England O50s win 2022 Marlborough Cup despite Dhaniram Hat-Trick

Jul 15, 2022 Sports

Windies O50s finish as runners up

England have won the 2022 Marlborough Cup – and maintained their perfect home record – with a 71-run win over the West Indies. Much was anticipated from this clash as West Indies had given the English guys a huge scare in their warm up encounter last Thursday when Windies fell short by 16 runs chasing a massive 302 posted by England.

Sudesh Dhaniram collects his Man of the Series for the West Indians.

Stephen Foster starred with bat and ball as the hosts put on a clinical display of over-50s cricket. He stroked 83 off 82 balls as England piled on 274/8 off their allotted overs, then cleaned up the Windies tail with 2/5.West Indies did not help their cause with extras contributing a healthy 50 runs to the England total and the second top score. Sudesh Dhaniram ended with 3 for 43 off his 8 overs and was ably supported by Sunil Dhaniram with 2 for 54 and Fareed Hosein with 2 for 46.

The West Indies lost their last 6 wickets for just 15 runs, tumbling from 188/4 to 203 all out. Rob Nelson took 3 wickets in an over to finish with personal best figures of 4/23.
The Windies had left themselves too much to do in the last 15 overs – they needed over 9 an over at that stage – despite a valuable partnership of 83 runs from Narine Bidhesi (54) and Azad Mohammed (44). Losing the two Dhaniram brothers for a combined 25 runs didn’t help. Rajendra Sadeo fought off the opening English attack to score 37 runs off 62 deliveries with 2 fours and 2 sixes but lost his wicket just when he was well set.

Windies had suffered a huge blow early in the day when they lost the services of its Vice captain, Ishwar Maraj, with an injured right elbow. Maraj had struck a sparkling 103* on Sunday against Wales and 45 the next day against the Indians.

The second placed West Indies Masters O-50 team.

Earlier in the day, England had gotten themselves off to a rollicking start, with Giles Ecclestone (43) and David Snellgrove (38) adding 99 for the first wicket at 7.6 an over.

Foster came in at 5 and batted beautifully for his 83 – which saw him regain his position as the leading run-scorer in O50Is, over-taking Australia’s Peter Solway (690 runs) and becoming the first batsman to score 700 runs at this level.

However, he then became the first wicket in a Sudesh Dhaniram’s hat-trick that tripped England up from 253/5 to 253/8.Before this match, Dhaniram had taken just 1 wicket in O50Is at an average of 177.

England ran out deserved winners of the Marlborough Cup, having gone through another season unbeaten. Their overall record in O50Is is now 20 wins and 6 losses, reinforcing their status as one of the world’s leading sides at this level.

Sudesh Dhaniram won the Man of the Series for the West Indians. Ambassador Colin Croft graced the occasion at the Marlborough College ground where he mingled with everyone there throughout the day and the evening. Former England test player, Roland Butcher also visited the West Indians at the Broxbourne Cricket Club ground where he spent the day mixing with both the English and West Indian players and supporters throughout the day. Attorney Rabi Sukul, who also serves as the legal counsel for the Cricket West Indies Masters Association also spent the day with the teams on Thursday at the Gravesend Cricket Club along with some of his friends.

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