Kolkata: True to their anthem, West Indies lift trophy for second time after beating England by 4 wickets.
First, the colts set the trend in February by winning their first ever ICC U-19 World Cup title. Then, their women’s team dethroned Australia for their maiden World T20 title earlier on Sunday. And, needing no extra motivation, the West Indies men’s team completed a glorious run for the Caribbeans by becoming the first team to lift the ICC World T20 title twice. West Indies captain Darren Sammy joined Clive Lloyd who led Windies to ODI titles in 1975 and 1979 to win a world crown twice.
Sammy and his side have walked the talk this entire edition, taking their sixth step towards glory in emphatic fashion as they defeated 2010 winners England by four wickets and with two balls to spare at the packed Eden Gardens here on Sunday night.
West Indies’s successful run-chase of 156 was not without its ups and downs. After being reduced to 11/3 and later 107/6, they needed 52 off the last five overs. But it all came down to 19 off the last over, and the Windies found a hero in Carlos Brathwaite (34*), who smashed Ben Stokes for four straight sixes.
On the other hand, West Indies women team converted their maiden appearance in a World Twenty20 final into a historic victory in Kolkata, beating three-time defending champions Australia for the first time in a T20 international by pulling off the second highest chase in the tournament’s history. The heroes of the daunting pursuit were 18-year old Hayley Matthews and the captain Stafanie Taylor, whose half-centuries and 120-partnership came at more than a run a ball.
Their effort left West Indies with two runs to get off four balls, and when Britney Cooper pushed to Megan Schutt at midwicket and sprinted, what should have been a run-out at the bowler’s end resulted in the overthrow that sealed the title. Their team-mates blazed a trail on to the field and the women were soon joined by the West Indies men in joyful celebrations in the middle of Eden Gardens.
Those scenes scarcely seemed likely when West Indies were run ragged in the first half of the game, as half-centuries from Elyse Villani and Meg Lanning helped Australia post an imposing 148 for 5.
