ball 33 reads as a less polished knock, it was constructed on the back of three maximums, which kept Windies afloat.
“You've got to build good habits, and winning is a habit,” said captain Shai Hope.
Sri Lanka 194 for 6 (Mishara 61*, Shanaka 58; Joseph 3-32) beat West Indies 157 all out (Powell 43, Hetmyer 36; Chameera 3-9) by 37 runs
Despite a threatening partnership from Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmyer, the West Indies middle-order lost their way against the Sri Lankan spinners in a big chase, suffering a 37-run defeat in the second T20 International at Sabina Park on Saturday. The defeat leaves the three-match series tied at one apiece, ahead of Sunday’s decider.
Needing 195 runs for victory, the Caribbean side lost captain Shai Hope and Brandon King within the first ten deliveries of the chase, which set them back early. Both fell lbw, Hope trapped by Dunith Wellalage (2/28) for 6 before Dushmantha Chameera (3/9) accounted for King, to leave Windies nine for 2 in the second over.
With an 81-run (47 balls) third-wicket partnership between Hetmyer and Powell, however, the hosts climbed back into the contest. Promoted to No. 3, Powell responded with a top-score of 43 (26 balls).
Despite two close calls, Hetmyer’s contribution stood at 36 from 26 balls. He was first given a reprieve after being bowled off a Maheesh Theekshana no-ball and back-tracking his stride after heading towards the pavilion, having been found to have pushed his bat back in time to survive a certain stumping six legal deliveries later.
Both calypso cricket and Samba football (soccer) burst onto the international scene in the 1930s. For football fans it was the breathtaking Brazilian, Leonidas, affectionately known as the “Black Diamond”. Cricket’s equivalent was Panamanian-born George Headley, aka the “Black Bradman”. In the late 50s and 60s, although we had King Pele – cricket’s equivalent would be Sir Gary Sobers – it was the flair, the dashing elegance of Pele’s teammate, Garrincha, the “little bird” that mesmerized the world. In fact, Garrincha’s signature play was his dazzling footwork, often leaving the opposition dizzy with his brilliance before passing to a teammate for the coup de grâce. And, in cricket, of whom does the little bird remind us? Why, the “little master” of course, Rohan Kanhai. In 1964, while watching him at Leeds in the company of CLR James, Sir Learie Constantine remarked, “That one,” nodding at Kanhai, “is different from all of them. Some of his colleagues in the pavilion who have played with him for years have seen strokes that they have never seen before: from him or anybody else”.
West Indies 163 for 3 (Campbelle 90*, Matthews 48; Jess Kerr 2-17) beat NewZealand 162 for 6 (Halliday 40, Gaze 39; Alleyne 4-27) by seven wickets
Shemaine Campbelle’s stunning 90 not out led the West Indies to a statement seven-wicket win over New Zealand in Southampton.
The wicketkeeper-batter’s career best T20I score spearheaded a pursuit of 163, the second-highest successful run chase in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup history, which was completed with just one ball to spare.
Defending champions New Zealand, who had earlier been pegged back by Aaliyah Alleyne’s four wickets, were left to rue a string of dropped chances and missed stumpings as captain Amelia Kerr’s landmark 100th T20I appearance ended in defeat.
New Zealand were put in after losing the toss, but Isabella Gaze was quickly into her stride.
An audacious scoop over the wicketkeeper’s head in the second over set the tone and she dominated an opening partnership of 49 with Georgia Plimmer, who picked out Deandra Dottin at deep backward square leg from the penultimate ball of the powerplay.
West Indies Women will begin their quest for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup glory on Saturday when they take on defending champions New Zealand at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton, with first ball scheduled for 1:30 PM AST.
The highly anticipated Group 1 contest marks the start of the Maroon Warriors’ campaign in a tournament that will see them face New Zealand, hosts England, Sri Lanka, Ireland and Scotland in the race for a spot in the knockout stages.
The West Indies enter the tournament with growing confidence after an extensive preparation programme that included a specialised conditioning and acclimatisation camp in Wales, warm-up fixtures against India and Australia, and a successful outing in the Evara Women’s International Tri-Series in Ireland, where they finished atop the standings ahead of Ireland and Pakistan.
The tri-series victory provided valuable match practice and momentum, with the West Indies producing dominant victories over both Ireland and Pakistan while showcasing encouraging signs with both bat and ball.
Head Coach Shane Deitz believes the team is fully prepared for the challenge ahead and is focused on making a strong start to the tournament.
