Champion… Champion… Champion… Champion… Champion…
Egbert Gaye
At least two million US dollars flowed into the Caribbean after both men and women teams of West Indies won the Cricket World T20 2016 title on April 3, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India.
Both teams did it in spectacular fashion with the women team trouncing world champions Australia by eight wickets, ending the Aussies four-year domination of the tournament.
It was the WIndies women’s first hold on the championship.
The game, which was played in the morning, saw Australia batting first and amassing a 148 for five, the team’s highest total in the tournament. But the West Indies, fuelled by an opening stand of 120 between skipper Stafanie Taylor and young Hayley Matthews, easily surpassed it with three balls to spare.
The 18-year-old Matthews walloped the Australian bowlers to score 66 off 45 balls, including six fours and three sixes. Taylor scored 59 off 57 balls with six boundaries.
The team took home $1 Million for their efforts.
Inspired by the women’s performance, the men’s team, under captain Darren Sammy, beat up on England to become the first team to win the championship twice, earning a respectable $1.6 million US.
Batting first, England made 155 for 9. Barbados’ Carlos Braithwaite took 3 wickets for 23 and T&T’s Dwayne Bravo grabbed 3 for 37, then West Indies led by a brilliant 85 not out from Marlon Samuel, and a spectacular 34 from Braithwaite who struck four sixes in the last over.
