New Zealand 291 for 8 (Williamson 148, Taylor 69, Cottrell 4-56) beat West Indies 286 (Brathwaite 101, Gayle 87, Hetmyer 54, Boult 4-30, Ferguson 3-59) by 5 runs
As it happened
We’ve had Sri Lanka, the No. 9-ranked team that came to the World Cup in utter disarray, stunning the No. 1 side England. We’ve had Afghanistan coming within a couple of hits of upsetting India.
Neither of those results, however, will live on as the defining memory of these last two days.
West Indies, chasing 292 against New Zealand at Old Trafford, were 164 for 7. Then 211 for 8. And 245 for 9. But Carlos Brathwaite wouldn’t be defeated. He saw off the tenth overs of Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson, New Zealand’s best and most dangerous bowlers on the day, with a bit of help from the No. 11 Oshane Thomas.
Then, with 33 needed off the last three overs, he tore into Matt Henry. There was a sweet, baseball-style swat over long-on, a mighty drive high over extra-cover. There was a fortuitous slice wide of third man and a top-edge over the keeper too, but no one – perhaps not even the New Zealanders – will have begrudged him a bit of luck: 2, 6, 6, 6, 4, and an all-important last-ball single to keep the strike, smartly steered to third man. Brathwaite ended the over on 99, with West Indies eight runs from victory.
New Zealand had used up their main bowling options, so they went with their fifth bowler, James Neesham, for the 49th.
Fifth bowler against one of the game’s most dangerous hitters, a man with the winds of an otherworldly performance in his sails, a man with the winds of history in his sails. Remember the name?
But Neesham’s slower ball kept him on tenterhooks. Two swipes and misses. Then a pulled double to bring up three figures. Only six needed. One hit.
Last ball of the 49th was in Brathwaite’s arc: a touch short of a length, angling into him but not so much that he doesn’t have swinging room. Big swing, and a pretty sweet connection.
But not sweet enough, not far enough to the right of Trent Boult, sprinting from long-on. He was leaning over the boundary rope when he caught the ball, his feet inches away from it. Inches.
More to follow…