Reuters :
Eoin Morgan’s England signalled their title aspiration with a comfortable six-wicket victory against defending champions West Indies in their Twenty20 World Cup opener on Saturday.
Batting fireworks were expected in the repeat of the 2016 final between the sides but England made it a one-sided affair with their bowlers running amok at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Moeen Ali (2-17) wrecked the West Indies top order before Adil Rashid ran through rest of the line-up to skittle out the Caribbean side for a paltry 55 inside 15 overs.
England, bidding to become the first side to hold the 20-overs and 50-overs World Cup titles at the same time, chased down the target in 8.2 overs to begin their Super 12 campaign in style.
Morgan’s men endured their own batting wobble in their chase losing four wickets in the process but their victory was never in doubt.
Earlier, wary of the evening dew that could make gripping the ball a challenge, Morgan opted to field and West Indies slumped to 37-5 inside eight overs with Moeen in the thick of things.
Stationed at mid-off, Moeen ran backwards chasing a skier from Evin Lewis and took a terrific running catch over his shoulder to draw first blood.
In the next over, Moeen, who bowled his four overs on the trot, had Lendl Simmons caught in the deep and the spinner returned to dismiss Shimron Hetmyer to jolt West Indies.
The middle order did hardly any better as Tymal Mills dismiss
Rashid then ran through the bottom half of the West Indies line-up, dismissing Kieron Pollard and Obed McCoy off successive deliveries.
Gayle’s 13 was the only double digit score in West Indies’ abject batting capitulation against England’s fiery attack. Rashid sent down 14 deliveries, conceded only two runs and claimed four wickets in a terrific display of spin bowling.
AFP adds: Adil Rashid returned figures of 4-2 to set up a six-wicket victory for England after they dismissed defending champions West Indies for a paltry 55 at the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday.
West Indies rattled England’s top order before Jos Buttler (24) and skipper Eoin Morgan (7) took the team home in 8.2 overs in Dubai.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein took two wickets and Moeen Ali was run out, but the target proved too meagre to challenge England.
Moeen opened the bowling for England with his off-spin and made an instant impact, first with a sharp running catch to remove Evin Lewis. He then got the wicket of Lendl Simmons.
Pace bowler Tymal Mills claimed two wickets including Chris Gayle, the only batsman to make double figures with his 13, as West Indies crumbled in a poor batting performance from the two-time champions.
Rashid entered the attack with West Indies on 44-6 and bowled the big-hitting Andre Russell for nought. He took two more wickets in successive balls in his next over and then wrapped up the innings.
He returned outstanding figures of 4-2 from his 2.2 overs of leg-spin. West Indies avoided their worst T20 total of 45 against the same opposition in 2019.
The two sides met five years after their clash in the 2016 final in Kolkata when Carlos Brathwaite hit Ben Stokes for four straight sixes in the last over.
But with Saturday’s crushing performance, England have fired a warning to their rivals in the seventh edition of T20’s showpiece event.ed Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran, while Chris Jordan removed Dwayne Bravo to further turn the screws.
Eoin Morgan’s England signalled their title aspiration with a comfortable six-wicket victory against defending champions West Indies in their Twenty20 World Cup opener on Saturday.
Batting fireworks were expected in the repeat of the 2016 final between the sides but England made it a one-sided affair with their bowlers running amok at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Moeen Ali (2-17) wrecked the West Indies top order before Adil Rashid ran through rest of the line-up to skittle out the Caribbean side for a paltry 55 inside 15 overs.
England, bidding to become the first side to hold the 20-overs and 50-overs World Cup titles at the same time, chased down the target in 8.2 overs to begin their Super 12 campaign in style.
Morgan’s men endured their own batting wobble in their chase losing four wickets in the process but their victory was never in doubt.
Earlier, wary of the evening dew that could make gripping the ball a challenge, Morgan opted to field and West Indies slumped to 37-5 inside eight overs with Moeen in the thick of things.
Stationed at mid-off, Moeen ran backwards chasing a skier from Evin Lewis and took a terrific running catch over his shoulder to draw first blood.
In the next over, Moeen, who bowled his four overs on the trot, had Lendl Simmons caught in the deep and the spinner returned to dismiss Shimron Hetmyer to jolt West Indies.
The middle order did hardly any better as Tymal Mills dismiss
Rashid then ran through the bottom half of the West Indies line-up, dismissing Kieron Pollard and Obed McCoy off successive deliveries.
Gayle’s 13 was the only double digit score in West Indies’ abject batting capitulation against England’s fiery attack. Rashid sent down 14 deliveries, conceded only two runs and claimed four wickets in a terrific display of spin bowling.
AFP adds: Adil Rashid returned figures of 4-2 to set up a six-wicket victory for England after they dismissed defending champions West Indies for a paltry 55 at the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday.
West Indies rattled England’s top order before Jos Buttler (24) and skipper Eoin Morgan (7) took the team home in 8.2 overs in Dubai.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein took two wickets and Moeen Ali was run out, but the target proved too meagre to challenge England.
Moeen opened the bowling for England with his off-spin and made an instant impact, first with a sharp running catch to remove Evin Lewis. He then got the wicket of Lendl Simmons.
Pace bowler Tymal Mills claimed two wickets including Chris Gayle, the only batsman to make double figures with his 13, as West Indies crumbled in a poor batting performance from the two-time champions.
Rashid entered the attack with West Indies on 44-6 and bowled the big-hitting Andre Russell for nought. He took two more wickets in successive balls in his next over and then wrapped up the innings.
He returned outstanding figures of 4-2 from his 2.2 overs of leg-spin. West Indies avoided their worst T20 total of 45 against the same opposition in 2019.
The two sides met five years after their clash in the 2016 final in Kolkata when Carlos Brathwaite hit Ben Stokes for four straight sixes in the last over.
But with Saturday’s crushing performance, England have fired a warning to their rivals in the seventh edition of T20’s showpiece event.ed Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran, while Chris Jordan removed Dwayne Bravo to further turn the screws.
