The three-day warm-up match between the touring West Indies and a County Select XI ended in a draw on Friday.
The tourists entered day three at the Kent County Cricket Ground in Beckenham on 57-2, leading by 23 runs in their second innings.
They eventually progressed to 196-5 off 44 overs before declaring, leaving the County Select XI needing 163 to win.
The West Indian second innings batting effort was led by a well-compiled 66* from Alick Athanaze, his second half-century of the game.
The 25-year-old Dominican faced 99 balls, hitting 11 fours in the process.
He was well supported by wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva who finished not out on 51 off 69 balls including six fours.
Medium pacer Sonny Baker took 2-49 off eight overs for the Select XI.
The hosts then lost a pair of early wickets before play was brought to a close due to rain with them on 30-2 in the 11th over.
The West Indies will now turn their attention to the first Test against England which starts on Wednesday, July 10 at Lord’s.
Full Scores:
West Indies 339 off 72.1 overs (Kavem Hodge 112, Alick Athanaze 74, Kirk McKenzie 73, Mikyle Louis 50, Farhan Ahmed 4-48, John Turner 4-60) & 196-5 dec. off 44 overs (Alick Athanaze 66*, Joshua Da Silva 51, Mikyle Louis 28, Sonny Baker 2-49)
County Select XI 373-4 dec. off 85 overs (William Luxton 112*, Hamza Shaikh 84, Tom Prest 53, Harry Duke 46*) & 30-2 off 10.3 overs
West Indies battling legend and former Test captain Brian Lara is optimistic that the Caribbean side’s inexperienced battling line up can stand tall to the demands as much will be required of them in the Three-Test series against England, which bowls of next Wednesday.
In fact, Lara pointed out that a technical and tactical approach will be integral to West Indies chances, especially given the strength of England’s line up, coupled with their aggressive approach and home conditions at Lord’s, which they will relish.
With that in mind, Lara believes the best way to defend against the opponent’s strengths is to take an attacking approach in the field.
“I think more important is how the bowlers and the captain handle it in the field because we have to stay positive. We have to stay aggressive in terms of having attacking fields, having players in attacking positions, because the way they (England) bat, England are going to have you pushing players out on the boundary – which is what they want,” Lara said during a recent interview with Sky Sports.
“You push your deep cover back or your third man back, your deep backward square back, it creates opportunities for them to get singles – four, five singles an over is actually great scoring. We’ve got to be very technical and tactical in terms of how we approach this series,” he added.
Unlike England, who has upped their game in Test cricket to what has been labelled ‘Bazball’ under Head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, West Indies has been quite the opposite.
England’s alteration has resulted in them now playing an attractive brand of aggressive cricket, particularly with the bat.
West Indies, on the other hand, have been more traditional, and Lara is of the view that the regional side should remain on the same path, instead of attempt to adopt England’s style of play.
“I don’t think first of all, as a batting team, that (aggression) is our style, which actually is a little bit of a negative. If you’re going to come up against a side that’s scoring at five and six runs an over and you’re just going to score at 2.5, three runs an over, that in itself is asking for trouble,” Lara reasoned.
“England is playing a style of cricket that is difficult to beat them, coming from behind. We’ve got to get them out cheaply in the first innings to stay in front of the game. If you get behind England – with the pace they play the game at – it’s impossible to get back into the game,” he noted.
Despite the loss of Kemar Roach to a knee injury, Lara, 55, said he is more concerned about the batting.
“I’m not worried too much about Kemar Roach missing out or the bowling attack. I think the bowling attack is pretty formidable,” he declared.
“I think the batting is where the experience is lacking. They’re trying, the batters are trying, but it’s the fact that, how much experience have they had in English conditions. So I’m hoping we can pull through in that department,” Lara ended.
The West Indies began their tour of England with a resolute batting performance in their warm-up match against an FCC XI at Beckenhem, finishing the opening day on a high note. Led by Kavem Hodge's commanding century, they posted a formidable total of 339 in their first innings.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, the visitors faced early adversity with Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Zachary McCaskie departing cheaply, leaving them struggling at 10 for two. However, debutant Mikyle Louis and Kirk McKenzie steered the innings back on track with a crucial 106-run partnership for the third wicket. Louis impressed with a composed half-century, scoring 50 before he was dismissed.
McKenzie continued to build on the foundation laid by Louis, playing fluently to score 73 valuable runs. His partnership with Hodge, who anchored the innings superbly, proved pivotal as they added 138 runs together. Hodge, displaying both patience and aggression, reached his century with a confident six off Farhan Ahmed, setting a strong platform for his team.
Following a rain interruption, the West Indies' middle and lower order faced a testing period, losing wickets in quick succession. Despite the lower-order collapse, Hodge stood tall, guiding his team past the 300-run mark. His innings finally came to an end when he was dismissed for a well-made 112, the last wicket to fall as the West Indies were bowled out for 339 from 72.1 overs.
John Turner was the pick of the bowlers for FCC XI, claiming four wickets for 60 runs, while Ahmed also made significant contributions with his four-wicket haul costing 48 runs.
The day's play showcased the West Indies' resilience and depth in their batting lineup, with partnerships crucial in steering them towards a competitive total. As they continue their preparations for the upcoming series against England, this performance will serve as a confidence booster and provide valuable insights into the conditions and opposition.
At stumps FCC XI were 15-0. Ben McKinney is 11 not out and with him is Harry Singh.
The T20 World Cup came to a thrilling conclusion over the weekend, with India clinching their second title by beating South Africa.
Rohit Sharma's side claimed a seven-run win over the Proteas in Barbados on Saturday.
Virat Kohli turned on the style at just the right time, while Jasprit Bumrah starred with the ball.
But what about the standout statistics when looking back at the tournament as a whole?
Afghanistan duo top the charts
Afghanistan were the unlikely semi-finalists as they finished second in Group 1 of the Super 8s, ahead of Australia.
And their deep run owed much to the form of Rahmanullah Gurbaz with the bat and Fazalhaq Farooqi with the ball.
Gurbaz finished as the tournament's top scorer, with 281 runs across his eight innings - an average of 35.12. He had a strike rate of 124.33 and a high score of 80, hitting three half-centuries and plundering 16 sixes and 18 fours.
India captain Rohit was second on the list, 24 runs back (257), with Australia's Travis Head third with 253, though they both boasted a better strike rate than Gurbaz (156.7 and 158.38 respectively).
Farooqi, meanwhile, took a tournament-leading 17 wickets, a tally he shared with India's Arshdeep Singh.
However, while Singh went for 215 runs from his 30 overs, Farooqi conceded just 160 runs from his 25.2 overs, for a bowling economy of 6.31.
Farooqi also finished with the best figures for a single match, taking 5-9 against Uganda on June 3.
India's hero Bumrah, meanwhile, finished with figures of 15-124, while South Africa paceman Anrich Nortje took 15-201.
Pooran the entertainer
West Indies could not get over the line in their home tournament, but that was not for the efforts of Nicholas Pooran, who proved to be the World Cup's great entertainer.
If Pooran was involved, you could bet there would be fun, as he smashed 17 sixes across his seven innings.
He also claimed the tournament's highest score, with his 98 from just 53 balls against Afghanistan on June 17, as the Windies set the highest score of the competition (218-5).
That knock included a remarkable eight maximums, so essentially half of Pooran's total.
Australia's Head struck the most fours (26), while South Africa skipper Aiden Markram was the one to avoid in the field when hitting big.
Markram took eight catches in nine matches, leading the tournament ahead of Harry Brook, Tristen Stubbs and Glenn Maxwell (all seven).
Records tumble in the final
Kohli smashed 76 runs from 59 balls in the final, helping India reach 176-7 - that is the highest score in a men's T20 World Cup final.
India's former captain had managed just 75 runs combined across his previous seven innings before the final, but came into form at the right time.
However, he bowed out of the shortest format having become just the third player to score more than 50 runs in multiple men's T20 World Cup finals, after Marlon Samuels and Kumar Sangakkara.
Yet South Africa looked all set to claim the trophy as they started the chase brilliantly, with Heinrich Klaasen reaching 50 from just 23 deliveries.
It is the fastest half-century in a men's T20 World Cup final, with Klaassen overtaking the previous record, set by Mitchell Marsh in 2021, by eight balls.
But from needing 30 runs from as many deliveries, South Africa collapsed, and India became the third team to win the T20 World Cup on multiple occasions, after West Indies and England.
England have confirmed their squad for the first two Tests of the three-match series against West Indies.
James Anderson will bring the curtain down on his stellar career after the first Test at Lord's, which starts on July 10.
Anderson has taken 700 Test wickets, the most of any fast bowler in the history of the format.
But with the 41-year-old bowing out, England captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum also have an eye on the future of their bowling attack.
Fast bowler Dillon Pennington and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith have earned their maiden call-ups, while Gus Atkinson could be in store for his first cap, after he was included in the squad that toured India earlier this year but did not feature.
Chris Woakes, meanwhile, returns to the fold for the first time in a Test squad since last year's Ashes, and Shoaib Bashir has got the nod over Jack Leach.
This squad will cover the second Test, at Trent Bridge, though a new selection is set to be made before the final match, which will start at Edgbaston on July 26.
Ollie Robinson, Ben Foakes, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have been left out, though the latter three have been involved in England's T20 World Cup campaign.
England squad for first two Tests: Ben Stokes (captain), James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Dillon Pennington, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced an updated 15-member squad for the three-Test Richards Botham series in England, starting on 10 July 2024 at Lord's.
The squad features one significant change: Kemar Roach has been replaced by St. Kitts & Nevis’ fast bowler, Jeremiah Louis due to Roach's ongoing rehabilitation from a knee injury sustained during the County Championship in England.
Lead Selector the Most Honorable Dr. Desmond Haynes remarked, “Kemar’s skill and experience in English conditions will be missed. However, this opportunity has been long in the making for Jeremiah Louis, he certainly has the skill and experience to make an impact in England.”
The Richards Botham series, named after West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards and England great Lord Ian Botham, is a historic rivalry dating back to 1928 when the West Indies first toured England.
West Indies Test Squad:
19-year-old fast bowler Isai Thorne will join the squad as a development player.
Team Management Unit:
Head Coach: Andre Coley, Team Manager: Rawl Lewis, Assistant Coaches: Jimmy Adams, Rayon Griffith, Shaun Tait, Physiotherapist: Dr. Denis Byam, Strength & Conditioning Coach: Ronald Rogers, Team Masseuse: Fitzbert Alleyne, Team Analyst: Avenesh Seetram.
The squad have been in a training camp at Tonbridge School and will play a 3-day warm-up match against the England Lions at Beckenham starting on 4 July.
Fixtures for England series:
Wednesday 3 July 2024 3-Day Warm-Up Match Beckenham
Wednesday 10 July 2024 1st Test Match Lord’s
Thursday 18 July 2024 2nd Test Match Trent Bridge
Friday 26 July 2024 3rd Test Match Edgbaston
Aiden Markram was in no mood to celebrate despite helping South Africa secure their place in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
The Proteas earned a three-wicket victory over co-hosts West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
South Africa restricted their opponents to 135-8, but lost Reeza Hendricks (1) and Quinton de Kock (7) in the second over before Tristan Stubbs and Heinrich Klaasen steadied the ship.
Marco Jansen was the man to get them over the line, holding his his nerve and hitting a six to secure the triumph with five balls of the contest remaining.
"A lot of relief to get through to the semi-final," captain Markram, who scored 18 runs from 22 balls, said after the encounter.
"But I'm not going to be brainwashed by that, we'd have liked to be a lot more convincing in getting the job done.
"It's been the story of our competition to get ourselves into tricky situations then by hook or by crook, get over the line."
For the West Indies, the defeat ended their hopes of claiming a third T20 World Cup title, having lost to England and overcoming fellow co-hosts the United States in their Super 8 fixtures.
"Credit to the boys, they fought to the very end. As a batting group, best to forget, the middle overs especially," Windies captain Rovman Powell said.
"When you look on a large scale, we haven't reached the semis. But the cricket we've played in the last 12 months is commendable. To move from number nine to number three in the world, there's a lot of buzz in West Indies cricket.
"When we hear the anthem play we hear something, we're heading in the right direction."
West Indies’ ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign came to an end on June 23, when the co-hosts suffered a narrow defeat to South Africa in their final Super Eights fixture.
After an exceptional start in the first round, having gathered all eight points from their four matches to top Group D, and making into the Super Eights as a serious title contender, West Indies witnessed a dip in form against England, and South Africa. This cost them their semi-final berth.
Still, captain Powell is proud of how the team progressed throughout the year, moving up the ladder to third place in June 2024 [a recent loss saw them drop a position] in the ICC Men’s T20 International Team Rankings.
“I think the cricket we have played in the last 12 months or so is commendable," stated Powell in the post-match presentation ceremony.
"Credit has to be given to the team. If you can take a year to move from number nine to number three in the world, that's tremendous work."
West Indies put up quite a show during the tournament, with a number of home players firing up the crowd's imagination. There were brilliant wins over New Zealand and Afghanistan.
The West Indies captain shared his joy in seeing a lot of buzz around the Caribbean again.
“We haven't won the World Cup, but there was a lot of improvement. There's a lot of buzz around the Caribbean again about West Indies cricket. We have done some very good things over the last 12 months.”
“Now is where the work starts. It's for us to continue to work as a group, still be tight, and hopefully, just hopefully, we can continue to climb the rankings and make the Caribbean people proud.”
Powell acknowledged the support they received on and off the field during the home World Cup and identified it as a sign that the team was headed in the right direction.
“That (the support) has been fantastic. For all the venues that we have played, for all the social media likes and stuff that people have given us, we as a team really appreciate it.”
Emphasizing on comeback of the West Indies’ cricketing culture, he added, “It's good to see that some buzz is back in the Caribbean for cricket, because we know how long that has died down. Now people are rallying around the West Indies as they do. Now, when we hear the anthem play, as players we feel something. I think that is heading in the right direction.”
The Windies succumbed to a disheartening loss against South Africa to step back from the tournament as they failed to defend a target of 123, in 17 overs (DLS).
A poor batting display kept them restricted to 135 runs in 20 overs, with Roston Chase (52 runs in 42 balls) bagging himself a half century. With the ball, Alzarri Joseph, Andre Russell, and Chase did an excellent job picking up a total of seven wickets between them but thanks to a composed finish from Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada, the South Africans took home a three-wicket win with five balls to spare.
Though dismayed at this outing, Powell credited his side for their spirit.
“As a batting group, this is one batting performance we'll try our best to forget. I think we didn't bat well in the middle overs especially," Powell said.
"You see both teams bat on the wicket. Obviously, it wasn't an easy wicket, especially to get started. I think it was a commendable bowling effort. 130 (135) at the halfway mark, we said we're just going to give it our all, whatever happens, happens.
"Credit has to be given to the guys at the halfway mark. They believed, even though it was only 135. They fight to the very end."
South Africa booked their place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals following a tense three-wicket victory over West Indies on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Following England's success over co-hosts the United States on Sunday, the game in Antigua was a straight shootout to decide the other side to progress from Group 2.
The Proteas elected to bowl first and looked in control, having restricted West Indies to 135-8, with Tabraiz Shamsi starring in their attack (3-27).
However, Andre Russell struck twice in the second over of the chase, seeing Reeza Hendricks (1) and Quinton de Kock (7) fall to leave South Africa 15-2.
The West Indies' momentum was halted, though, following a spell of rain at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, forcing the players off the pitch for over an hour.
South Africa returned with a new target from their remaining 17 overs, and although Roston Chase, who made 52 with the bat, took three wickets, the Proteas withstood the pressure as Marco Jansen sealed the win with a six with five balls remaining.
Data Debrief: De Kock breaks T20 record
With the stumping of Rovman Powell, De Kock became the first player to record 100 dismissals as a wicketkeeper in T20I's (82 catches, 18 stumpings).
South Africa have now won each of their last four men’s T20Is played in West Indies, after winning just one of their five games (L4) in the country prior to that.
For a long time, West Indies ODI skipper Shai Hope was looked at as a batsman who would struggle in the shortest form of the game because of what many described as an inability to score quickly.
Over the last couple years, however, Hope has rubbished those sentiments thanks to some destructive batting performances in the CPL as well as in leagues around the world.
His evolution as a T20 batsman was none more evident than during the West Indies’ game against the USA at the ICC T20 World Cup on Friday in his home country of Barbados.
Looking to bounce back from a loss to England in their first game of the Super 8 on Wednesday, the joint hosts dismissed their American counterparts for 128 after losing the toss at the Kensington Oval.
The West Indians then needed only 10.5 overs to reach 130-1, with Hope finishing 82* off just 39 balls. In a brilliant display of power hitting, Hope hit eight sixes and four fours on the way to his highest score in T20 Internationals.
“Clinical,” was how Hope described the team’s performance on Friday in a post-match press conference.
“Especially coming off the loss that we had a couple days ago. It's great to see the guys understood the assignment today and we played the cricket that we wanted to play. It's important for us to continue in this vein because we see what's at stake now. But yeah, very happy with the bounce back that we did today and there's a lot more cricket to play and we're looking forward to it,” he added.
On his own individual performance, Hope was happy to perform in front of his home crowd.
“Yeah, it was an amazing crowd. It's nice to see everyone came out and support us today. Something that we get in the Caribbean when we're doing well, we tend to see a lot more supporters out there. So that means we must be doing something right if you've got a solo crowd. But yeah, the crowd was rocking today,” he said.
“I thought that the support was amazing. Again, I'm from Barbados so playing in front of this lovely crowd meant a lot more to me. Scoring some runs and winning the game for the team felt even more special so I'm very happy to do that,” Hope added.
At the start of the tournament, Hope was on the outside of the XI looking in. He missed the first three games before coming into the side ahead of Roston Chase in the third game against Afghanistan where he 25 batting at number four.
The 30-year-old was then left out once again for the Super 8 opener against England. A side strain suffered by Brandon King during that game meant Hope was given an opportunity at the top of the order against the USA, an opportunity that he grabbed with both hands.
“Yeah, it's a great feeling. Again, whatever the team requires, that's me. Unfortunately, King had to leave us. Hopefully, he recovers quickly. But yeah, I had to go at the top this time around and the aim was just to get off to a good start. You see the importance of finishing the game early as well. So yeah, I had a good time in the middle, good surface and I enjoyed batting tonight,” he said.
“Just have to stay ready in a tournament like this. There's a reason why we have 15 players. All of them need to be ready whenever the time comes,” he added.
Finally, Hope issued a plea to the fans of the West Indies to continue supporting them on their journey to a third ICC T20 World Cup title.
“Keep rallying. That's our motto. We always talk about rallying around the West Indies. That's exactly what we need to keep doing. The team rallying around each other. The fans need to do the same. We're out there fighting for each and every one of us. So, you understand the importance and the magnitude of the tournament. We're playing a home World Cup, something that I'm sure a lot of cricketers over their careers may not get the opportunity to do. We understand the importance of this in particular and we know how much the fans really want us to win so we're fighting, we're doing it for them and it's great to see the support I hope that it continues for the rest of the tournament,” he said.
The West Indies will take on South Africa in their last Super 8 match on Sunday in Antigua.
West Indies hammered their fellow T20 World Cup hosts the United States by nine wickets to put themselves in the driving seat for a semi-final spot.
Having lost their opening Super 8s match to England, the Windies bounced back in style in Barbados on Friday.
Shai Hope's unbeaten 82, which came from 39 balls and included eight sixes, three of which came on the bounce, saw West Indies surpass the target of just 129 within 11 overs.
Hope was recalled to the team after an injury to Brandon King, but will be a tough drop for Rovman Powell now.
The USA had made a promising start, but slipped from 51-1 to 65-4 in the space of three overs, with Andre Russell the pick of the Windies' bowlers (3-31).
They were skittled out for 128, with Hope, Johnson Charles (15) and Nicholas Pooran (27 not out) wasting little time in securing a margin of victory that sends West Indies above England in Group 2, while their net run rate is also superior to South Africa's.
The Proteas are West Indies' final opponents, while defending champions England face the USA in their last Super 8s match.
Data Debrief: Windies in fine fettle
West Indies have now won nine of their 11 T20Is in 2024, after winning eight games in each of 2022 and 2023.
Their tally of victories this year matches 2021 as their best effort in a single calendar year.
They have also won five of their last seven T20Is at Kensington Oval, and their last three in a row.
West Indies all-rounder Roston Chase believes it is his country's destiny to win the T20 World Cup following their nine-wicket victory over fellow co-hosts the United States.
The 32-year-old took 3-19 as the USA were bowled out for 128, with Shai Hope hitting an unbeaten 82 from 39 balls as the Windies leapfrogged England in the race for the semi-finals.
"It is our destiny and our goal to win this World Cup," Chase said after the victory. "We want teams to know they have to beat us to win this World Cup."
Rovman Powell's side equalled the record for the West Indies' most wins in a single calendar year (W9 in 2021) in T20Is, and face South Africa in Antigua next Monday.
The triumph continued their impressive T20 record at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, and they have now won five of their previous seven T20Is at the venue.
The last and only previous time they won more consecutive games in Barbados was a four-game streak from May 2010 to March 2014, which has got the West Indies believing they can claim a third title.
"It's very special," captain Powell said. "Kensington brings special memories for us. We had no better opportunity to come out and play some good cricket."
The USA still holds on to the hopes of qualifying for the competition's semi-finals but knows their hopes of progression lie elsewhere.
Having lost their opening Super 8 fixture to South Africa, they will be hoping the Proteas can do them a favour in defeating the West Indies but would need a comprehensive victory of their own against current champions England.
"We lost wickets in clusters," captain Aaron Jones said. "I don't think we ever truly recovered from that. It was bad in the middle.
"We'll go back to the drawing board and come back hard against England on Sunday."
West Indies hammered their fellow T20 World Cup hosts the United States by nine wickets to put themselves in the driving seat for a semi-final spot.
Having lost their opening Super 8s match to England, the Windies bounced back in style in Barbados on Friday.
Shai Hope's unbeaten 82, which came from 39 balls and included eight sixes, three of which came on the bounce, saw West Indies surpass the target of just 129 within 11 overs.
Hope was recalled to the team after an injury to Brandon King, but will be a tough drop for Rovman Powell now.
The USA had made a promising start, but slipped from 51-1 to 65-4 in the space of three overs, with Andre Russell the pick of the Windies' bowlers (3-31). Andre Gous (29) and Nitish Kumar (20) were the best scores on the board, as they were skittled out for 128.
Hope, Johnson Charles (15) and Nicholas Pooran (27 not out) then wasted little time in securing a margin of victory that sends West Indies above England in Group 2, while their net run rate is also superior to South Africa's.
The Proteas are West Indies' final opponents, while defending champions England face the USA in their last Super 8s match.
Data Debrief: Windies in fine fettle
West Indies have now won nine of their 11 T20Is in 2024, after winning eight games in each of 2022 and 2023.
Their tally of victories this year matches 2021 as their best effort in a single calendar year.
They have also won five of their last seven T20Is at Kensington Oval, and their last three in a row.
Barbadian Kyle Mayers has been added to the West Indies squad as replacement for Brandon King ahead of their crucial ICC Men's T20 World Cup Super Eight clash against United States.
The left-hander's approval was confirmed by the tournament's Event Technical Committee on Friday.
Mayers, who has played 37 T20Is, was named as a replacement after King was ruled out due to a side strain which forced him to retire hurt in the Caribbean side's loss to England in St Lucia.
However, Mayers will not be involved in the clash of the co-hosts, as he is expected to join the squad on Saturday, and could possibly feature in their final Group 2 Super Eight contest against South Africa.
The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the player can be officially added to the squad.
The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 consists of Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager – Cricket), Chris Tetley (ICC Head of Events), Johnny Grave (CEO, Cricket West Indies) and Kass Naidoo (Independent Representative).
West Indies fans were left perplexed when pacer Obed McCoy was left out of the XI to play England in their opening Super 8 encounter at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia on Wednesday.
The Vincentian left-arm quick took 3-14 from three overs in the last group stage game against Afghanistan at the same venue after coming into the team for Romario Shepherd who left the squad to attend the birth of his second child.
Historically, McCoy’s eight wickets in three games at the venue is the third most among active cricketers with only Pakistan Saeed Ajmal with 11 wickets in five games and Hayden Walsh Jr with 12 wickets in five games ahead of him.
Despite these statistics, McCoy was left out of the team that suffered a brutal eight-wicket loss on Thursday.
Shepherd, who came back into the side in place of McCoy, conceded 41 runs in two overs.
His last over was belted for 30 runs by Phil Salt who finished 87*.
West Indies Captain Rovman Powell defended the call to leave McCoy out of the side.
“I think when you're selecting a team and you have players that are playing good you will always have to make the tough decision. We sat down as a selection group and thought that the team that played today is our better team to face England and it just didn't work out tonight,” Powell said in a post-match press conference.
The hosts will next take on joint hosts the USA in Barbados on Friday before facing South Africa in their final Super 8 game in Antigua on Sunday.
Despite Wednesday’s loss, the West Indies still have their fate in their own hands as wins in those two games will see them having a good chance of making it to the last four.
“I think our destiny is still in our own hands. It's just for us to continue to play good cricket. And once we do that, we think we'll be ok,” Powell said.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
