Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 5, 2018
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Hapless Windies end tour with crushing loss MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand – Woeful West Indies ended their ill-fated tour of New Zealand in the same wretched manner in which it started, plummeting to a heavy 119-run defeat in the final Twenty20 International here Wednesday. Colin Munro’s record-breaking third career T20I hundred of 104 was the catalyst behind the hosts’ imperious 243 for five off their 20 overs — their highest-ever total in the shortest format. Fellow opener Martin Guptill stroked 63 and Tom Bruce, 23, ensuring New Zealand maintained their momentum to gather the seventh-highest total in T20s. In reply, West Indies produced yet another dismal batting performance, collapsing to a depressing 124 all out in the 17th over. Only Andre Fletcher with a polished 46 from 32 balls showed any sense of purpose, and was one of only three frontline batsmen to reach double figures and the only one to pass 20. The Caribbean side’s woes were compounded by the unavailability of Shai Hope who injured his shoulder while fielding and was unable to bat. Not for the first time this tour, the Windies were tormented by seamer Tim Southee (3-21) and new-ball partner Trent Boult (2-29) while leg-spinner Ish Sodhi claimed two for 25, as the Black Caps claimed their biggest-ever win in T20s and the third largest overall. For West Indies, the defeat was their seventh on tour in internationals, after losing both Tests, all three one-dayers and two T20s. The second T20I was washed out after just nine overs on New Year’s Day. The reigning T20 World champions
have also now lost six of their last 12 matches in the shortest format. Opting to bat first at Bay Oval, New Zealand were propelled by a 136-run opening stand between Munro and Guptill — the country’s third-highest stand for any wicket in T20s. The left-handed Munro was utterly dominant en route to his third score of fifty or more in the series, facing 53 balls and
he raced to his half-century off 26 balls before reaching three figures off 47 deliveries to mark the fastest-ever hundred for New Zealand in T20s and joint sixth-fastest of all time. He also became the first batsman to score three hundreds in T20Is. Guptill, meanwhile, was more than just a spectator, lashing five fours and a pair of sixes in a 38-ball knock — his 11th halfcentury in this format. With the Windies bowlers loose, the pair cashed in, plundering 52 off the first five and 118 at the half-way point of the innings.
Opener Chris Gayle walks off after failing to score in the third Twenty20 International. (CMC)
striking three fours and 10 sixes. No Windies bowler was spared from the 30-year-old’s brutal all-out assault, as
Debutant medium pacer Rayad Emrit’s first two deliveries in T20 cricket were greeted with a couple of leg-side sixes by Munro, in an over which leaked 16 runs
and saw the South Africa-born dynamo to his half-century. Guptill eventually edged a wide one from Emrit to fall to a catch at the wicket in the 12th over but Munro and Bruce kept the pressure on the Windies in a 55-run, second wicket partnership. Even when the hosts lost four wickets for 35 runs in 19 deliveries, the runs kept flowing with 60 runs gushing from the last five overs. The Windies then had a disastrous start to their run chase when Chadwick Walton drove the first ball of the innings from Southee into Munro’s lap at cover. Four balls later, superstar Chris Gayle was surprised by a short ball and gloved a simple catch behind to depart without scoring, leaving the Windies tottering on one run for two wickets. Fletcher and Rovman Powell (16) then staged the best partnership of the innings, putting on 41 for the third wicket. The right-handed Fletcher struck four fours and three sixes —two of which were sweetly-timed back-to-back inside out blows over extra cover in the sixth over by left-arm spinner Anaru Kitchen which went for 20 runs. Powell holed out to cover off Kitchen in the fourth over and Shimron Hetmyer was tragically run out for seven in the fifth over, leaving West Indies on 49 for four. Fletcher posted 31 off 20 balls for the fifth wicket with captain Carlos Brathwaite (15) to temporarily stem the flow of wickets but once the Grenadian missed a heave at a straight one from Sodhi and was bowled offstump, the last four wickets tumbled for 44 runs. (CMC)
Ben Stokes withdrawn from England's ODI squad
A
llrounder Ben Stokes has been withdrawn from England's ODI squad for the series in Australia, and batsman Dawid Malan was named his replacement.
Stokes is still waiting to hear if he will be charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for his role in an incident outside a club in Bristol, and although England had picked him in their ODI squad in the first week of December, the ECB said his selection was dependent on the outcome of the police investigation. "Ben Stokes didl not travel with the group of players leaving the UK on 2 January, pending CPS advice on the incident in Bristol in September," the ECB said. "Should ECB receive formal confirmation that he has either, a) been charged or, b) will face no charges, the ECB Board would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability to represent England at that stage." The incident —‚ which also involved England batsman Alex Hales, who was not charged by police and therefore cleared for ODI selection — cost Stokes his place in the side for the last two ODIs against West Indies at the end of the English summer,
and the ongoing Ashes in Australia. There has been no update on whether Stokes will be charged or not since. Stokes was arrested in September on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm then released on bail. Avon and Somerset police completed their investigation into the incident in November and passed a file on
to the CPS for advice on whether he should be charged. The police also confirmed that a 27-year-old man suffered a fractured eye BEN STOKES
socket in the incident, which occurred outside the Mbargo nightclub in the Clifton area of Bristol in the early hours of the morning after England's one-day international against West Indies on September 25. Stokes returned to competitive action by playing for Canterbury in the domestic one-day and T20 competitions in New Zealand in December, for which he was granted a no-objection certificate by the ECB. His involvement, or otherwise, with England has overshadowed much of the winter. Having been initially named in the Ashes squad a few days after his arrest, footage was released by a newspaper appearing to show Stokes throwing a series of punches at a man in the street. England subsequently said he would not be considered for selection until investigations were complete. Both Stokes and Hales will have to face an ECB disciplinary hearing, whether
or not the police press charges. The ECB's chief executive, Tom Harrison, recently suggested it could take six months to a year to resolve the situation if Stokes is charged, although he added that the board would not prevent him from playing in competitions such as the IPL in the meantime, while he is out of the England set-up. Without Stokes, England have faced difficulty balancing their Test side and relinquished the Ashes after falling 3-0 behind in Perth — although they did end their run of defeats in Australia by having the better of a drawn Boxing Day Test. Malan has been one of England's better-performing players during the Ashes, making his maiden Test hundred at the WACA. He has yet to be capped in 50-over cricket but impressed on T20 debut during the summer, when he was Man of the Match against South Africa. His call-up in place of Stokes is expected to be confirmed in the next 24 hours. The ODI series begins in Melbourne on January 14, after which England and Australia will play a T20I tri-series involving New Zealand. England will then embark on their tour of New Zealand, taking in another five ODIs and two Tests.
ESPNCricInfo - Monday 1st January, 2018 (Caribbeannews.net)