ICC World T20: West Indies keep hopes alive, knock out NZ in Super Over

Pallekele (Sri Lanka): A spirited West Indies kept alive their semi-final hopes after pulling off a sensational win over New Zealand via Super Over in their final Super Eights match of the ICC World Twenty20 on Monday.

Needing 18 to win in the Super Over, West Indies rode on Chris Gayle and Marlon`s Samuels pyrotechnics to finish the game with a ball to spare at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium which saw a tied game with both teams finishing on 139 in regulation time. While Gayle started the chase in the Super Over with a huge six over long-off off a no ball by Tim Southee, Sameuls completed the job with a maximum over deep mid-wicket. With three loses from as many games, New Zealand have crashed out of the tournament. On the other hand, West Indies` fortune will now hinge on the result of the other Group 1 match between hosts Sri Lanka and England. The game went into the Super Over after New Zealand made heavy weather of a modest 140-run chase. Ross Taylor, who gave New Zealand hope with his aggressive batting in the Super Over, played a captain`s knock but his unbeaten 62 went in vain as chasing 140, New Zealand managed 139 for seven in their alloted 20 overs. Sunil Narine shone with the ball for West Indies with figures of three for 20 from his four overs, which included the penultimate over of the New Zealand innings in which the off-spinner conceded just three runs besides picking up a wicket. Earlier, pacers Doug Bracewell and Tim Southee came up with superb bowling efforts to help New Zealand bundle out West Indies for a lowly 139. New Zealand`s decision to field first produced the desired result as the Kiwi bowlers managed to frustrate the opposition batsmen throughout. Southee (3/21) and Bracewell (3/31) claimed three wickets each, while Nathan MuCullum took two for 19 to end Windies` innings in 19.3 overs. PTI New Zealand, however, did not have the best of starts in pursuit of the target as they lost opener Rob Nicol early. Martin Guptill (21) and Brendon McCullum (22) then added 33 runs for the second wicket before New Zealand lost two more quick wickets. McCullum was the next to depart, bowled by Badree and then 11 runs later Guptil cut a widish Darren Sammy delivery straight to Samuels at point. Then came Taylor, who took the onus upon himself to guide the New Zealand innings. Taylor was completely foucussed at his job at hand as he single-handedly kept New Zealand in the hunt even though wickets kept tumbling at the other end. Taylor hit three boundaries and as many sixes during his unbeaten 40-ball innings, but the Kiwi skipper certainly would be a disappointed man having failed to get his side home. Needing 14 runs to win off the last over from Samuels, Taylor picked up ones and twos before scooping the bowler over fineleg boundary for a six. But it was not to be New Zealand`s day as needing two runs off the last ball, Doug Bracewell was run out in pursuit of the second run by reserve fielder Dwayne Smith`s direct hit from the deep. Earlier, West Indies lost opener Johnson Charles early and during his brief stay in the middle, he scored a nine-ball eight with the help of two fours before Bracewell caught him off his own bowling. Gayle then turned the heat on the Kiwi bowlers in the third over when he struck Kyle Mills for a six and two fours to churn out 16 runs from that over. New batsman, Andre Russell also showed much promise as he straightaway got down to business hitting a six, but in the very next ball Bracewell dismissed him to add another wicket to his kitty. Gayle continued in the able company of Marlon Samuels. But Tim Southee forced the dangerman Gayle to nick a ball to be caught behind by Brendon Mccullum. Gayle departed for a quickfire 30 off 14 balls, studded with three fours and two sixes. Samuels and Darren Bravo (16) carried on the momentum before the former also fell for 24 from 22 balls. Even as West Indies managed to maintain their run-rate till the 12th over, wickets at regular intervals did not help their cause. After Bravo and Kieron Pollard (22-ball 28) got out, West Indies lower order simply fell like a pack of cards. Only Captain Darren Sammy (11) tried to make an effort. PTI