Allen fireworks hand Windies B second straight win
TORONTO, Canada, CMC – Jamaican allrounder Fabian Allen smashed an astonishing half-century to haul West Indies B out of trouble and fire them to a sensational three-wicket victory over Edmonton Royals in the Global T20 Canada league here Sunday.
Languishing on 66 for six in the 10th over in pursuit of 156 for victory at Maple Leaf North-West Ground, Windies B were bailed out by the 23-yearold Allen who unfurled a spectacular 75 not out off 30 balls, as they crossed the line with two overs to spare to record their second straight win.
The right-hander needed a mere 17 balls for his half-century, crunching four fours and eight sixes overall, as he bullied the Royals bowling.
More importantly, he put on 55 off just 21 balls for the seventh wicket with Shamar Springer who made 15, before adding a further 38 in an unbroken eighth wicket stand with Jeremiah Louis (eight not out).
Irishman Kevin O’Brien had earlier top-scored with 49 as Royals, sent in, were bowled out for 155 with two balls remaining.
They were 67 for five in the 12th over but O’Brien punched three fours and five sixes in a 17-ball stunner, fuelling a 64-run, sixth wicket partnership with South African Farhaan Behardien who made 29.
Twenty one year-old left-arm seamer Obed McCoy was outstanding with four for 22 while leftarm spinner Kavem Hodge (2-18) and seamer Sherfane Rutherford (2-25) finished with two wickets apiece.
In reply, Windies B lost wickets steadily to find themselves staring at defeat before Allen marched to the crease to single-handedly transform the innings.
He smashed the first ball he faced to the long on boundary and then ripped into the same bowler, leftarm spinner Hassan Khan in his next over, belting a four and a pair of sixes as the over leaked 21 runs.
In the very next over from veteran leg-spinner Shahid Afridi, Allen extracted 22 runs including three sixes off the last three deliveries.
Allen raised his halfcentury with a boundary backward of point off seamer Sohail Tanvir and fittingly struck the winning runs for Windies B when he clobbered Hassan Khan for the second six off the 18th over.
In the other game played, superstar Chris Gayle suffered the ignominy of a four-ball ‘duck’ but Vancouver Knights – featuring Andre Russell who hit two sixes in a seven-ball unbeaten 21 – went down by six wickets to Winnipeg Hawks after chasing down 157.