S Poddar
West Indies cricket team has been dominating the ongoing T20 series against England and, in the fourth T20I at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia, they gained a thrilling five-wicket win.
The match was a feast of six-hitting, with both teams showcasing such extraordinary power-hitting, especially England batting first, amassing a formidable total of 218 runs owing to half-centuries from Phil Salt and Jacob Bethell. West Indies batsmen were not in the mood to be denied as they chased down the target with an over to spare.
That explosive opening stand of 136 runs between Evin Lewis and Shai Hope formed the core of the West Indies chase. They have created the platform on which the rest of the innings was forged. Lewis was particularly devastating, scoring 68 off just 31 balls. Hope scored a quicker 54 too.
The game was a rollercoaster of emotions, with momentum sliding both ways. It was a slow affair initially; West Indies exploded into life while scoring 131 runs in only seven overs. But a late collapse threatened to derail their chase. They lost three wickets in three overs.
But the West Indies did calm their nerves down, and Sherfane Rutherford finished the game the style way with two successive sixes to win the match for West Indies.
It was badly required as West Indies had lost the first three matches of the series. This match showed the team had it in themselves to compete with the finest cricketing teams in the world.
A Match for the Ages
That was a classic example of why T20 cricket is so popular: it was full of excitement, drama, and incredible skill. The fans in St Lucia were treated to a spectacle, and the players put on a show for the ages.
The West Indies won the game by showing their ability as well as their capacity to deliver in a tight spot. They would look forward to taking that momentum into the final game of the series, scheduled for Sunday.
