KANDY – A dynamic opening partnership between Johnson Charles and Chris Gayle backed up by athletic fielding and tidy bowling combined to give the West Indies a victory in their first match of the Super Eights of the ICC World Twenty20 last night.
The regional side improved their record of six victories in nine matches against England with a 15-run triumph before a full house at the scenic Pallekele Stadium.
Charles, a 23-year-old newcomer whose previous highest score in Twenty20 Internationals was 37, sparkled with an innings of 84 that propelled the West Indies – who won the toss – to 179 for five in 20 overs.
The St Lucian matched Gayle stroke for stroke as they raced the West Indies to 103 after ten overs.
Neither batsman got carried away. They simply played balls on their merit and dispatched the loose stuff. They counted seven sixes and 16 fours between them on a docile pitch.
While Charles is the kind of player who favours hitting over the top, his batting yesterday looked more clinical. Gayle used his typical style to fashion 58 from 35 balls en route to recording his second consecutive half-century of the tournament.
But while the openers came good, the middle order flopped.
West Indies could only muster 76 from the last ten overs with Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard and captain Darren Sammy all going cheaply.
Dwayne Bravo (11 not out) and Andre Russell (ten not out) helped to revive the Windies who were 158 for five in the 18th over.
England were off to the worst possible start, losing two wickets in Ravi Rampaul’s opening over.
Dangermen Craig Kieswetter and Luke Wright recorded ducks and England were on the back foot.
A watchful Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow added 55 for the next wicket, but it took them nine overs with Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree and Chris Gayle all spinning webs around the batsmen.
Hales was joined by the inventive Eion Morgan and they gave the West Indies a scare when they combined to hammer 107 runs in 9.4 overs.
Morgan reversed swept, switch-hit and drove to great effect and made 71 not out, while Hales was last out for 68.
The West Indies fielders were great, and two pieces of athleticism stood out.
Kieron Pollard took a catch running to his left on the long-on boundary to remove Bairstow off Gayle and Andre Russell saved a six by Morgan when he leapt over the boundary, caught the ball and threw it back into play. Superman couldn’t have done it better.
Gayle has been a real character in the team.
With every catch, he celebrates with a new dance that has caught the eyes of the world, and his spirit was again evident when he jokingly threatened to run out Morgan who was backing up too far.
Gayle took the ball and gyrated on the stumps much to the amusement of the fans and even umpire Asaud Rauf who saw the humourous side.
But with too much work to complete, England surrendered.
It now sets up a big clash between West Indies and Sri Lanka tomorrow which will be preceded by New Zealand vs England.