Windies win with calypso panache
at Hagley Oval THE West Indies 150-run win over Pakistan has them so confident they’re talking about winning the Cricket World Cup while Pakistan now face an early exit.
There was always a risk that the two hot and cold teams could produce a fizzer and yesterday’s mismatch at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval was exactly that.
The West Indies were fantastic, Pakistan were a flop and never got near the West Indies’ 310-6, eventually bowled out for 160 in the 39th over.
The match turned completely in the West Indies favour in a matter of eight overs.
Man of the Match Andre Russell did his best Brendon McCullum impersonation and scored an unbeaten 42 off just 13 balls as the West Indies put on 79 in their last five overs.
They then ripped apart the Pakistan top order. After 19 balls of the chase, Pakistan had scored one run and had lost the wickets of Nasir Jamshed (0), Younis Khan (0), Haris Sohail (0) and Ahmed Shehzad (1).
Jerome Taylor took the first three wickets – including two in Pakistan’s first over – and finished with 3-15 from seven overs.
Russell completed a handy double taking 3-33 and said the win was important to the players and to the doubters after their four-wicket loss to Ireland on Monday.
‘‘There has been a lot of talk out there, but we’re not paying attention,’’ he said.
‘‘The mood is very good now. Everyone is laughing and happy.
‘‘After the last game, we wanted to show the world we’re not a pushover. We’re a good team and we can fight.
‘‘We’ve gained some momentum here and if we gain some more we can go all the way.’’
The West Indies deserved their big win and momentum gain, but Pakistan really were atrocious. Their fielding performance was one schoolboys would have been ashamed of, dropping five catches and giving away at least 25 runs through poor ground fielding.
Their death bowling was brainless and their top order batting not much better.
Captain Misbah-ul-Haq looked a broken man after the match.
‘‘We just lost in all three departments,’’ he said. ‘‘A lot of dropped catches and [our] batting totally flopped.’’
He said the side was happy off the field and blamed the strange Australiasian conditions despite his team playing seven matches in New Zealand and Australia before yesterday’s loss.
‘‘We’re not getting used to the pitches when we are batting, especially against the new ball.’’
They now need to win at least three of their remaining four pool matches against Zimbabwe, United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Ireland.
‘‘We need to pick ourselves up mentally and skill wise we need to really pick ourselves up and come hard in the next games because now we’re at the edge [of going home].’’
The West Indies Darren Bravo retired hurt of 49 with what turned out to be a lower grade tear on his left hamstring.
West Indies management said he will stay with the team, though is likely to miss the side’s next two matches.