PALLEKELE (SRI LANKA), September 27: A little-known Johnson Charles scored his maiden half-century while big-hitting Chris Gayle too made a quick-fire fifty to propel West Indies to a competitive 179 for five against England in a Super Eights match of the ICC World Twenty20 in Pallekele on Thursday.
After an incredibly slow start, Charles used his long handle to great effect to notch up his personal best score off 84 that came off just 56 balls with help of 10 fours and three sixes.
Opting to bat in the second Group 1 game of the Super Eights, Charles and Gayle (58 off 35) produced a 103-run opening partnership to set the platform for the West Indies’ total.
Skipper Stuart Broad was the pick of the English bowlers with figures of two for 26.
Gayle turned the heat on the English bowlers in the second over when he hit Jade Dernbach for three fours.
Charles, on the other hand, was slow to get off the blocks and wasted too many deliveries in the six overs of powerplay to put additional pressure on Gayle.
But it hardly had any affect on Gayle as the big-hitting left-hander welcomed left-arm spinner Samit Patel with three huge sixes to pick up 19 runs of the eight over.
Gayle’s pyrotechnics seemed to have inspired Johnson, who made up for his slow start by spanking Graeme Swann for two sixes and a four to notch up 18 runs of the next over.
In the process, Gayle also notched up his ninth T20 half century off just 29 balls.
In the 11th over of West Indies innings both the team’s witnessed mixed fortunes, but in the end it was England who had the last laugh.
The drama started with Gayle hitting Swann for another of his huge sixes and then Steven Finn added salt to the bowler’s wound when he dropped Charles in the fifth ball. But Finn made amends for his drop a ball later by holding on to dangerous-looking Gayle’s catch. He struck six fours and four sixes during his 35-ball stay.
Charles, however, continued his fine display and smashed two more fours, this time of Luke Wright’s bowling, to score his fifty off just 36 balls.
Marlon Samuels (2), Kieron Pollard (1) and captain Darren Sammy didn’t trouble the scorers much.
In search of quick runs, Charles finally fell in the 18th over, caught by Jonny Bairstow off Dernbach.
Dwayne Bravo (11 not out) and Andre Russell (10 not out) made full use of the few deliveries they got and picked up 15 runs of the final over of the innings, courtesy three hits to the fence off Dernbach.
Brief Score:
West Indies:
Johnson Charles c Bairstow b Dernbach 84
Chris Gayle c Finn b Swann 58
Marlon Samuels c Morgan b Broad 2
Kieron Pollard c Wright b Finn 1
Dwayne Bravo not out 11
Darren Sammy b Broad 4
Andre Russell not out 10
Extras: (B—1 LB—7 W—1) 9
Total: (For 5 wkts in 20 overs) 179
Fall of wickets: 1/103 2/118 3/128 4/154 5/158
Bowling: Steven Finn 4—0—26—1, Jade Dernbach 4—0—38—1, Stuart Broad 4—1—26—2, Graeme Swann 3—0—32—1, Samit Patel 4—0—38—0, Luke Wright 1—0—11—0.
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