CWC 2019 Match 42 – Hope – Roach guide Windies to a thrilling win over Afghanistan

In an unimportant match of the world cup 2019 played between West Indies and Afghanistan who were playing for honor after being knocked out of the world cup, West Indies won the contest by 23 runs against a gritty Afghanistan team who gave a tight fight in a superb chase. Chasing 312 runs to win, Afghanistan lost the match by just 23 runs. West Indies would have had their heart in the mouth when Afghanistan was giving a chase at their big total with a ‘never give up’ attitude. After losing their opener Gulbadin Naib early in the match, Rahmat Shah (62 runs) and the 18 year old Ikram Alikhil (86 runs) put on 133 runs for the 2^nd wicket in quick time. Had Ikram scored his hundred he would have become the youngest player to achieve that feat, but he missed out narrowly. But what an innings he played!

Even as Asghar Afghan (40 runs) and Sayed Shirzad tried some heroics, they couldn’t take their team home because Afghanistan kept losing wickets around them. Kemar Roach with 3/37 was the most impressive bowler for West Indies while Carlos Brathwaite with 4 for 63 was the leading wicket taker.

Universal Boss, Chris Gayle had played his last world cup match. Though he did not flourish with the bat, he took a wicket and ended his career as far as world cup matches is concerned. On the verge of his retirement in the next few months, what a campaigner this big man from the Windies has been for cricket! He is a brand. Take a bow champion Gayle!

Earlier Shai Hope (77 runs), Evin Lewis and Nicholas Pooran (58 runs per head) and a terminal onslaught by Jason Holder (45 runs in 34 balls) made sure that West Indies reached a healthy total. In between the Afghanistan bowlers bowled tight spells and denied Windies from scoring free. But the Windies came back to post 300+ total on board which was looking unlikely at the midway of the match.

It is sad that the Afghanistan team will go home losing all their world cup matches, but they had their moments. They would have won 2-3 matches if they would have played to a different plan. But they will learn with time!

West Indies, too had a mixed bag of fluctuating fortunes. They were not a bad team; they lost few tight and close matches which they would have won. They will take few lessons home, and of course..this win, in their last match!

Until we catch up for more action from the next match, it is goodbye from me folks!

Keep watching the world cup matches and have fun!!

CWC 2019 Match 23 – Shakib-Liton make a cake-walk run chase of mammoth total as Bangladesh cruise to a comfortable win against Windies

When Bangladesh won the match against West Indies with 8.3 overs to spare, I said ‘wow’! Everyone would have. They were chasing 322 runs to win and with the comfortable ease they did it was awesome!

Veteran superstar Shakib Al Hasan showed what a cricketer he is when he remained not out on a beautifully crafted 99 ball 124 as he led Bangladesh to an emphatic win over West Indies. Along with Liton Das, Shakib put 189 undefeated runs for the fourth wicket as Bangladesh pulled a 7 wicket win over the Windies. Liton Das was little short of fortune as he missed what would have been a superb ton by just 6 runs. His 69 ball 94 was a feast for Bangladesh fans, for cricket fans too and it was his innings which fetched Bangladesh a big win with many overs to spare. He added fire to the start given by Shakib. For West Indies, there was only one chance to bounce back in the match when Bangladesh was 133 for 3 in 19 overs. If they would have bowled tightly, with discipline and took couple of quick wickets, they would have put pressure and brakes on the scoring rate, but that was not to be.

West Indies would consider themselves unlucky because they were defending 321 runs. Bangladesh made it look like 121. There was lack of intent in the Windies bowling. It looked that they gave up the match in their minds once Shakib and Liton started shifting gears.

Earlier, after losing Chris Gayle for naught, West Indies recovered from the early hiccups as Evin Lewis (70 runs) and Shai Hope (96 runs) put on 116 runs for the second wicket. Shimron Hetmyer (26 ball 50) and Jason Holder (15 ball 33) were looking on fire as they blasted the Bangladesh bowlers all around the park. But West Indies lost the plot in the last 10 overs. The hard hitters played senseless cricket as they tried fancy shots even when the wickets were tumbling around them. What could have easily been a 370-380 finished with 321 on board. They were definitely 60 runs short. The end result showed that Bangladesh would have even chased down 380 easily.

Bangladesh came back in the last 10 overs and choked the run flow. Shakib Al Hasan had shined with the ball too. He had dismissed 2 batsmen from the opposition camp including those of Evin Lewis and Nicholas Pooran. Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin took 3 wickets each.

Bangladesh are meaning menace and giving tough time for all the teams with progression of the tournament towards the business end and we know how good they are on their day! With 2 wins and 2 defeats from their 5 matches, they are looking good. 2-3 more wins; they would have surprised some big teams and would have paved their way towards semifinal berth. They may be silent hunters. Watch out for them!

Things are not looking good for West Indies. After a good start in the world cup campaign, they have lost their route and intent. They are looking predictable and beatable. With just 1 win from 5 matches, they are at risk of being knocked out of the contention for final four. They cannot afford to lose their next 4 matches and hope for rain-free matches.

Until we catch up with more action from the next match, it is goodbye folks!

Enjoy your world cup matches…hope you are doing it!

CWC 2019 Match 10 – Coulter-Nailed Windies lose to Aussies by a thin margin

When you would have reduced your opposition to 79/5 in 16 overs and when you feel that the match and couple of points are in your kitty, how would you feel when someone whom you have never expected to bat, goes out of sorts and enables his team to add another 200 to that total and in the end make sure that you are defeated? Angry or frustrated? I feel both and many more feelings would erupt to the surface.

This is not about possibilities. This is the real story of West Indies who were disappointedly beaten by the Australian team by 15 runs after West Indies had dominated the first 16 overs of the match.

West Indies won the toss and elected to field first, at Trent Bridge. They would have been proud of their decision when they sent half the Aussie team back to the pavilion with just 79 runs on board, their new ball fast bowlers creating havoc and panic in the Aussie camp. It never looked like Australia would play the full length of the match and would be bundled out for a petty score. All batting resources of Australian batting line up including Warner, Finch, Khawaja, Maxwell and Stoinis were dismissed by Windies.  Only one person was holding ground amidst all the disaster, Steve Smith! A 68 run partnership between Smith and Alex Carey pumped hopes in the Aussie camp. That was a small rehabilitation act.

Nile Nails the Windies with his storming 92 – Little did the Windies know that the tsunami was about to come their way even after dismissing Carey. Then that happened, just like the final half hour in a thriller or a horror movie which puts you on the edge of your seat. In came Nathan Coulter-Nile to join Smith. He took the counterattack on to the Windies bowling attack and smacked 92 runs in just 60 balls, falling sigh of just 8 runs of what would have been one of the best hundreds you would ever watch in a world cup match. But he had done his job, which was more than expected. Even after Smith was dismissed for a responsible knock of 73 runs, having added over hundred runs for the 7^th wicket with Nile, the latter continued his onslaught and kept hitting big boundaries at will. He made sure that Australia scored 288 runs and posted a demonic total for West Indies to chase. Australia could not play out their entire quota of 50 overs. They were bundled out in 49 overs. But the score board was looking scary for West Indies. They would curse themselves for not having made of the advantage they had got in the first 16 overs and they would not have an easy chase for sure. Coulter Nile had scored the best ever personal score by a number 8 batsman, ever in the history of the world cup game and what a time it was for him to rise to the occasion!

It was not a bad chase by the West Indies batsmen to be precise. Though they had a disappointing start, West Indies recovered in the middle, added useful partnerships and kept themselves in the contention of winning the game. One of the set batsmen should have applied himself to get a big individual score with the other hard hitting batsmen fastening up the things around if the West Indies had to win this contest. Shai Hope, Nicolas Pooran and Jason Holder with 68, 40 and 51 runs respectively were the top contributors for Windies. The lower end batsmen too made handy contributions but that was never enough.

Once Jason Holder who was looking gritty and fancying the chances to take the match till the wire and if possible win the match for his team, was dismissed, Australian bowlers took command of the situation and made sure that they did not leak those vital runs which were meant for their win. With 5/46, Mitchell Starc was lethal and was instrumental in destroying the West Indies batting. He was the go-to bowler for his captain. Australia would be happy to get this win after they were down and out right at the beginning of the match. West Indies would have exactly the opposite emotions since the match always belonged to them.

Coulter Nile was the real hero of the match but the person who stood as a saint and created a hope of making a match out of nothing for the Aussie team was Smith. Carey’s contribution in the rebuilding process too is worth praising.

Until we catch up the action from the next match, goodbye folks!!

Keep watching the world cup cricket and enjoy!!