Internet Desk: A sudden Gayle storm blew England’s hope of a win against the West Indies at Wankhede on Wednesday. Chris Gayle’s blistering 48 ball 100 inspired his team to a comfortable six wickets victory against England with 11 balls to spare. The Jamaican smashed 11 sixes and five fours en route to his second World T20 ton.
Marlon Samuels and Gayle did set the tone piling 55 runs from the Power Play. Samuels scored a punishing 27 ball 37, but it was Gayle’s knock that had the fans at the Wankhede Stadium dancing in the aisles.
Eoin Morgan’s decision to introduce spin gave England some respite, as Samuels skipped down the track and lofted Adil Rashid to Willey in the deep. Gayle, who said hello to Moeen with a pull for four, was merely biding his time though, and in Rashid’s next over, he unleashed two monstrous sixes over long-on. At halfway, the West Indies needed 98 more to win.
Gayle sent a short ball from Ben Stokes into the second tier of the stands at square leg, as the 100 came up for the Caribbean’s in 11 overs. England had a glimmer of hope with back to back dismissals of Denesh Ramdin and Dwyne Bravo. Ramdin top-edged Moeen to short fine leg, while Bravo slugged Topley to deep midwicket after scoring just 2 runs.
Gayle reached his fifty with a straight six off Moeen Ali. It was the first of the four sixes that he hit off Ali. A withering drive and two leg-side sixes off Willey took him to 96. He reached his century off just 47 bals, the third-fastest in the format.
Earlier, English batsmen played well to compile a big total of 182 for six, with Joe Root (48) and Jos Buttler (30) leading the charge.
For West Indies, Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo took two wickets each.