Day: October 23, 2021

Dubai, October 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):A ruthless bowling performance saw England get their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign off to a perfect start as they defeated the West Indies by six wickets in Dubai.

The rematch between the 2016 finalists was eagerly anticipated but proved almost as one-sided as that famous occasion in Kolkata had been dramatic, with the reigning champions subsiding to 55 all out – their second-lowest ever T20I score.

Spin twins Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid were the principal architects of West Indies’ downfall, the latter finishing with England’s best-ever T20I figures of four for two after Moeen had set the tone with two wickets and 18 dot balls in a miserly four-over spell.

The returning Tymal Mills, representing England for the first time since February 2017, chipped in with two scalps of his own including key man Chris Gayle, who was the only batter to make it into double figures.

Akeal Hosein caused problems for England’s powerful batting line-up in reply, taking two for 24, but the modest nature of the target restricted West Indies’ ability to apply real pressure and Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 24 steered the 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup winners home with more than half their overs remaining.

Having opted to bowl upon winning the toss, Morgan opened up with Moeen and the off-spinner was greeted by an early show of intent by Evin Lewis, who lofted the final ball of the first over for what would turn out to be the only six of the innings.

The England all-rounder had his revenge in the very next over, sprinting back from mid-off to take a fine catch when Lewis tried to repeat the trick off the bowling of Chris Woakes and found more height than distance.

Moeen went on to account for Lendl Simmons, who picked out Liam Livingstone on the deep midwicket boundary, to leave both openers back in the pavilion inside three overs.

Consecutive boundaries for Shimron Hetmyer injected some momentum into the innings at the start of the fifth over but Moeen again struck back as the left-hander chipped to Morgan at mid-on.

Such a situation called for experienced heads and in Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, both playing in their seventh ICC Men’s T20 World Cups, West Indies appeared to have just the men for the job.

But having struck three typically powerful boundaries, Gayle soon miscued a pull off Mills and was well caught by a backpedalling Dawid Malan off the final ball of the powerplay, which concluded with West Indies languishing on 31 for four.

The situation only grew more desperate from there with Bravo next to fall, flashing hard at Chris Jordan’s second delivery and succeeding only in finding Jonny Bairstow at backward point.

Mills and Jordan kept the pressure firmly applied in the middle overs, the former removing Nicholas Pooran for a single, and the return of spin paid instant dividends as Rashid’s first delivery cleaned up Andre Russell without scoring.

Captain Kieron Pollard was his side’s final hope of setting a challenging target but having initially been watchful as wickets fell around him, he took on Rashid at the start of the 13th over and provided Bairstow with a routine catch at long-on.

Obed McCoy fell in identical circumstances next ball and though last man Ravi Rampaul survived the hat-trick delivery, a heave in the leg-spinner’s next over saw him clean bowled as the innings was wrapped up with 5.4 overs left unused.

West Indies followed England’s lead in opening with a spinner but Buttler was quickly into the groove, driving Hosein through the covers for a boundary to get the chase going.

Roy was next to take the attack to the left-armer, clearing the ropes over extra cover, but was soon departing the fray after chipping a Ravi Rampaul slower ball to Gayle on 11.

It was Bairstow rather than Malan who walked out at number three and consecutive boundaries took England more than halfway towards their target inside four overs.

Then came a slight wobble as Hosein claimed return catches to remove Bairstow and Livingstone, the second of which was a stunning one-handed effort to his left, either side of Moeen being run out following a mix-up.

But captain Morgan joined Buttler to see his side over the finish line, the wicketkeeper pulling the winning runs to the mid-wicket boundary from the second ball of the ninth over.

Scores in Brief

England beat West Indies at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai by six wickets

West Indies 55 all out in 14.2 overs (Chris Gayle 13, Shimron Hetmyer 9; Adil Rashid 4/2, Moeen Ali 2/17, Tymal Mills 2/17)

England 56-4 in 8.2 overs (Jos Buttler 24 not out, Jason Roy 11; Akeal Hosein 2/24, Ravi Rampaul 1/14)

Player of the Match: Moeen Ali (England)

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, October 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):Kieron Pollard has urged his West Indies side to forget their dismal batting display against England and move on quickly as they seek to defend their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup crown.

Pollard was one of ten batters to fall for a single-figure score as his side were skittled for 55 in a rematch of the 2016 final, a score England needed just 8.2 overs to surpass as West Indies’ net run-rate took a sizable early dent.

The 34-year-old was honest about his side’s failings and expects to see a vast improvement in their remaining Group 1 fixtures, starting against South Africa on Tuesday.

“We didn’t bat well and it’s disappointing to start our tournament like that, being defending champions,” he said.

“But we have to accept it and take responsibility for what happened out there. We have to put this game to bed and move on.

“We just need to go back and look at the way we’ve performed and see if we can maybe find a medium as to how we approach it.

“It’s very important we forget a game like this. For us, it’s pretty simple – accept and move on.”

A West Indies side showing three survivors from the side which lifted the trophy for a second time five years ago were instantly up against it in Dubai, with both openers dismissed inside the first three overs.

Moeen Ali’s superb spell, which brought him two for 17 from four overs, kept the pressure on and there was no way back from 31 for four at the conclusion of the powerplay.

Pollard could at least take heart from a spirited display with the ball, Akeal Hosein taking two for 24, but admitted his side’s plans had been left in tatters following their performance with the bat.

“Obviously we lost a couple of wickets early on and we expected guys to bat a couple of overs, knock it around and see if we could set it up for the back end, but we kept losing wickets,” he said.

“It didn’t work today and these things happen. We have a plan of how we want to play, it didn’t come off today, but the intensity in the field for those 8.2 overs was good.

“Being bowled out for 50-odd as an international team is never acceptable but we’ll come back stronger.”

Adil Rashid was understandably more content with his afternoon’s work following a record-breaking spell with the ball.

The leg-spinner claimed four for two, England’s best ever T20I figures, to accelerate West Indies’ collapse but was quick to pay tribute to his fellow spinner and close friend Moeen for getting his side up and running.

“I don’t think we could have asked for a better start,” he said.

“As a bowling group, we bowled exceptionally well and everything went to plan.

“Moeen started off brilliantly, especially bowling four overs in a row. He kept it tight and picked up wickets as well. That really set the tone for the team.

“A lot of credit goes to him and the whole bowling unit for backing each other up.

“As a bowling unit, we know we have five or six matchwinners and on any given day anyone can come on and get wickets.

“We don’t want to look too far ahead and we’ll take it a game at a time. Whatever’s in front of us, we’ll play that.”

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, October 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):Much has been said about the power of England’s white-ball batting in recent years but it was the bowlers who came to the fore as West Indies were put to the sword in Dubai.

The pre-match debate centred around whether England would go batter or bowler-heavy with their selection and ultimately the decision was largely taken out of their hands, with Mark Wood and Tom Curran missing through minor knocks.

That meant extra bowling responsibilities for Moeen Ali, a task the all-rounder thrived upon.

Entrusted with four consecutive overs opening up, Ali more than repaid the faith of his captain Eoin Morgan and showed admirable character within his spell.

Hit for six by Evin Lewis at the end of his first over, Moeen responded with a superb catch on the run to see the back of the left-hander and then claimed the wicket of his opening partner Lendl Simmons.

Later, when Shimron Hetmyer managed to find gaps in the field for consecutive boundaries, back came Moeen once more, inducing a mis-timed pull which was comfortably taken by Morgan at mid-on.

In all, 18 of the 34-year-old’s 24 deliveries were dots and his sterling work was backed up by his fellow bowlers – not least Adil Rashid.

The pair’s effective dovetailing has been a central part of England’s white-ball renaissance under Morgan and Rashid was straight into the act here, clean bowling Andre Russell with a beauty before the powerful hitter had troubled the scorers and finishing with his country’s best ever T20I bowling figures – a barely-believable four for two.

But perhaps the most heart-warming tale came courtesy of Tymal Mills. Having been through injury hell since his last England appearance in February 2017 – Mills was in a back brace unable to run earlier this year – the left-arm seamer was ready to make up for lost time.

Jofra Archer’s bowling boots are big ones to fill but performances like this will see Mills become a more than able deputy for his county teammate and the roar which greeted his dismissal of Chris Gayle represented a release of four years of frustration.

A bowling unit are only as good as their fielders, of course, and England were largely faultless in that department.

Again it was Moeen setting the tone, sprinting back from mid-off to make a challenging catching opportunity off Lewis look simple, and Dawid Malan was equally composed under a skier to dismiss Gayle.

Malan, usually the batting anchor at number three, found his services not required as England shuffled the pack in their routine chase of 56 and having the MRF Tyres ICC World No.1 T20I batter carded at seven is the latest sign of the strength in depth at Morgan’s disposal.

That batting power will be far more severely tested as the tournament develops and, on the evidence of the wobble midway through the chase, would have been against West Indies had the target been in three figures.

But today was a day for England’s bowlers to take the plaudits and with speedster Wood waiting in the wings, Morgan will have some big decisions to make as his side navigate the remainder of their Group 1 fixtures.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com