West Indies NAT Season 53 Twenty-20 World Cup: Summaries
A grand look at this successful World T20 campaign from Dinanath Challenger, a 26yo debutant's experience.
A fateful Thursday a few weeks ago, the West Indian Management were put to task, deciding on the eighteen lads that would tour in the upcoming World Twenty-20. Two uncontracted lads were brought into the pool of players with Dinanath Challenger, plying his trades in South Africa and Leslie Babwah from the home land of West Indies being notified of the same. Friday, Dinanath Challenger and his manager had the confirmation that he'll be heading to the World Twenty-20 and making his debut. He was replacing a veteran in the squad, surpassing Gregory Farquharson for the spot of the left-arm quick. His captaincy was one of the big factors in his selection, as his observant skills and nifty field placements were a glory to behold.
Challenger finished his season with his club off in some style, leading his troops with a fifer and helping them clinch a promotion to Division 1 in what has statistically been a tough country to go up the leagues in. In time that some play a few exhibition games, some have a rest and some have backups tested, Challenger was a part of the most grueling competition. A West Indian legend Colin Oscopy, also a part of the touring side, presented Challenger with the cap on Saturday and there was a chill in the air as the legend who had crossed thirty this week knew he was passing the baton onto the next lead quick and skipper. On Sunday, a day before the tournament opener against Sri Lanka, Challenger was informed he'd be starting and he'd be leading the lads in the first World Cup game for the Windies. He was welcomed to a flat deck that had absolutely nothing in it with a lost toss that meant that West Indies were bowling first.
match 6387348 against Sri Lanka- Sunny/Flat
Challenger took the new ball for himself. Bowling to right-handed bat Chandra Meniga, he attempted to get a bit of away swing going ball-one but the conditions provided him no help and Meniga helped himself to a splendid cover drive that'd have been a four if not for Stephen Patrick diving his way in. His first spell did not see him get any help but Stephen Patrick picked up a couple wickets inside the powerplay and West Indies got the ball rolling. The next star of the day was Abdul Hakim Murad. There is a lot to Murad outside of the 'Jason Hislop' realm. Hislop, an absolute legend in the Windies circuits had always spoke highly of Murad, his wristy ability to get the ball to move both ways and his love for the scrambled seam. Both coming from a highly acclaimed West Indies Manager in 'verdi', Murad came into the National Side bearing a weight of the Hislop tag. Safe to say, he showcased that he did not take the pressure. West Indies bowled very well to restrict Sri Lanka to 146 as Challenger picked his first wicket with a splendid yorker to get rid of danger man Douglas van der Straaten. The chase went by smoothly with runs aplenty for Michael Seaforth and William Philip.
match 6387349 against United Arab Emirates- Cloudy/Crumbling
A second lost toss and West Indies were put into bat. Cecil Griffith appeared to be the only source of hope with five-boundary 45 from 41 balls dragging the Windies score to a 110, a score that seemed a fair bit under par on just the second day of the tournament. There was a worry in the atmosphere and that is where skipper Colin Oscopy shines. He comes in and knocks 2 wickets inside the first five balls and there is a rejuvenation all of a sudden. There is no longer a deflation in the West Indian spirit as they kept taking risks in the eyes of a brewing Emirati partnership and Eldine Jones was the one who reaped the rewards when Al Capone tried to play a cheeky paddle over leg slip. Wristy extraordinaire Don Carlo Gambino nipped two in two balls, and UAE were reduced to 58/5, needing 53 more in 48 balls. Ordelmo Watt, the tall lad from Antigua who recently made a headlining million-dollar transfer into Ireland was the next of the lot to pick a wicket. Akil Dhul was impressing still and had the equation reduced to 12 from 18 balls with a couple boundaries, 4 wickets in hand. Pressure was building and stomachs were gurgling, and Colin Oscopy delivered, 2 wickets in 2 balls and the game was back alive. The old-ball expert that is Abdul Hakim Murad cleaned the tail off with ease.
match 6387355 against Australia- Cloudy/Uneven
There is something about the Aussies, there is an air of invincibility about them. They always remain the side to beat. The top lads of the game have come from the Aussies and they remain a side that know how to not lose. They'll come back from situations where you thought you had them buried, says Dinanath Challenger, as he was able to march the troops into yet another game, leading the side yet again, and leading one of his idols in Colin Oscopy. It is always a big game against the Aussies, Challenger quipped at the toss as he was asked to bowl first. Colin Oscopy took the new ball and started with a wicket maiden and there is something about the first wicket, you look like you have an inroads, a chink in the armor and you go through. Keeper-Captain Clancy Bouvier bought the Aussies upto a 116 with a contribution of 46 after they were reduced to 21/4 early in the game. Challenger, bringing himself in as the fifth change, returned with 2 key wickets as he had his pleasure bowling at a surface with a bit more help than what he had against the Lankans. 117 needed, Ryan Shallow and Nizam al-Mulk started things off, as West Indies kept running their tournament on the back of more 'verdi' lads. William Linton added 34 at the back end with a strike rate of 136, smacking the spinner in the death to take the West Indies up 3-nil.
match 6387362 against New Zealand- Cloudy/Dry
This was the game to worry about, for more reasons than the apparent ones. It was ofcourse a straight qualifier into the semi-finals for whichever of the two sides took the win. But it was the game where West Indies had planned to throw Dwayne Maynard into the deep end as the semi-regular skipper was tasked with a World Cup game with the team opting for balance and sitting both Challenger and Oscopy out. It was also a game against the Kiwis, a side against which the West Indies side has a rather sorry record. Maynard won the toss and put the Kiwis into bat. The bowling did not make a lot of mistakes, with all but wristie Gambino returning with a wicket. All-rounder Hika Buttsworth at the end unfortunately did take the Kiwi total to 108, which just went a little out of reach on a surface that was providing splendid help for the spinners and the seamers weren't having a massive bother of it either. What followed was one of the worst hours of cricket for the side in maroon. William Philip edged Sa'u to gully in the fourteenth ball of the game, and the first man fell. William Linton and Cecil Griffith showed some technique and the two top-scored with 25 and 13 as the nine other lads returned to the pavilion with single figures in a shambolic 71 all out and a mammoth 37 run loss that had allowed the Lankans to pip us on net run rate despite being a win short of us.
match 6387356 against Netherlands- Sunny/Crumbling
If West Indies lost to the Dutch and the Emiratis failed to beat the Lankans, West Indies would've lost their spot in the semis. There was an air of pressure floating around, and skipper Colin Oscopy cherished it. He cherished every bit of this game, the pressure, the captaincy, and the opponents- the Dutch. He has had an absolute love for the Dutch side having picked 39 wickets in the rivalry against them. He picked up a couple in the powerplay whilst Abdul Hakim Murad's direct hit led to a splendid runout and the Dutch had their top three back in the den. Things got going for the Dutch every now and then, but the West Indian lads kept chipping away at 'em as well, with Gambino picking a couple, Oscopy picking his third, and Murad running through the side with a 3/5 that won him the Player of the Match award. The chase starred the usual suspects with Ryan Shallow and Nizam al-Mulk partnering in a 46 run opening stand. West Indies were through to the semi-finals of a marquee tournament, the first such since the fateful loss in the finals to India all those seasons ago in the World Twenty-20. After missing out on the last iteration of this competition, there was a roar in the West Indian side, and the lads had done splendidly thus far and had a Kenyan challenge awaiting them next.
Semi-Finals: match 6486584 against Kenya- Sunny/Sticky
We're back to Dinanath Challenger now. A 26yo debutant that was now tasked with leading his country in the semi-finals of this marquee tournament. Challenger in the post-match interview pointed out that there was a bit more of a calmness within himself and the group now after this game that had been one of the most memorable thrillers one could go on and witness. The Kenyan top five returned to the hut for single figures after Oswald Cornwall started with a wicket on ball one. Kenya were 27/5 at the end of seven, West Indies had a position seemingly on top, the game was theirs, and they let go. This was a new experience for Challenger at the highest level. The Kenyan lower-order of Benson Kibet and Mitch Wallis breathed life back into the game and Kibet, who scored a game-topping 31 took the Kenyan total to 89 as the West Indian unit returned dejected, unable to get the Kenyan side all out. There was despair in the side, as the pitch was an absolute horrid nightmare to bat on and letting loose of the control they had in the second half of the innings could cause West Indies a world of hurt.
The first of Kenya's three quicks, Andrew wa Kamamia started with a ball hitting the middle stump between southpaw Shallow's bat and pad if not for him hurriedly bringing his bat down. Shallow edged one boundary over the slips and the commentary team quipped, they'll take what they can get out there, any mistake could bring a batter's end on the swamp of a pitch. The first wicket to fall was off an inswinger by wa Kamamia that knocked off al-Mulk's middle stump off. Hero with the bat, Benson Kibet was introduced in the sixth over and got rid of William Linton immediately. The lad was doing no wrong. Chesney Persaud and Ryan Shallow have been two bats that hold a high acclaim in the West Indian circuits and the Kenyan spinners picking the two apart inside three balls had West Indies in a solid deal of trouble. 35/4 after ten, needing 55 to win off 60 balls, the West Indian dugout was filled with heads buried inside of their palms. Lear Humphreys breathed a bit of spirit back with a beautiful flick for a four but it was Walter Frederick who decided to take the charge against Benson Kibet that brought the Maroon section of the crowd alive. Frederick smacked Kibet for three fours in a row, the first being a drive over covers off a straighter one, the next being him paddling an off-spinner behind the keeper and the third, a reverse sweep to a fuller one, playing against the turn and through the men at point and third man. Humphreys edged another four off of Menza the next over, as despite losing Frederick to Menza, West Indies had hope, needing just 20 runs to win in six overs, with Humphreys on one end and Oswald Cornwall on the other. Coming like an absolute wrecking ball, Zakayo Mac Oyuga ran through both of them in consecutive balls. 74/7, 16 needed off 30 balls, 3 wickets in hand. Benson Kibet looped one in the air to the new bat Abdul Hakim Murad. It was an absolute gift and Murad took his chances and looked for a six over long-on but he was caught in the deep and now West Indies were left with just their tailenders, needing 16 from 29 balls, 2 wickets in hand. One end, captain Dinanath Challenger, the other, Dwayne Maynard, a lad who has more injuries trying to bat in the nets than you'd imagine, 'trying' being a keyword. wa Kamamia was in for his fourth, Challenger took a single ball one. 14 now needed from 23 balls. Maynard left the next one that just missed the off stump. He defended anything else that was close to his stumps, leaving the wayward stuff. After 4 dots, it was 14 needed from 19 balls and Maynard gets an edge on one that is moving away from him, but as the lords would have it, the edge pierced the keeper and first slip and went to the fence. 10 runs needed from 18 balls and it was the Kenyan legend Obadaiah Menza on his fourth. He bowls a googly that came in from the fourth stump line to leg stump but a wild heave from Challenger saw it race to the fielder at deep square leg, who committed an error and let it through for a painful four for the Kenyans, the West Indian camp was ecstatic. 6 needed, 2 wickets in hand. Challenger played Menza to third man and ran a single. Maynard plays a straighter one from Menza straight to mid-off and takes off. Last ball for Menza, West Indies need four to win and an absolute gem from Menza came in as he pitched one on off that took the edge of Challenger's defence and landed in Wallis' palms.
4 needed to win, West Indies have Dwayne Maynard on strike and Stephen Patrick on the other end. The atmosphere was nail-biting as left-arm quick Mosi wa Irungu ran in and bowled a good length delivery that hit Maynard's hips and went past the keeper. The numbers 10 and 11 stole two off leg-byes. Two to win, one wicket in hand. Maynard defending a yorker with absolute conviction. Ball three, Maynard playing wa Irungu to square leg by walking down and making the yorker a full toss and levelling the scores. Who else on strike, but the biggest West Indian star in recent history, Stephen Patrick. He had been showcasing what he could with the bat for his club off late and he had his chance here. One needed to win, a tie meant that the Kenyans took the win, and he faces a yorker from a steaming wa Irungu. He brings his bat down, deflects that one toward fine leg and starts running, unaware where the ball went. Maynard had stolen a couple steps and had his run easy but Patrick was dealing against a ticking clock as he dove in to the non-strikers end right before the ball reached wa Irungu from the player at fine leg. There were roars in the crowd, the West Indian team had done it and they were through to the finals, in a fixture that'll remain etched in the history books.
Finals: match 6486619- against New Zealand- Sunny/Green
Ofcourse its a green, yelled the West Indian Manager. A well documented hate for mediums has meant that West Indies were now heading into the finals and had no medium pacers on a green deck, one that'll potentially see them get a fair bit of movement. West Indies yet again handed captaincy to the protagonist, Dinanath Challenger, and they went in with five seamers. Kiwis picked four seamers and a singular spinner, with a medium pacer in there. Ces Gooden and Cade Dooland opened for the Kiwis and Colin Oscopy had the new ball. You know the drill by now, the 'C' that won this battle amongst the three was Colin, breaching through Cade's defense five balls into the game. Colin Oscopy picked two in the powerplay and three in the game and for the umpteenth time was the West Indian hero with the ball. A tough one to be Challenger, having to lead him and learn from the master. Ces Gooden scored a magnificent forty whilst Corey Moses and William Whitlow's thirties took the Kiwi score to a 148, after Ordelmo Watt and Challenger himself showcased some smart display with the ball at the death. Still onboard was a total that could lead to a pretty difficult chase.
William Linton took strike ball one and almost as if he felt the medo hatred through from the manager, he tonked Bryce Gard for a six. He was out two balls later, but the six was a small step toward the requisite 149. Star of the tournament with the bat thus far for the Windies had been Cecil Griffith and it was when Wilfred Sa'u got rid of him that the worries started to seep in. 34/2 inside the powerplay, the West Indies need their driver to not be asleep at the wheel, as Chesney Persaud, who had 10 runs in 22 balls thus far to his name in tournament needed to play a blinder. On the other hand was Michael Seaforth, a guy who knew he might on his last international assignment, trying to make the most of it. The two southpaws combined in a marvelous 111 run stand and took the Windies side within 4 runs of the target with 4 balls to go when Seaforth was caught at square leg off of Hika Buttsworth. Persaud flicked a single, new man in William Philip stroked one to mid-on for a single and Persaud played a dot on the penultimate ball. Somehow, the drama was still there. 2 needed from the final ball, the man of the moment, Chesney Persaud on strike on 70, Buttsworth with the ball, one to tie and win a World Cup on wicket count
(against the kiwis at that), two to win and Persaud slogs one over long on and deep into tier three of the stands and holds the pose for the cameras. He had done it, West Indies were the World Twenty-20 Champions! Persaud picking his form up at the right stage won the Player of the Match award for the finals!
Statistics
Colin Oscopy finished the World Cup with eleven wickets, which was the highest across the tournament. Stephen Patrick and Abdul Hakim Murad had 10 and 9 to their name as well. Michael Seaforth and Cecil Griffith finished with over a 100 runs and as the most successful Windies bats. Seaforth also managed 7 catches and a stumping behind the stumps!
Pretty elated about the World T20, and as always a massive thank you for letting me tour your lads. A massive thank you and appreciation toward Bustergut for his help as ever. Thank you to the assistants Maddog and verdi for their help whenever needed. And a definite thank you to the Windies community!
We'll look continue this performance next season as we have a Division 3 One Day tour coming up that we need to win to ensure qualification for that marquee tournament. Cheers:)