West Indies win a nail biter
Sell-out crowd in Lauderhill creates carnival atmosphere
Maroon and goldwere lost in a sea of blue, but itwas cricketer Carlos Brathwaite and his boys thatwere rejoicing at the end of the first of the two T20 internationals cricket matches between India and the West Indies lastweekend at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill.
The matches came at a time when the International Cricket Council is looking to promote and market the game in theU.S. The recent Lauderhill leg of the Caribbean Premier League received an enthusiastic response fromcricket fans, with the stadium packed during theweekend games at the end of July. Lastweekend’smatches were Team India’s debut on American soil.
As a result, the oddswere on an Indian win when cricketerDwayne Bravo began the final over of the match, with just eight runs standing between India and the highest-ever run chase in the history of T20 international cricket.
Bravo, who wisely took his own time before running in to bowl the final ball, produced yet another of the slower deliveries of his that batsmen often have trouble latching on to. Team India captainMS Dhoni, who could have tried to go hard at the ball and over the infield, chose the safer option, only to see Samuels eagerly grab the chance to turn froma villain to hero.
“The thinkingwas right; the execution waswrong,” Dhoni said, as he addressed the media after the first match. “[Dwayne] Bravo is one of the best when it comes to bowling at the death. I amnot disappointed; there are many positives to take fromthe match.”
The match, whichwas played in a carnival atmosphere with fans of both teams coming out armed with national flags, placards and plenty of energy, offered a sign that there is an audience for quality cricket in theU.S., and SOuth Florida specifically. By the end of the game, as many as 32 sixes has been hit, more than in any other T20 international.
The Indians in the crowd, many ofwhom had come from other states and some even fromCanada, were comfortably the more vocal.
“We sawa great game of cricket,” Abdul Sattar, a certified umpire whomoved to South Florida fromGuyana roughly two decades ago. “I like cricket; I don't care who wins. Today proved that there are more takers for good cricket in theUnited Sates than anyone can imagine.”
The endingwasn't quite what Stephanie Reiland, fromAlabama and sporting an Indian flag sticker on her face, expected.
“I am excited thatwe have a chance to see high quality cricket in theUnited States,” she said. “I am new to the game, but I already love it. In fact, I enjoy it more than baseball.”