Shai Hope smashed eight sixes on his way to a 39-ball 82* as West Indies made mincemeat of USA’s total of 128. This came after Roston Chase and Andre Russell picked three wickets each to deny USA a competitive total after their steady start in the PowerPlay. USA lost their way from there and never recovered as West Indies galloped to a big, NRR-boosting victory that pushed them up to second ahead of England in the Super-8s table.
Where was the game won?
In the end, USA were inferior in every department but the stark difference came in the middle overs where they lost as many as five wickets. West Indies meanwhile, raced away in this phase after setting themselves up with a fiery PowerPlay.
The middle-overs difference
| Parameters | USA | West Indies |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 47/5 | 72/1 |
| 4s/6s | 1/1 | 1/8 |
| Run rate | 5.23 | 14.89 |
USA
PowerPlay: Gous, Nitish eye swift recovery after Taylor’s exit
Phase score – 48/1 [RR: 8.00, 4s/6s: 5/1]
US were off to a shaky start after Akeal Hosein kept them down to just three singles in the first over and Andre Russell found the early breakthrough in the second over – getting Steven Taylor caught at backward point. Nitish Kumar decided to find the release against Obed McCoy, who interestingly was instantly impactful when he came on to bowl against Afghanistan a few days earlier. Nitish went inside out over cover, and swung to find the mid-wicket boundary in a 12-run fourth over. Rovman Powell immediately replaced him with Alzarri Joseph, who too was taken apart, in the final over of the PowerPlay conceding 16 runs. Andries Gous took his T20 World Cup 2024 tally past 200 – and that of Nicholas Pooran to the top of the batting charts for the tournament, temporarily. He also earned a reprieve when a thick outside edge flew to the right of the short third fielder, who put in the dive but couldn’t hold on.
Middle-overs: Chase’s three-fer rattles US
Phase score – 47/5 [RR: 5.23, 4s/6s: 1/1]
Gudakesh Motie put a dent in USA’s recovery as he trapped Nitish leg before on the second ball after PowerPlay. Captain Aaron Jones walked out spelling more misery for Joseph, tonking him for a six on the roof in his second over. Joseph however, hit back with the wicket of Gous – caught at midwicket. US stuttered further through the middle as Roston Chase arrived and took out Jones on his first delivery, leaving USA four down for 65 in the 10th over. Milind Kumar and Corey Anderson attempted a slow recovery but Chase put an end to that in a double-wicket over. He first had Anderson trapped leg before and then tossed one up to get Harmeet Singh caught at backward point off a leading edge.
Death-overs: Russell bags three as USA fold
Phase score – 32/5 [RR: 6.40, 4s/6s: 4/1]
The downward trajectory of USA’s innings continued as they folded for 128 in the final over. Even the 32 runs that came at the death were largely down to one explosive over – off Andre Russell, which fetched 15 runs. Milind and Shadley van Schalkwyk combined to push USA past the 100-run mark in the 16th over before both departed in the space of three deliveries in an eventful 18th over. Ali Khan walked out and tonked a six down the ground and followed it up with a four. Ali Khan’s exploits had to end on 14* off 6 as USA lost their last two wickets at the other end. Russell put the finishing touches, taking his T20 World Cups wickets tally to 27 – the joint-best for West Indies with Dwayne Bravo.
West Indies
PowerPlay: Flying start for hosts in small chase
Phase score – 58/0 [9.67, 4s/6s: 6/3]
Saurabh Netravalkar bowled a tight first over but the West Indian carnage began right after when Shai Hope carted left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige for a six over deep midwicket. That was the first of eight sixes Hope would go on to smash in his 39-ball unbeaten essay. He then went after Netravalkar, Ali Khan and Schalkwyk while Johnson Charles enjoyed from the best viewing deck – the non-striker’s end, occasionally chipping in with a boundary. By the end of the PowerPlay, Hope raced away to 42 off 23 and USA were no closer to a breakthrough.
Middle-overs: Hope, Pooran carnage hastens WI’s win
Phase score – 72/1 [RR: 14.89, 4s/6s: 1/8]
Hope quickly got to his fifty and continued to throw his bat around for quick runs, even as Harmeet Singh earned USA a much-needed breakthrough with the wicket of Charles. That wicket however, was the only wicket they would pick and was a mere consolation as Nicholas Pooran walked out with the same murderous intent as Hope. Hope meanwhile found another gear to his carnage, smashing three successive sixes of Milind – in the ‘V’, one over mid-wicket and another over extra cover – in a 22-run over. Pooran gave Hope a break by doing the damage himself in the following over off Schalkwyk, getting 13 off it to push West Indies past the 100-run mark. Three sixes in four deliveries in the 11th over – from Netravalkar – then brought a swift end to the chase with two coming off Pooran’s bat and the last – fittingly – off Hope’s.
Brief Scores: USA 128 in 19.5 overs (Andries Gous 29; Roston Chase 3-19, Andre Russell 3-31) lost to West Indies 130/1 in 10.5 overs (Shai Hope 82*, Nicholas Pooran 27*) by 9 wickets
What next?
West Indies head to Antigua where they host South Africa, who are unbeaten in the tournament, on June 24. United States remain in Barbados where they play England on June 23.
