PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels held their nerve in a one-over eliminator for West Indies to knock out New Zealand at the World Twenty20 yesterday.
Chasing 18 for victory, Gayle and Samuels both hit a six off Tim Southee as West Indies raced to 19-0 in five balls in the Super Eights match.
West Indies’ players ran onto the field and danced to celebrate their win straight after Samuels hit Southee for a six over midwicket for the winning runs.
New Zealand scored 17-0 in its Super Over, with captain Ross Taylor hitting a six and a four off Marlon Samuels’ offspin to go along with his 62 not out during the preceding 20 overs.
“Marlon Samuels is my ‘go to man’ in pressure situations. He’s suffering from a bad shoulder, so that’s why he doesn’t bowl more,” West Indies captain Darren Sammy said. “I think we’ll stay for a while after and watch the next game very closely.”
In the regulation game, New Zealand needed 14 off the last over after West Indies had been bowled out for 139.
Taylor scored 12 off Samuels’ first five deliveries before Doug Bracewell was run out by substitute fielder Dwayne Smith’s direct hit at the striker’s end on the last ball to also leave New Zealand on 139-7.
New Zealand also lost its first Group 1 match in a one-over eliminator, against Sri Lanka, and was beaten by England on Saturday.
“To score 18 off five balls is pretty awesome . . . that’s cricket and we’re going home now,” Taylor said. “We probably should have won it in normal time, but credit to West Indies.”
West Indies ended with four points from three matches, but has to wait for the outcome of the match between Sri Lanka and England later Monday to determine the semifinalists from the group.
Offspinner Sunil Narine turned the match on its head by giving away only three runs in the 19th over and getting rid of Nathan McCullum for 5 to finish with figures of 3-20.
Taylor held the innings together, but wickets were lost and the run rate mounted with Samuel Badree and Ravi Rampaul bowling decent spells. Badree took 1-18 and Rampaul 1-23.
Taylor hit three fours and as many sixes in his 40-ball knock, but Sammy maneuvered his bowlers well before pushing the match in one-over eliminator.
Earlier, Southee and Bracewell took three wickets each after Taylor won the toss and opted to field as West Indies was bowled out with three balls remaining.
The Kiwis struck at regular intervals after Gayle hit three fours and two sixes for a typically flamboyant 30 off 14 balls before being caught behind in the seventh over off Southee.
Bracewell removed Johnson Charles and pinch-hitter Andre Russell cheaply in his first spell and got rid of Kieron Pollard for 28 upon his return to finish with 3-31.
Offspinner Nathan McCullum ran through the middle order, removing Samuels for 24 and Darren Bravo for 16, before Southee polished off the tail to take 3-21.
West Indies looked set to post a competitive total after Gayle and Samuels put on 60 in the first six overs, all of them the batting powerplay, smashing Mills for 16 runs in one over and 17 from Jacob Oram at the other end.
But the innings derailed soon after Gayle’s departure, with Samuels being caught at long-on in the 11th over.
West Indies also missed the powerful hitting of Dwayne Bravo in the middle order after the batsman was ruled out of the match because of a groin injury, but in the end it mattered little for them.
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West Indies knocks New Zealand out
West Indies knocks New Zealand out
South Africa coach looks to ‘maintain intensity’ against Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe meanwhile have stunned Australia and co-hosts Sri Lanka in the group stages
“They’ve done their bit to qualify for the Super Eights, they’ve had a fantastic tournament, our neighbors,” said Prince
NEW DELHI: Unbeaten South Africa look to “maintain discipline and intensity” in their last Super Eights match of the T20 World Cup against Zimbabwe, batting coach Ashwell Prince said Saturday.
The 2024 runners-up have already secured a semifinal place ahead of their match in New Delhi on Sunday.
The Aiden Markram-led side will take to the pitch in the dead rubber game after scoring convincing wins over hot favorites India and two-time champions West Indies in the Super Eights.
Zimbabwe meanwhile have stunned Australia and co-hosts Sri Lanka in the group stages.
“I think you’ve got to respect the opposition — they’ve done their bit to qualify for the Super Eights, they’ve had a fantastic tournament, our neighbors,” said Prince.
“From our point of view, we’ve been really sharp and what we want to ensure is that we maintain that discipline and intensity and that we don’t drop off as far as those are concerned.”
South Africa had just one close shave against Afghanistan in a group game they won in a double super over, while all the other victories have been fairly comfortable.
But former South Africa batter Prince said victory is all that matters.
“Obviously winning creates good momentum,” he said.
“I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way of doing it or an ideal way — I think it’s nice not to have a lot of close games, but I think close games definitely help in terms of team morale.”
South Africa beat Australia in the World Test Championship final in June 2025 to win their first major International Cricket Council trophy and shrug off their “chokers” tag.
Prince said the triumph has done a world of good for the players.
“Getting over the line in the World Test Championship was a big moment for us... as a cricketing nation and for this group of players,” said Prince.
“And what that creates is a lot of confidence within your teammates and trust that whenever they are going to be called upon and when the moment presents itself, they can step up.”
Markram has led the team from the front with his 264 runs including three half-centuries an an unbeaten 82 in their previous nine-wicket win over the West Indies.
“The phrase that my kids would use is he’s really locked in at the moment in terms of his focus, his batting and in terms of his captaincy,” said Prince.
“And at the same time the rest of the players are enjoying each other’s company.”
“They’ve done their bit to qualify for the Super Eights, they’ve had a fantastic tournament, our neighbors,” said Prince
NEW DELHI: Unbeaten South Africa look to “maintain discipline and intensity” in their last Super Eights match of the T20 World Cup against Zimbabwe, batting coach Ashwell Prince said Saturday.
The 2024 runners-up have already secured a semifinal place ahead of their match in New Delhi on Sunday.
The Aiden Markram-led side will take to the pitch in the dead rubber game after scoring convincing wins over hot favorites India and two-time champions West Indies in the Super Eights.
Zimbabwe meanwhile have stunned Australia and co-hosts Sri Lanka in the group stages.
“I think you’ve got to respect the opposition — they’ve done their bit to qualify for the Super Eights, they’ve had a fantastic tournament, our neighbors,” said Prince.
“From our point of view, we’ve been really sharp and what we want to ensure is that we maintain that discipline and intensity and that we don’t drop off as far as those are concerned.”
South Africa had just one close shave against Afghanistan in a group game they won in a double super over, while all the other victories have been fairly comfortable.
But former South Africa batter Prince said victory is all that matters.
“Obviously winning creates good momentum,” he said.
“I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way of doing it or an ideal way — I think it’s nice not to have a lot of close games, but I think close games definitely help in terms of team morale.”
South Africa beat Australia in the World Test Championship final in June 2025 to win their first major International Cricket Council trophy and shrug off their “chokers” tag.
Prince said the triumph has done a world of good for the players.
“Getting over the line in the World Test Championship was a big moment for us... as a cricketing nation and for this group of players,” said Prince.
“And what that creates is a lot of confidence within your teammates and trust that whenever they are going to be called upon and when the moment presents itself, they can step up.”
Markram has led the team from the front with his 264 runs including three half-centuries an an unbeaten 82 in their previous nine-wicket win over the West Indies.
“The phrase that my kids would use is he’s really locked in at the moment in terms of his focus, his batting and in terms of his captaincy,” said Prince.
“And at the same time the rest of the players are enjoying each other’s company.”
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