Windies stay winning, enter Super 8s with perfect record

West Indies continued their winning ways at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup when they got a 42-run win over newcomers Italy at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on February 19 to finish group C play with a perfect record. 

Sent to bat first, the Windies made a modest score of 165 for six on the back of a brilliant fifty from skipper Shai Hope (75 off 46 balls). With ball in hand, West Indies showed their quality again as they bowled out Italy for 123, with pacers Shamar Joseph (four for 30) and Matthew Forde (three for 19) leading the way in another clinical performance. It was a unique effort in the field for Joseph, who complemented a career-best T20 haul by taking four catches. 

For the Windies, it wasn’t the most fluent display with the bat by any stretch, with Hope pointing to a mixture of good bowling from the Italians and a general unfamiliarity with their bowling weapons. The Windies were rocked twice early on, as opening batsman Brandon King (four) was dismissed in the second over, while Shimron Hetmyer (one) was spectacularly caught at short third man off pacer Thomas Draca in the fifth over of the match. 

From L-R: Shimron Hetmyer, Matthew Forde, and Shamar Joseph celebrate a wicket against Scotland. Photo courtesy Windies Cricket

With Hope leading from the front with six fours and four sixes, he stitched together a 64-run partnership for the third wicket with countryman Roston Chase (24 off 25) to take the West Indies to 95 for three. Hope and former captain Rovman Powell (nine) fell in quick succession as West Indies slipped to 115 for five, but timely cameos from Sherfane Rutherford (24 not out off 15) and Forde (16 not out off eight) saw the regional team score 50 runs in the last five overs. 

After a solid bowling display, Italy were trying to land a big scalp before hitting the World Cup exit door. However, their power play struggles continued as they slipped to 37 for three by the sixth over with Forde grabbing two early scalps. The speedy Joseph joined the party in his first over when he removed Italy captain Harry Manenti (eight), with Gudakesh Motie striking soon after as the Europeans slipped to 78 for five at the end of the 12th over. 

The writing was on the wall thereafter as the last five Italian wickets fell for just 45 runs, with Joseph wrapping up the tail with the scalps of Thomas Draca (five) and last man Ali Hasan (duck) in the 18th over. 

With a flawless record to show from their group stage exploits, West Indies will now start the Super 8s phase against Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on February 23. West Indies’ remaining Super 8 matches will be played against 2024 T20 World Cup finalists South Africa and India on February 26 and March 1, respectively. India defeated the South Africans by seven runs to lift the 2024 title at Kensington Oval, Barbados. 

Summarised Scores: 

WEST INDIES: 165/6 from 20 overs (Shai Hope 75, Sherfane Rutherford 24 not out, Roston Chase 24, Matthew Forde 16 not out; Crishan Kalugamage 2/25, Benjamin Manenti 2/37) vs ITALY: 123 from 18 overs (B Manenti 26, JJ Smuts 24, Anthony Mosca 19; Shamar Joseph 4/30, Matthew Forde 3/19). West Indies won by 42 runs. 

Army whipped by Philadelphia in Concacaf Champions Cup

On a night when they would have been hoping for some Ash Wednesday blessings to fall their way, Defence Force had a terrible return to the Concacaf Champions Cup as they were whipped 5-0 by Philadelphia Union at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on February 18. 

The first leg could not have possibly gone worse for the TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) reigning champions, as their Major League Soccer (MLS) guests dominated from start to finish, while the hosts lost playmaker Joevin Jones to a sending-off in second-half stoppage-time. Not for the first time on this Concacaf journey, coach Devorn Jorsling will have to try to lift his team’s spirits after a heavy defeat on home soil. On this occasion, though, the campaign looks destined for an inauspicious end. 

It was a relatively cautious start to the game by both teams, as the Army tried to sit back and strike on the break through makeshift lone striker Kathon St Hillaire, while Philadelphia tried to work neat, swift combinations through the midfield and up to their giant strikers Ezekiel Alladoh and Stas Korzeniowski. Defence Force fashioned a pair of half-chances in the opening 20 minutes, as St Hillaire fired wildly over the bar after being freed on the counter by Justin Sadoo, while Jones slammed an ambitious long-range volley over the bar as well. 

Philadelphia Union's Cavan Sullivan (L) and Bruno Damiani (R) celebrate a goal against Defence Force in their Concacaf Champions Cup clash at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on February 18. Photo courtesy Concacaf 

By the end of the first half, though, Philadelphia clearly had the measure of their hosts. They opened up a 2-0 advantage thanks to goals from Alladoh and Man of the Match Milan Iloski, who opened the scoring with a peach of a free kick past goalie Isaiah Williams in the 29th minute. With captain and playmaker Kevin “Nash” Molino often hounded by two and three markers in the midfield, Defence Force offered very little by way of an attacking threat and mustered just four shots in the game, one of which was on target. 

Asserting their dominance ahead of the return leg in Pennsylvania on February 26, Philadelphia went 3-0 up in the 64th minute when towering defender Olwethu Makhanya headed in from a right-side Iloski corner. In the 69th minute, Williams was picking the ball out of his net again as substitute Bruno Damiani scored via a deflection with a left-footed shot from the edge of the area. 

Almost to rub salt in the wounds, Defence Force conceded again in the 81st minute after Grenadian referee Reon Radix consulted VAR to award a penalty to Philadelphia. Damiani made no mistake from the spot and got his team’s fifth goal – and his brace – despite a touch from the sprawling Williams. 

Before the 1,300-strong crowd in the second minute of stoppage-time, Jones, arguably his team’s most lively player on the night, was sent for an early shower when he received his second yellow card of the match. 

Defence Force still have a second leg to look forward to, but it looks like their Champions Cup run will end abruptly in round one.