“Both West Indies teams are pumped at ICC Wt-20 2014!”

Mar 30, 2014 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
West Indies men’s team captain Darren Sammy said it after the defeat of Australia – “We were pumped!”
They were totally euphoric, letting out steam that obsess sports bodies and minds, and using a clause that is almost uniquely Australian to denote utter energies needed and used in sports highs.
Seldom does anyone see Chris Gayle dancing “Gangnam Style”, last time being when WI won this similar competition in 2012.  Beating the Australians last Friday brought out the calisthenics moves once again!
South Korean musician “Psy” could use Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Sammy in videos when their playing days are over, even now, as the Jamaican, Trinbagonian and St. Lucian displayed real Caribbean rhythm.

West Indies men still have much work to do to get to semi-finals.  They have the similarly mercurial Pakistanis to deal with next Tuesday, so the job is not yet done, but the men’s team is much sharper now.
What a difference a week makes.  Last Sunday, in their first game, v India, WI played like damp squibs, certainly not operating like defending champions, meekly going down to a seven-wicket loss, making only 129, courtesy of India’s strangling leg-spinner Amit Misra and medium-fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Vast improvements were needed immediately, v Bangladesh, and wonderfully provided too, by a still struggling Gayle and a revamped Dwayne Smith, who played the T-20 innings of his life for that well-constructed 72.  The platform that they provided for the 1st wicket, 97, was pivotal for that win.
Leg-spinner Samuel Badree, with an impressive spell, 4-0-15-4, his, and West Indies, best in World T-20’s, and left-arm medium slinger Krishmar Santokie, equally good with 4-0-17-3, bowled excellently.
Then came that game v Australia, with Aussie left-handed all-rounder James Faulkner igniting the already simmering WI keg with his jibe that “I do not like West Indies.”  So, simply, they did not like him back!
Gayle looked immeasurably more mobile, and his half century was a useful tonic for his team, while Bravo played well too.
Given the mood that Sammy was in at the crease, he was also right to confirm that he could not care who was bowling at the game’s end, as he would have given the same treatment to any bowler.  But it was great irony that Sammy clobbered WI’s needed last two sixes in Faulker’s, and Australia’s, last over, to win the game and start the celebrations.  Faulkner will probably now be banished from Australia!
WI men did beat Bangladesh and Australia, but their batting has wobbled some.  Had it not been for their bowlers, especially Santokie and Badree, WI would have been in worst shape.
Now it is on to Pakistan, to complete the first circle, to get to that semi-final place.
Conversely, West Indies Women have been simply sailing along, somewhat under the radar, while being extremely efficient without even being lauded at all.
They have certainly confirmed their highly regarded status and have kept their promises too, so far.
Captain Marissa Aguilleira has gone on record to suggest, boast even, that her team, “with certainty”, will win ICC Women WT-20 2014.  That is real confidence for anyone who wants to listen!
With successes against highly favored England, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, WI Women are well on their way to at least a semi-final berth too.  All they need to do next is to beat India’s women!
Against England, Kycia Knight, with 43, the indomitable Stephanie Taylor, with 56, and Aguilleira, 11, were the only ladies to get to double figures, the total of 133 being just adequate.
A superlative spell; 4-1-12-4; from medium-fast bowler Deandra Dottin, a cousin of WI men’s team coach Ottis Gibson, put paid to hopes that the English women had, WI women winning by a meagre nine runs.
Against Bangladesh, WI women faltered batting-wise again, making only 117, with Dottin, batting this time, scoring well for 34 and Stacy-Ann King getting a useful 20.
Again, bowlers held their nerves, demolishing Bangladesh women for 79, with serious Tremayne Smartt; 3-0-9-2; veteran Anisa Mohammed; 4-0-22-2; and teasing leg-spinner, Shaquana Quintyne; 3-1-5-3.
Against Sri Lanka, it was easier still for WI women, Smartt again among the wickets; 3.5-0-15-3; as SL women blundered to only 84.  Left-arm medium pacer Shanel Daly was even better; 4-0-15-4.
For good measure, Taylor was 56 not out, keeping up her good form, as WI women won by eight wickets.
WI women need to beat India women to keep that winning mojo going, as winning is also a habit, and they will need all of the confidence that they could get for semi-finals.
If WI men beat Pakistan, and win their semi-final too, then they could play India again in the final, as also predicted by Sammy.  What a humdinger that would be between the world’s two best T-20 teams.
WI women will probably have their normal nemeses Australia women or New Zealand women to deal with in semi-finals, so their path to the final is still fraught with serious danger.
But, it would be magnificent if both WI teams play the same semi-final day, then get to finals too.  Enjoy!

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