Adil Rashid’s four-wicket haul helped Eoin Morgan’s England beat defending champions West Indies in their first Super 12 game here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Saturday. England reduced West Indies to 55 in 14.2 overs with Rashid taking 4 wickets and Moeen Ali and Tymal Mills taking two wicket each. Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan also chipped in with one wicket each.
For West Indies, Chris Gayle was the highest run-scorer with 13 runs to his name in 13 balls with 3 boundaries in it. All the other 10 batsmen failed to score double-digit. Two Windies batters scored ducks in the innings.
Chasing a small target of 56 runs. England got off to a bad start as Jason Roy was sent back by Ravi Rampaul in the 4th over on 11 runs in 10 balls. Jonny Bairstow was promoted up the order by Eoin Morgan in order to finish the game as early as possible to get the advantage of Net Run Rate. However, the plan backfired as get was dismissed in the very next over by Akeal Hosein. The left-arm spinner took a simple catch on his own bowling to remove Bairstow.
England lost two more wickets during their chase as Moeen Ali was run out while Liam Livingstone got dismissed as Akeal Hosein took a catch off his own bowling in the seventh over. In the end, Buttler and Morgan made sure England don’t suffer any further hiccups as the side cruised to victory in the ninth over.
Earlier, put in to bat first, West Indies got off to a bad start that only worsened as the game progressed. West Indies lost three wickets in the first five overs as England bowlers came firing on cylinders.
The Kieron Pollard-led kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were soon found reeling at 44/7 in the 11th over. West Indies had some hopes from Pollard and Russell but the duo also met the same fate as the side was folded for 55/10 in 14.2 overs.
Earlier in the day, Australia kickstarted the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup 2021 with a nervy five-wicket victory over South Africa in a low-scoring contest in Abu Dhabi.
West Indies (Playing XI): Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran(w), Kieron Pollard(c), Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Akeal Hosein, Obed McCoy, Ravi Rampaul
England (Playing XI): Jos Buttler(w), Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan(c), Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills
England have won the toss and opted to field in Dubai 🏏 #T20WorldCup #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/WqxRP9MF5i
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 23, 2021
