Tag: West Indies

  • West Indies Whitewash South Africa 3-0 In T20 Series, Shai Hope’s Unbeaten 42 Guides WI To 8 Wicket Win In The Last Match | cricket news

    West Indies completed a 3-0 T20I series whitewash of the T20 World Cup 2024 finalists South Africa with an eight-wicket win via the DLS method in the third and final match of the series at the Brian Lara Stadium.

    Their outright dominance over the Proteas stretches back to March 2023. In their last ten encounters, the Caribbean side has tasted victory eight times, including back-to-back 3-0 series win over South Africa.

    South Africa had to wait for an opportunity to put on a “better show” in the final game of an enticing series after rain delayed the game by an hour.

    No overs were lost when the play resumed. However, after a second delay due to rain, which came midway through the fifth over of South Africa’s innings, took more than an hour out of the game. As a result, the game was cut short to 13 overs a side.

    While chasing the adjusted target of 116, the West Indies suffered an early blow after Alick Athanaze was back in the dressing room just four balls into the chase. Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran went on a rampage that completely derailed South Africa’s hopes of avoiding a clean sweep.

    Pooran (35) mistimed his shot straight to Jason Smith off Ottneil Baartman. But the damage was already done. Shimron Hetmyer (31*) applied the finishing touches and sealed an 8-wicket win via the DLS method. Hope cleared the boundary rope for a maximum and ended the chase with an unbeaten 42-run knock.

    After being put to bat, South Africa struggled in the absence of individual contributions. The lack of strong individual contributions was a constant theme for the Proteas throughout the three-match series.

    Captain Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs showed intent to push South Africa’s score, but the entire batting unit was kept quiet by the spin duo of Akeal Hosein and stand-in skipper Roston Chase. The duo combined to concede just 22 runs in five overs between them.

    South Africa’s woes began when the opening duo of Reeza Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton failed to provide a fiery start.

    Hendricks never found the timing he yearned for and returned to the pavilions with 9(20). Rickelton kept on going and managed to pick up a couple of fours and sixes but lost his wicket to Romario Shepherd.

    Stubbs was the only player who stood out with his exceptional stroke play. While relying on his fearless approach, the 24-year-old scored 40 runs at a whopping strike rate of 266.67. His effort powered the Proteas to 108/4.

    Brief Score: West Indies 116/2 (Shai Hope 42*, Nicholas Pooran 35; Bjorn Fortuin 1-8) vs South Africa 108/4 (Tristan Stubbs 40; Romario Shepherd 2-14).

  • South Africa Defeats West Indies by 40 Runs To Clinch Test Series 1-0 | cricket news

    SA vs WI: Temba Bavuma’s South Africa secured a commanding 40-run victory over the West Indies on the third and final day of the second Test, wrapping up the series 1-0 after the first match ended in a draw. This win reinforced South Africa’s dominance over the Caribbean side in Test cricket.

    Chasing a challenging target of 263, set after Jayden Seales’ impressive six-wicket haul dismissed the Proteas for 246 in their second innings, the West Indies’ batting lineup struggled to form meaningful partnerships. Despite their efforts, they were eventually bowled out for 222. In a dramatic conclusion, Seales, who had been the hero for the West Indies in the first innings, became the final wicket to fall, dismissed by Keshav Maharaj just before the scheduled close of. play. Maharaj’s delivery was expertly caught by David Bedingham at short leg, sealing the victory for South Africa.

    This win also maintained South Africa’s unblemished record against the West Indies in Test cricket, a streak that began with their first meeting in the 1998/99 season. That series saw Shaun Pollock’s South African side deliver a 5–0 whitewash over Brian Lara’s West Indies team, marking the beginning of South Africa’s consistent dominance in the fixture. The West Indies’ last Test win over South Africa came in a one-off match in Barbados in 1992, which marked the Proteas’ return to Test cricket after a 22-year hiatus due to apartheid.

    Keshav Maharaj’s left-arm orthodox spin played a crucial role in the victory, as he claimed three wickets for 37 runs. Kagiso Rabada also made a significant contribution, taking three wickets for 50 runs, leaving him just one wicket shy of the 300-wicket milestone in Test cricket.

    South Africa faced a brief scare when Gudakesh Motie and Joshua da Silva forged a 77-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Motie, who scored a career-best 45, and da Silva, who added 27 runs, lifted the West Indies from a dangerous 104 for six. However, Maharaj’s reintroduction into the attack proved decisive, as he dismissed both batters in consecutive overs with lbw decisions. A stunning leaping catch by Temba Bavuma at mid-on off Shamar Joseph’s bat brought Kagiso Rabada within touching distance of his 300th Test wicket. Maharaj then completed the rout, despite a late burst of runs from Jomel Warrican.

    Wiaan Mulder was deservedly named the player of the match. The seam-bowling all-rounder made the most of his rare Test opportunity, taking six wickets in the match and contributing a valuable 34 runs in South Africa’s second innings.

  • Mark Wood Creates History Bowls The Fastest Over Ever For England At Home Against West Indies in Second Test | cricket news

    Pacer Mark Wood continued to add to his credentials as one of the fastest bowlers produced, delivering the fastest over bowled by an English bowler at home since the beginning of data recording for the same since 2006. In his first over on the morning of day two. of the second Test against West Indies, Wood was firing some rockets. He started his over at 93.9 mph, then went on to produce deliveries of 96.1 mph, 95.2 mph, 92.2 mph, 96.5 mph and 95.2 mph for the rest of his over. The average speed during the over was 94.7 mph, as per Wisden.

    The aforementioned over was the fastest over bowled by an England bowler at home since the data for the same started being recorded back in 2006, as per Wisden. In his second over, Wood continued with his fierceness, not bowling a ball slower than 94 mph, with the fastest ball being at 95.7 mph.

    But then, in the third over, the scoreboard at the stadium displayed Wood’s speed on the fifth ball at 97 mph, translating to 156 kmph. The speed throughout the over was 95 mph, 93 mph, 95 mph, 96 mph, 97 mph and 94 mph, as per ESPNCricinfo’s data. Wood ended the over with an average speed of 95 mph, breaking his own record that he had set just two overs ago!

    After three overs, his figures read, three overs, one maiden over, five runs, and zero wickets. The fifth ball of his third over to Mikyle Louis was a brutal bouncer that Louis avoided successfully.

    Notably, in the match, West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl first. England delivered a fine batting performance, powered by Ollie Pope’s sixth Test ton (121 in 167 balls, with 15 fours and a six) and fine half-centuries from Ben Duckett (71 in 59 balls, with 14 fours) and skipper Ben Stokes ( 69 in 104 balls, with eight fours). England made 416/10 in 88.3 overs.

    Alzarri Joseph (3/98) was the pick of the bowlers for WI. Jayden Seales, Kavem Hodge, Kevin Sinclair took two wickets while Shamar Joseph got one wicket.

    In their first inning, WI is tasked with overcoming such a big deficit and on their way to 200 run mark. They have lost three wickets at the time of writing.

    West Indies (Playing XI): Kraigg Brathwaite(c), Mikyle Lewis, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva(w), Alzarri Joseph, Kevin Sinclair, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

    England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.

  • ‘The Door Is Now Closed’: Sunil Narine On Reversing Retirement Decision To Play For West Indies In T20 World Cup 2024 | cricket news

    Former West Indies bowling all-rounder Sunil Narine, who is having a terrific IPL season, won’t be reversing his retirement decision for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA, insisting that the “door is now closed”. The 35-year-old last played for the West Indies in a T20 International in August 2019 before retiring from international cricket in November last year to focus on franchise T20 leagues around the world.

    But owing to his sensational form with both bat and ball for Kolkata Knight Riders this IPL season, attempts were being made to convince Narine to reverse his decision for the T20 World Cup.

    “I’m truly flattered and humbled that my performances recently have moved many people to publicly express their wish for me to come out of retirement and play in the upcoming T20 World Cup,” Narine wrote in an Instagram post. He asserted that he has made peace with his decision and will be supporting the team from home.

    “I have made peace with that decision and whilst I never wish to disappoint, that door is now closed and I will be supporting the guys who take the field in June for West Indies. “Guys who have worked hard over the past few months and deserve to show our wonderful fans that they are capable of winning another title. I wish you all the best,” he added.

    Narine, who has been a key member of KKR since 2012, is seventh on the list of leading run-scorers in the ongoing IPL season, having scored 286 runs, including an unbeaten century against Rajasthan Royals last week — his maiden T20 ton. With the ball, the off-spinner is KKR’s joint-leading wicket-taker with nine scalps at an average of 22.11 and an economy rate of 7.10.

    Narine’s purple patch has compelled West Indies captain Rovman Powell to encourage the spinner to come out of retirement for the home World Cup. “For the last 12 months, I’ve been whispering in his ears, he’s blocked out everyone. Asked (Kieron) Pollard, (Dwayne) Bravo, (Nicholas) Pooran, hopefully before they select the team, they can crack his code, ” Powell had said last week.