A Chris Gayle blast in the first ever “super-over eliminator” broke the deadlock between the West Indies and New Zealand to give the tourists the honors in the opening Twenty20 cricket match yesterday.
After two drawn Tests earlier in the month, the series moved to the limited overs segment with the first Twenty20 clash ending in a 155-all tie, resulting in the first use in a Twenty20 international of a one-over play-off.
Gayle, who had the Midas touch throughout the match, taking two for 16 and top-scoring with 67, belted 25 including three sixes and a four in the eliminator over off New Zealand’s star bowler Daniel Vettori.
PHOTO: AFP
New Zealand in reply had lost their two wickets for 15 by the fourth ball bowled by Suleiman Benn.
“It was a good one-over game,” man-of-the-match Gayle joked about the novel end. “It was good, it was my first time experiencing it. Both teams enjoyed it I’m sure but it was good to come out on top.”
Vettori said losing in a bowl-off was demoralizing.
PHOTO: AP
“I think in the end we should have won the game,” he said.
“Obviously we lost in the one over but the tie was impressive from our point of view. Most people thought Gayle had taken the game away from us but we fought really hard and got back into the game.”
When Vettori won the toss he had no hesitation in batting first but apart from Ross Taylor who made 62, New Zealand’s big hitters were never able to control the West Indies attack.
Taylor belted four fours and four sixes, mainly to the leg side, before his 50-ball stand came to an end when he was bowled by Jerome Taylor while trying to up the scoring pace in the penultimate over.
The rest of the New Zealand top order were all unable to build on good starts as Brendon McCullum fell for 14, Jesse Ryder for 12 and Scott Styris made 21 off 12 balls.
Midway through the 10th over New Zealand were three for 70.
When Gayle snapped up a sharp caught and bowled chance from James Franklin they were five for 112 with only 27 balls remaining before Taylor’s finishing flourish brought some respectability to the total.
The 2.02m Benn proved particularly hard to get away and finished with one for 20 off four overs.
Gayle, who returned two for 16 from three overs, charged into the run chase when the West Indies came to bat, racing to 67 off 41 balls including five fours and five sixes.
But apart from 28 by Xavier Marshall, he found long-term partners hard to come by.
The lack of depth in the West Indies batting line up was exposed when Gayle skied the ball and was caught by Ross Taylor off Jeetan Patel.
The visitors then needed 42 to win off 35 balls and with six wickets in hand.
At the start of the last over the West Indies still needed seven runs to win and New Zealand pace man Tim Southee, who was knocked for 30 runs by Gayle in his first two overs, was brought back to bowl at the death.
In the first four balls Shawn Findlay was caught behind and Fidel Edwards was run out.
But when it came to the last two deliveries, with the West Indies needing six to win, Southee yielded a four and a single forcing the game into the play-off.
The second and final Twenty20 game in Hamilton tomorrow will be followed by five one-day internationals.
■BANGLADESH V SRI LANKA
AGENCIES, DHAKA
Shakib al Hasan grabbed two quick wickets to help Bangladesh restrict Sri Lanka to 139-4 at tea on the opening day of the first Test yesterday.
The left-arm spinner dismissed Kumar Sangakkara (43) and skipper Mahela Jayawardene (3) when the visitors looked set to post a big total after electing to bat.
Sri Lanka were comfortably placed at 119-1 following a 95-run stand for the second wicket between Michael Vandort (44) and Sangakkara, but lost both the well-set batsmen in quick succession.
Hasan broke the partnership when he had Sangakkara caught by skipper Mohammad Ashraful at mid-wicket. The Sri Lankan hit seven fours, including two in the spinner’s one over.
Vandort fell two overs later, top-edging a pull off seamer Shahadat Hossain to be caught by Hasan at mid-wicket. His 124-ball knock contained a six over long-on off Hasan.
Hasan struck again when he bowled Jayawardene, with Sri Lanka losing three wickets in the space of just 16 runs.
Thilan Samaraweera was unbeaten on 10 and Tillakaratne Dilshan had yet to open his account at the interval.
Only 12 overs were possible in the morning session after a delayed start because of heavy fog.
Bangladesh denied Sri Lanka a solid start when new-ball bowler Mashrafe Mortaza trapped Malinda Warnapura (14) leg-before in the ninth over with a delivery that came in sharply.
Before playing, Jayawardene asked his players not to worry about the uncertainty surrounding next month’s tour in Pakistan.
Sri Lanka agreed to step in to tour in Pakistan after India pulled out their tour because of security concerns.
The chairman of Sri Lankan cricket’s interim committee, former captain Arjuna Ranatunga, confirmed the tour to Pakistan earlier this month but he and his team were fired by the country’s sports minister, Gamini Lokuge, on Tuesday.
The sports minister said on Wednesday the tour was one of several recent decisions by Ranatunga’s administration that would be urgently reviewed.
“I don’t know exactly what’s happening. But we have told the guys to just focus the job in hand. It’s very important for us and we will concentrate on this,” Jayawardene told at a news conference in Dhaka on Thursday.
“Whatever they come up with later on, we will have a dialogue with the board. If the tour is on we will go ahead, if it’s not on, we won’t go,” he said. “I mean that up to the administration to make the decision. As cricketers we are here to play cricket. So we will just focus on that,” the 31-year-old middle-order batsman said.
Jayawardene shunned reporters’ questions on whether he had any security concerns over touring Pakistan.
Pakistan have not played a Test in more than a year, with opponents declining invitations or pulling out because of security fears after a series of suicide bombings in the country.
Pakistan officials hope to convince Sri Lanka in talks at the Asian Cricket Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur to proceed with the tour amid concerns it will be scrapped by the new administrators.
Sri Lanka is scheduled to play two Tests against Bangladesh and a tri-nation one-day tournament involving the hosts and Zimbabwe.
The second Test will be held at Chittagong from next Saturday to Jan. 7. The tri-nation tournament is scheduled from Jan. 10 to Jan. 16.
■AUSTRALIA V S AFRICA
Score at the close of play on the first day of the second Test in Melbourne, Australia:
• Australia 1st Innings 280-6
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