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Spinner Akeal Hosein enjoyed a memorable night in Providence, Guyana as the West Indies eclipsed their old T20I record margin of victory with 134-run win over Uganda in ICC 2024 T20 World Cup action.
Hosein took 5 for 11 as the Maroon Men bowled Uganda out for 39 runs from 12 overs, which tied the Netherlands’ 2014 team for the lowest score at the T20 World Cup.
Photo: ICC
Meanwhile, West Indies obliterated their previous biggest margin of victory of 84 runs against Pakistan on 1 April 2014.
Dwayne Bravo was man of the match in 2014 with 46 runs off 26 balls. Today, his Trinidad and Tobago compatriot, Hosein, did the honours.
After an unconvincing opening win over Papua New Guinea, West Indies captain Rovman Powell said it was important to get a result last night.
“We talk about improving 10-15% every match,” said Powell, in the post-game press conference. “Last game, we were flat so we just wanted to improve as a team.
(Photo ICC)
“When you are playing at home, the pressure can sometimes get to you. So, a little bit of rust [in the first match]. We started off at 60%, now up to 70-80% and from here, it gets tougher.”
Powell won the toss and elected to bat. And West Indies posted a total of 173/5, with Johnson Charles’ 44 from 42 balls at the top end well supported by Andre Russell’s late cameo of 30 from 17.
“Guyana is always a tough pitch—I felt I really had to give something for the team,” said Charles. “I wanted to make use of the first six [overs]. I wanted to open up the off side but their pacers bowled well, sticking to their plans. The pitch did not really bounce.
“I think we have a decent total on the board. Once we nail our lengths, we have a decent chance.”
It took just two balls for Hosein to trap opener Roger Mukasa lbw in what was a Uganda record eighth duck for the batsman. And the African team never recovered.
“I think I needed this,” said Hosein, who said his success is the culmination of hard work. “In the nets and in the previous series, I felt the ball was coming out good but I was just not getting the rewards.
“When you get success, guys are going to study you and have a plan. You always have to stay a step ahead.
(Photo CWI Media)
“For me, it is just about trying to react to what the surface is doing and planning it out. Even if the ball is going both ways, you cannot do much if you don’t plan. So, it is about planning the over well.”
Powell described Hosein as fantastic.
“That is why he is the number three ranked bowler in the world,” he said. “He has done it against full-member nations as well, and we expect him to do it against teams that are just coming into international cricket.”
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
It was a tough night for Uganda captain Brian Masaba and his troops. But he suggested that games like these are necessary for his team to improve.
“It is a very steep learning curve—it just shows the difference in class,” he said. “We were outplayed but we must [learn] from it: as a batting unit, what we can do better to keep us in the game.
“There were some positives in that bowling performance. To keep them under 200 stood out. The way we bowled at the death, that was very impressive from the two young men (Cosmas Kyewuta and Juma Miyagi). Hopefully we can build on that.”
Powell certainly hopes that the West Indies stay close to their best for the rest of the competition. At present, the hosts trail Afghanistan in the standings by net run rate but would be wary of the threat posed by the dangerous New Zealand team.
West Indies and New Zealand square off at Tarouba on Wednesday 12 June, with the “Kiwis” in real danger of failing to progress with a defeat.
“It is just for us to continue to play good cricket,” said Powell. “We have played good cricket for the last 12 months or so. It gets tougher from here but we understand conditions and cricket is not easy in the Caribbean.”
Summarised scores:
West Indies: 173/5 (20 overs) (Johnson Charles 44, Andre Russell 30*, Rovman Powell 23; Brian Masaba 2/31)
Uganda: 39 (12 overs) (Juma Miyagi 13*; Akeal Hosein 5/11, Alzarri Joseph 2/6)
Man of the Match: Akeal Hosein
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