Windies knock out Aussies in a canter
Columnist By David Lord, 6 Oct 2012 David Lord is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, T20, Twenty20, West Indies cricket
West Indies cricketer Ravi Rampaul (R) and captain Darren Sammy (L). AFP PHOTO/ LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI
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Calypso cricket is back with a vengeance on the back of Chris Gayle as the Windies cruised into the ICC World Twenty20 final after thumping Australia by 74 runs in Colombo last night.
Despite a groin injury, the 33-year-old Gayle was both masterful and majestic as he mauled the Australian attack to crack an unbeaten 74 off only 41 deliveries with five boundaries and six massive sixes.
Batting right through the innings, Gayle only faced a third of the strike, yet made the most of every opportunity.
But for the Windies to amass 3-205, Gayle needed powerful partners-in-crime, and he got just that through Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, and Kieron Pollard: Samuels’ 26 off 20, with two boundaries and two sixes, Bravo’s 37 off 31, with one boundary and three sixes, and especially Pollard’s 38 off 15, with three fours and three sixes.
In the end, the Windies pounded 13 boundaries, and 14 sixes, with superb clean hitting, and no Australian bowler was spared.
Mitchell Starc went for 8 an over, Watson for 8.5, Pat Cummins for 9, Brad Hogg for 7, and David Hussey for 11.
You couldn’t help but feel sorry for left arm orhtodox Xavier Doherty who had to bowl the 20th over with 0-23 against his name off just two.
The inevitable happended: Ball 1 (Gayle six), Ball 2 (Gayle single) Ball 3 (Pollard six) Ball 4 (Pollard six) Ball 5 (Pollard six), and Pollard was caught by David Warner at deep straight hit off the final delivery.
Doherty finished with 1-48 off three, with 25 plundered off that final over.
Chasing 206 for victory at 10.3 runs an over, the cause was crucified very quickly.
When Warner went for 1 in the first over, Mike Hussey for 17 in the third, Shane Watson for 5 in the fourth, Cameron White for 5 in sixth, David Hussey for a duck two balls later, and Matt Wade for 1 in the seventh, it was all over bar the shouting at 6-43.
It was left to skipper George Bailey to play a lone hand of substance by smashing 63 off only 29 with six fours and four sixes – the only majors by the Australians.
It wasn’t easy watching the Australians being so savagely treated, but the Windies batting was out of this world and had to be admired.
And they backed it up with steady wicket-taking bowling to warm up for the final against host nation Sri Lanka on Sunday.
The final should be a cracker of a game, with the two best and most exciting teams reaching the decider.
The big-hitting clash between Chris Gayle and Kumar Sangakkara would be worth the admission price alone.
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- Australian Cricket, Cricket, T20, Twenty20, West Indies cricket
October 6th 2012 @ 5:30am
Matt said | October 6th 2012 @ 5:30am | Report comment
When Watson doesn’t fire there is no team
October 6th 2012 @ 6:23am
Rabbitz said | October 6th 2012 @ 6:23am | Report comment
Now that IS funny.
Although I would have had a different headline “Windies humble Watson”. The others don’t appear to bring anything to the table.
October 6th 2012 @ 7:42am
David Lord said | October 6th 2012 @ 7:42am | Report comment
Matt and Rabbitz, sure Shane Watson topped the tournament run-getters with 249 at 49.80, with a strike rate of 150. But you are not giving Mike Hussey his due batting at 3, topping the tournament averages with 77.50, and a strike rate of 123. The rest of the Australian batting just made up the numbers as you suggest.
October 6th 2012 @ 8:02am
Rabbitz said | October 6th 2012 @ 8:02am | Report comment
Point well made.
“Windies humble Watson, Hussey and the Also-Rans”
October 6th 2012 @ 6:54am
formeropenside said | October 6th 2012 @ 6:54am | Report comment
What is a “major”, or for that matter, a “maximum”?
October 6th 2012 @ 7:26am
David Lord said | October 6th 2012 @ 7:26am | Report comment
Six.
October 6th 2012 @ 8:17am
Rabbitz said | October 6th 2012 @ 8:17am | Report comment
A Maximum? Really? I guess only a “batter” would stop at six…
A Batsman would keep going.
After a quick look I found two instances of ten runs being scored off a single ball;
A N Hornby for Lancashire against Surrey at the Oval in 1873,
S H Hill-Wood for Derbyshire against MCC at Lord’s in 1900.
Apparently there have been twelve occurrences of a Batsman scoring nine off a ball, the last by Bill Edrich in 1949.
Most of the instances of nine or ten being scored of one ball have been with the benefit of overthrows or penalty runs, except the Hon. F G B Ponsonby who ran all of his nine runs for the MCC against Cambridge University in 1842. I can only guess that the fielders were a bit more tardy in the days of yore.
October 6th 2012 @ 8:11am
Swampy said | October 6th 2012 @ 8:11am | Report comment
So so many calling for David Hussey to be included. It was a strange decision to finally bow to the pressure in the semi.
Can’t say D.Hussey contributed a great deal.
If you look at Gayle, Pollard and Samuels I think you can see the future of T20 cricket batting. Not unlike baseball’s DH’s they are monsters and even miss hits can clear the fence.
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October 6th 2012 @ 8:37am
Chris said | October 6th 2012 @ 8:37am | Report comment
The 5’6 Mahela Jayawardene and the 5’7 Brendan McCullum seem to have held their own in this tournament.
October 6th 2012 @ 8:58am
Arthur Fonzarelli said | October 6th 2012 @ 8:58am | Report comment
Why X Doherty was chosen to bowl the last over is beyond me. He had already taken stick and was bowling to 2 brutes. Very lucky Pollard mishit the last one or it would have been 31 off the over.
October 6th 2012 @ 11:30am
Disco said | October 6th 2012 @ 11:30am | Report comment
Don’t forget this is the same ‘X’ that the brains trust thought was a Test-standard spinner; he’s clearly a bloke they love to have around the group.
October 6th 2012 @ 10:11am
Atawhai Drive said | October 6th 2012 @ 10:11am | Report comment
‘Calypso cricket’.
Haven’t heard that one for decades.
Never expected to hear it again.
October 6th 2012 @ 10:29am
Coxinator said | October 6th 2012 @ 10:29am | Report comment
This was the first match of the tournament and I was shocked at the poor standard of the Australians play in general.
Misfielding regularly, poor bowling and errant striking. Furthermore, how are Doherty, White and Dave Hussey in the team? Are we that short of options?
Doherty was facing two monster hitters but bowled two full tosses in that final over. Strange Captaincy decision to bowl him that final over too.
Probably the biggest shock though was seeing Dave Warner fail to match Marlon Samuels’ aggression before the first ball of our innings. His passive body language said it all.
Now I understand how much this team Is carried by just a couple of players and no firm leader.
October 6th 2012 @ 11:10am
dcnz said | October 6th 2012 @ 11:10am | Report comment
They should have taken Finch, Quiney and Coulter-Nile.
October 6th 2012 @ 1:14pm
Bob said | October 6th 2012 @ 1:14pm | Report comment
Add Travis Burt to that list- Harris from SA would have been handy too.
October 6th 2012 @ 3:50pm
Swampy said | October 6th 2012 @ 3:50pm | Report comment
Yes Travis Birt. God what has he done wrong.
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October 6th 2012 @ 6:33pm
Rory said | October 6th 2012 @ 6:33pm | Report comment
Why are you still bothering with Doherty anyway? He was picked in desperation in the last ashes and it didn’t work out. You’re better off picking a new club spinner for each game as you did in that series, than sticking with XD.
That being said, considering that aus were ranked below Ireland going into this tournament, they have done well to get to the semis