Cricket: West Indies win heart-stopper

Top Stories

Cricket: West Indies win heart-stopper
Evin Lewis of West Indies scored his 100 from 48 balls against India in the first T20I at Central Broward Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday.

Published: Sat 27 Aug 2016, 10:19 PM

Last updated: Sun 28 Aug 2016, 12:29 AM

Promising batsman Lokesh Rahul's 110 not out went in vain as West Indies managed to sneak past India by one run in the nail-biting first T20 International at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground here on Saturday.
Chasing a mammoth 246, India fell one run short to lose the match as West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo produced a brilliant last ball to dismiss Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni after he survived on the first ball on the last over.
Earlier, Evin Lewis smashed an impressive century as West Indies piled up the third highest ever Twenty20 international total of 245-6 against India.
The 24-year-old Lewis, whose only other appearance in the game's shortest form had ended with a duck in the shock defeat to Afghanistan at the World Twenty20 this year, feasted on perfect batting conditions at the Florida venue.
Lewis, standing in for the injured Chris Gayle, reached exactly 100 off 48 balls with five fours and nine sixes and when he was out off the fifth ball of the 16th over, world champions West Indies were 205-3.
It was the fifth fastest T20 international century.
The highlight of Lewis's innings was hitting five sixes off a Stuart Binny over, all of which sailed over the boundary on the back of a stiff Florida breeze.
West Indies' total was just short of Australia's 248 against England in Southampton in 2013 while Sri Lanka's 260 against Kenya at Johannesburg in 2007 remains the highest ever international T20 total.
With fellow opener Johnson Charles, Lewis put on 126 for the first wicket. The duo steered West Indies past the 100 mark by the eighth over.
The 27-year-old Charles reached his 50 off only 20 balls before he became the first man out, bowled by seamer Mohammed Shami for a lightning 79 off 33 deliveries.
Charles's innings featured six fours and seven sixes and when he fell in the 10th over, West Indies were well-placed at 126-1.
West Indies reached the halfway mark of their innings in record style - their 132 runs beating the previous best after 10 overs of 131 set by South Africa against England at Centurion in 2009.
Andre Russell (22) and Kieron Pollard (22) added late cameos to give Carlos Brathwaite the opportunity to mark his first game in charge with a much-needed win.
Scoreboard
West Indies
Extras: (w4, nb2) 6
Total: (6 wickets; 20 overs) 245
Did not bat: A. Fletcher, S. Narine, S. Badree
Fall: 1-126, 2-204, 3-205, 4-236, 5-244, 6-244.
Bowling: M. Shami 4-0-48-1 (2w), B. Kumar 4-0-43-0 (1w), J. Bumrah 4-0-47-2 (2nb), R. Ashwin 4-0-36-0, R. Jadeja 3-0-39-2, S. Binny 1-0-32-0 (1w)
India
R Sharma c Charles b Pollard 62
A Rahane c Bravo b Russell 7
V Kohli c Fletcher b Bravo 16
L Rahul not out 110
M Dhoni c Samuels b Bravo 43
Extras: (lb 2, w 4) 6
Total: (4 wickets; 20 overs) 244
Fal: 1-31, 2-48, 3-137, 4-244.
Bowling: Russell 4-0-53-1 (2w), S Badree 2-0-25-0, D Bravo 4-0-37-2, S Narine 3-0-50-0 (1w), C Brathwaite 4-0-47-0, K Pollard 3-0-30-1 (1w).
Toss: India, who chose to field

By AFP

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram


More news from