By Nick Powell
The West Indies won their second World T20 Final as they edged England after Carlos Brathwaite's stunning 4 consecutive sixes were enough to win a thrilling final and complete an incredible tournament victory for the Caribbean side.
England crumbled to 23-3 at the start of their innings with Jason Roy, Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan all out inside the first four overs. The innings was re-built very well by Joe Root and Joss Buttler, but after they went with Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, England were in serious trouble.
David Willey had a decent late knock however, and while England's eventual total of 155/9 was a fair way below par, there was definitely still hope for the 3 lions.
The hope turned to expectation as the Windies themselves made an abject start, falling to 11/3 after inspired bowling from Joe Root and David Willey at the start of the innings. Marlon Samuels and DJ Bravo slowly rebuilt the innings, but England headed into the last four overs in a great position.
The West Indies took the ball on, but still found themselves requiring 19 runs off the final over, however number 8 batsman Carlos Brathwaite hit 4 consecutive sixes in the final over to win the game in quite sensational style for the Windies.
England were narrowly the favourites, but had lost to the Windies in the first game they'd played in the tournament. They also had to face the fact that the West Indies' captain Darren Sammy had won the toss for the 10th straight time and gave England the task of batting first, when bowling and chasing was probably preferable.
The stage was set, both sides set to play fearlessly, with some incredibly openers and batting all the way down the order, the highest target of 153 ever set in T20 final history would surely be exceeded, and if it wasn't, it would be chased with ease by the power of the West Indies. The battle between the 2010 and 2012 Champions, both vying to be the first team to win the title for second time, was underway...
From the very first delivery, it was clear West Indies were serious about the victory, Roy missed the first delivery, and a very strong LBW appeal was turned. The second, he missed it again, but there was no leg in the way. Leg stump went flying and England were 0-1. Root played some decent shots to see out the over at 7-1, but it was a brilliant start to ease West Indian from Samuel Badree.
England's nervy start quickly became a bad one as fellow opener Hales followed him back after playing Andre Russell straight to Badree and West Indies were in full control. England's depth in batting meant they weren't in too much trouble, but the 3rd wicket partnership needed to stick around.
The 14 off the next over was desperately needed, but in the fifth England's Captain Morgan, who had been tormented by Badree, was gone in a wicket-maiden, and England were 23-3 from 5 horrendous overs. Joss Buttler and Joe Root were at the crease, and if one of them went in the next few overs England could forget any hopes of victory.
It was the responsibility of Buttler and Root to re-build the nightmare start, off the first three overs England picked up 24 as their innings re-built. These two needed to lay a foundation so they could finish fast. England got their first 6 against struggling Suliemann Benn. Still however they weren't launching into life, were they wasting precious time? Or was this re-building absolutely necessary with their two most talented batsmen staying in?
On 10 overs, England began playing with some real purpose, Buttler was teeing off and England were getting going. But new bowler Braithwaite to Buttler's vital wicket. He just couldn't quite get it over the rope and England were 84-4 with just over 50 deliveries to go.
Root hit Sammy straight into the air but it had enough on it to get over the fielders' head and dropped for two. Root reached 50 off just 33 deliveries (the equal fastest ever 50 in a World T20 final) 2 balls later, and he would absolutely key to England if they had a hope of getting near the par score of around 180.
He would be even more key as England lost Stokes. Darren Bravo found the 5th wicket, a relatively short ball was poorly played into the air and the depth of England's batting order was going to be tested. It was going to have an even bigger test as Moeen was gone two balls later. After a swing and a miss, he gloved Bravo to Ramdin and England were going to have to play exceptionally well in the last six overs.
England were virtually done for at the start of the very next over. Nelson struck as Root attempted to loft and find the back boundary, but it fell woefully short and England had lost their best player and 3 wickets for one run. England needed a miracle to set a total that would cause the Windies any kind of trouble with their chase.
England had 115-7 with 5 overs left. They had been the most potent team in this period but hadn't had rarely had Jordan and Willey at the crease. It was torturous, England had hit a wall and were trapped, delivery by delivery it was becoming an increasingly easy task for the West Indies batsmen.
Willey began to take off, hopes were raised again, but they were shot down again, agonisingly. After beating the rope a few times he fell short and was caught by Johnson Charles. Braithwaite completed another impressive over to round off a fine spell. What could England do in the next 2 overs?
They managed to finish on 155-9. It was the highest target set in a final in the tournament's history and England had done well to recover from 23-3 and 111-7 but there was a sense of what could have been, had they not been destroyed in the first 2 overs and had Stokes and Root not got out in such soft circumstances. It was West Indies game to lose after a very impressive bowling display. England were well short of where they needed to be.
Could England exploit the cracks in the Windies batting? Or were the Windies power hitters going to make a mockery of the English total?
Willey bowled the first and conceded just one off it, Root was set to bowl the second. He needed a big start, and got one, Johnson Charles was gone in his very first ball playing the ball up into the air and it was caught by Stokes. The second saw Gayle chip one up and England almost had another. That went for four but the next one was out again. Gayle played it into the sky, Stokes was underneath it again. It was a carbon copy of the first wicket, and a while the last 2 balls saw 5 runs, the decision to put Root on was inspired, England were right back in this game.
The West Indies won their second World T20 Final as they edged England after Carlos Brathwaite's stunning 4 consecutive sixes were enough to win a thrilling final and complete an incredible tournament victory for the Caribbean side.
England crumbled to 23-3 at the start of their innings with Jason Roy, Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan all out inside the first four overs. The innings was re-built very well by Joe Root and Joss Buttler, but after they went with Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, England were in serious trouble.David Willey had a decent late knock however, and while England's eventual total of 155/9 was a fair way below par, there was definitely still hope for the 3 lions.
The hope turned to expectation as the Windies themselves made an abject start, falling to 11/3 after inspired bowling from Joe Root and David Willey at the start of the innings. Marlon Samuels and DJ Bravo slowly rebuilt the innings, but England headed into the last four overs in a great position.
The West Indies took the ball on, but still found themselves requiring 19 runs off the final over, however number 8 batsman Carlos Brathwaite hit 4 consecutive sixes in the final over to win the game in quite sensational style for the Windies.
England were narrowly the favourites, but had lost to the Windies in the first game they'd played in the tournament. They also had to face the fact that the West Indies' captain Darren Sammy had won the toss for the 10th straight time and gave England the task of batting first, when bowling and chasing was probably preferable.
The stage was set, both sides set to play fearlessly, with some incredibly openers and batting all the way down the order, the highest target of 153 ever set in T20 final history would surely be exceeded, and if it wasn't, it would be chased with ease by the power of the West Indies. The battle between the 2010 and 2012 Champions, both vying to be the first team to win the title for second time, was underway...
From the very first delivery, it was clear West Indies were serious about the victory, Roy missed the first delivery, and a very strong LBW appeal was turned. The second, he missed it again, but there was no leg in the way. Leg stump went flying and England were 0-1. Root played some decent shots to see out the over at 7-1, but it was a brilliant start to ease West Indian from Samuel Badree.
It was a nightmare for Roy, expected to be a crucial player for England
England's nervy start quickly became a bad one as fellow opener Hales followed him back after playing Andre Russell straight to Badree and West Indies were in full control. England's depth in batting meant they weren't in too much trouble, but the 3rd wicket partnership needed to stick around.
Hales was gone, England were in big trouble
The 14 off the next over was desperately needed, but in the fifth England's Captain Morgan, who had been tormented by Badree, was gone in a wicket-maiden, and England were 23-3 from 5 horrendous overs. Joss Buttler and Joe Root were at the crease, and if one of them went in the next few overs England could forget any hopes of victory.
It was the responsibility of Buttler and Root to re-build the nightmare start, off the first three overs England picked up 24 as their innings re-built. These two needed to lay a foundation so they could finish fast. England got their first 6 against struggling Suliemann Benn. Still however they weren't launching into life, were they wasting precious time? Or was this re-building absolutely necessary with their two most talented batsmen staying in?
On 10 overs, England began playing with some real purpose, Buttler was teeing off and England were getting going. But new bowler Braithwaite to Buttler's vital wicket. He just couldn't quite get it over the rope and England were 84-4 with just over 50 deliveries to go.
Buttler's wicket came at the perfect time
Root hit Sammy straight into the air but it had enough on it to get over the fielders' head and dropped for two. Root reached 50 off just 33 deliveries (the equal fastest ever 50 in a World T20 final) 2 balls later, and he would absolutely key to England if they had a hope of getting near the par score of around 180.
Root's fifty was so important, but his dismissal was frustrating
He would be even more key as England lost Stokes. Darren Bravo found the 5th wicket, a relatively short ball was poorly played into the air and the depth of England's batting order was going to be tested. It was going to have an even bigger test as Moeen was gone two balls later. After a swing and a miss, he gloved Bravo to Ramdin and England were going to have to play exceptionally well in the last six overs.
England were virtually done for at the start of the very next over. Nelson struck as Root attempted to loft and find the back boundary, but it fell woefully short and England had lost their best player and 3 wickets for one run. England needed a miracle to set a total that would cause the Windies any kind of trouble with their chase.
Moeen and Root were gone, England were in free-fall.
England had 115-7 with 5 overs left. They had been the most potent team in this period but hadn't had rarely had Jordan and Willey at the crease. It was torturous, England had hit a wall and were trapped, delivery by delivery it was becoming an increasingly easy task for the West Indies batsmen.
David Willey's late cameo gave England hope
Willey began to take off, hopes were raised again, but they were shot down again, agonisingly. After beating the rope a few times he fell short and was caught by Johnson Charles. Braithwaite completed another impressive over to round off a fine spell. What could England do in the next 2 overs?
They managed to finish on 155-9. It was the highest target set in a final in the tournament's history and England had done well to recover from 23-3 and 111-7 but there was a sense of what could have been, had they not been destroyed in the first 2 overs and had Stokes and Root not got out in such soft circumstances. It was West Indies game to lose after a very impressive bowling display. England were well short of where they needed to be.
Could England exploit the cracks in the Windies batting? Or were the Windies power hitters going to make a mockery of the English total?
Willey bowled the first and conceded just one off it, Root was set to bowl the second. He needed a big start, and got one, Johnson Charles was gone in his very first ball playing the ball up into the air and it was caught by Stokes. The second saw Gayle chip one up and England almost had another. That went for four but the next one was out again. Gayle played it into the sky, Stokes was underneath it again. It was a carbon copy of the first wicket, and a while the last 2 balls saw 5 runs, the decision to put Root on was inspired, England were right back in this game.
Root's sensational first over was a huge momentum shift, as he celebrates dismissing Gayle
England were showing their die-hard spirit, and very soon had a third wicket, David Willey next, swinging the ball back into Lendl Simmons. It hit his leg and was going straight for middle stump. The umpire gave it and rampant England were in full control. The West Indies had stopped dancing, the belief was growing. Samuels and Bravo, who had struggled in this tournament, needed to put together a partnership as good, if not better than the one that Root and Buttler had managed to produce.
Willey Appeals for the wicket of Lendl Simmons
Jordan and Plunkett bowled good overs and England had the Windies 21-3 with only one powerplay over left. It proved to be a vital one for the Windies though. Short and Wide bowling from Jordan allowed the Windies 14 off the first 4 balls. 16 came from it and an excellent over had got the Windies back on track.
Dramatically, it seemed England had their fourth as Samuels edged to Buttler but the ball clearly didn't carry to him and after a review, Samuels was back. Plunkett finished strongly though, and Rashid was on. Both of them helped to see out a very good first 10 overs, conceding just 17 from the next 4. The West Indies would need to treble their score in the next 10 overs, Stokes was on.
England were applying more pressure, Rashid and Stokes were preventing a West Indies surge. The Windies just couldn't get themselves going, fours were coming at a premium, let alone sixes. The sense was though, that the power of the West Indies would be incredibly dangerous in the last 5 overs and a wicket was needed. It almost came in the 13th, twice. Firstly, Bravo swept Stokes into the leg side and Billings came running across, he very slightly overran the catch and after slipping, he couldn't hold on to it and the ball ran away for four. The next one he raced for a quick single and had Joe Root's throw been a direct hit, then England would be celebrating a fourth.
Billings' missed an important chance to end Bravo's day
But they were in the very next over, Simmons hit Rashid for six of one wrong-un, but in the last ball of the over, Simmons was caught as he sent the ball straight into the air and into the hands of the Root, who just couldn't keep himself out of the action. It was a nice wicket, but with Andre Russell in, the importance wasn't necessarily as much as it seemed.
And it was proved to be unimportant as Plunkett's last over went for a disastrous 18, with Samuels finding 2 sixes at the end of it, he was becoming very dangerous and England needed to get him out. His performance was extraordinary, given how much he had struggled in the tournament, with him on 67 from 51 and the dangerman Russell in, England were in trouble with the Windies needing 52 from 30.
Samuels ramped the pace up after the re-building had been complete
Willey was back, and with a bang, Russell attempted to smash him into the leg-side and was soon heading back to the pavilion after an athletic take from Stokes, who savoured what seemed a key moment. There was soon another, Captain Sammy, who has scored next to no runs and barely bowled lofted it straight to Alex Hales who took an incredibly relaxed, simple catch. It was all on the shoulders of Marlon Samuels. The West Indies needed 45 off the last four, Jordan was on.
Willey pulled out the "Champion" dance as England were in a very good position
Over 17 saw just one four but England had missed a chance. As Samuels went for an urgent quick single to ensure the strike for the next over, Hales through it in for a run-out, it looked on target, but Jordan's attempt to flick it on to the stumps diverted it away. 38 needed from 3. Willey was back, the Windies continued to score only through singles and twos and only thanks to brilliant running, where were the boundaries going to come? The first they needed, came off the final ball, Carlos Brathwaite audaciously flicked the ball back over the wicket keepers head for the back boundary. Now they needed 27 from 12, Samuels was on strike, Jordan was bowling.
The first of the penultimate over went for 4 as he fired it straight to the boundary at long off. He played there again but only found a single, 22 needed off 10. It was anyone's, but all they could manage of the rest of it was 3 singles and a dot after some excellent yorkers and incredible composure. The time had come, Stokes was on at the end again, The Windies needed 19 runs from 6 deliveries. This was it...
The first went for six, the giant Brathwaite finding the short part of the boundary on the leg side.
The second went for six, Brathwaite again over the rope, into the leg side over Stokes's head.
The third went for six, Brathwaite this time into the offside and smashed it miles.
The fourth went for six, in a similar spot to the second, England's dream was broken, Brathwaite had smashed Stokes out the park not once, twice, three times, but four times in a row. Stokes, whose death bowling has saved England so many times, had been destroyed and not even by too much fault of his own. The West Indies were World Champions for the second time and a phenomenal England performance in the field just hadn't been enough. Samuels sensational, Brathwaite brutal, Windies winners.
Brathwaite tore Stokes and England's dream apart in four balls
Photos: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-3521226/England-vs-West-Indies-T20-World-Cup-final-cricket-score-LIVE-Follow-action-Eden-Gardens-Kolkata.html
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