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New Zealand [291/8] beat West Indies [286] by 5 runs in the 29th match of the 2019 World Cup

What a game. Braithwaite played an excellent innings. Should have gone for the single imo. But West Indies should be kicking themselves for not winning the game especially Gayle and Hetmyer.
 
BDfanforever said:
So you dont think NZ was at all lucky in all those three games?
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We've had a lot of stuff go against us too. We dropped Gayle 3 times tonight and missed several run out chances. The other day Guptills hit wicket, 2-3 dropped catches, Taylor getting out several times down leg. Our fielding has not been good this WC.
 
BDfanforever said:
Btw I like the Nz team, i just not liking how lucky they are getting at this tournament.
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Guptil and Munro are out of form, heavily dependent on Kane and Rosco. Bowling see out Ferguson and Boult's new ball you can get runs. Pakistan will beat them, Pakistan have their numbers on World Cup
 
Aman said:
We've had a lot of stuff go against us too. We dropped Gayle 3 times tonight and missed several run out chances. The other day Guptills hit wicket, Taylor getting out several times down leg.
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It would not still out do the luck. If you meet Aus in KO, it will be repeat of 2015 final.
 
Ashraful_Rox said:
Guptil and Munro are out of form, heavily dependent on Kane and Rosco. Bowling see out Ferguson and Boult's new ball you can get runs. Pakistan will beat them, Pakistan have their numbers on World Cup
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Munro isn't out of form, he just sucks in ODIs.
 
Aman said:
Shoulder height is allowed.

It was beneath shoulder height the one they replayed, the others you couldn't really tell without a side on replay.

Either way, we're likely on to the semis and you're likely out :)
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So they can ball six bouncers as long as they’re below shoulder height??

With respect to Pakistan, it is what it is.
Fortunately i’ll be at Lords on Tuesday to watch my second team against the Aussies..
and i’m Allowed to vent when the umpires get it wrong..
 
AamchiMumbaikar said:
They are monsters in T20 format, just see how they will perform in next years T20 WC. 20 overs is just perfect for them.
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Yes. The shortest format suits their impulsiveness as the lack of time cancels out the cost relative to 50 overs. Ie 40 of 20 balls in a T20 can win the game (or if x players do it, set up a good score), not in 50 overs.
 
That is a major blow for Pak. Needed to keep kiwi on 9 points.
They won't beat England or Aus, so if we beat them they would only have 9 at the end.
They have been o so jammy
 
IMMY69 said:
So they can ball six bouncers as long as they’re below shoulder height??

With respect to Pakistan, it is what it is.
Fortunately i’ll be at Lords on Tuesday to watch my second team against the Aussies..
and i’m Allowed to vent when the umpires get it wrong..
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A bouncer is above shoulder height.

The square leg umpire saw none that were higher than shoulder height.
 
Batting and fielding need to improve.

I just hope Munro is finally done.
 
Oh my God.
I tuned out when windies were 8 down for 210 or something.
And just checked to see the margin of NZs win and i cant believe it.What happened?Why did i miss it,man.
Seems like a thriller.Congratulations,Kiwis.
All of their matches have been nailbiters, i swear and everytime they manage to sneak ahead.Must be a rollercoaster ride for the fans.
 
Making the Semis was overachieving for this team. So I'm content if that's as far as they go.
 
Aman said:
We're not winning a Semi against anyone unless our batting and bowling improves.
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Adam Milne and Ferguson bowling together would have been a sight. Henry won't do much against Aus, Eng or India if there's no swing
 
NZ dominate through the group stages and then find a way to be underwhelmed in the latter stages.

92’ SF
99’ SF
15’ F
 
ManFan said:
NZ dominate through the group stages and then find a way to be underwhelmed in the latter stages.

92’ SF
99’ SF
15’ F
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We're great up until the KOs and face stronger teams.
 
NZ will likely be rotating players to find the best XI.

Ian Smith talking about Munro and Henry.
 
BDfanforever said:
Except this time lower rated teams almost matched you in group stage. So maybe in KO you will do great but if you face Starc/Cummins then RIP.
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We're undefeated while not playing close to our best cricket.
 
Aman said:
We're great up until the KOs and face stronger teams.
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Last time, I think NZ played every game at home until the Final and when B-Mac failed for the first time, the nerves just hit them.

But NZ are fortunate to have had two great captains; one ultra aggressive and the other extremely stoic.

For them to get to the next level, they need to develop two things;

1) Better usage of reverse swing during the middle overs.

2) Williamson to bat with a bit more intent.
 
BDfanforever said:
What are blabbing about. These players dont need tournament money. They make millions through sponsorships, even Kholi regular salary is like 200k for team India.
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Think about the lesser teams, not everyone in the playing 11 is Kohli. Also, it's a global tournament, prize money and top 4 rewards are quite embarrassing. You won't understand if you just follow cricket as your only sport.
 
ManFan said:
Last time, I think NZ played every game at home until the Final and when B-Mac failed for the first time, the nerves just hit them.

But NZ are fortunate to have had two great captains; one ultra aggressive and the other extremely stoic.

For them to get to the next level, they need to develop two things;

1) Better usage of reverse swing during the middle overs.

2) Williamson to bat with a bit more intent.
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We've has always been our professionalism and clinical cricket. We don't have the best players but we're a good unit who fields well, holds their nerve and is well prepared for opponents. Thats enough to get us to the KOs before we face teams who have better players that can perform better at that level and stage.
 
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Ashraful_Rox said:
Think about the lesser teams, not everyone in the playing 11 is Kohli. Also, it's a global tournament, prize money and top 4 rewards are quite embarrassing. You won't understand if you just follow cricket as your only sport.
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Why would a normal man ever worry about an athlete salary lol.
 
Abdullah said:
I agree. Total luck. Will get smacked by the big boys unless Boult bowls one of those spells up front
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How's it luck when you have things like guptill getting hit wicket? That's not luck for the opposition?
 
Aman said:
We've has always been our professionalism and clinical cricket. We don't have the best players but we're a good unit who fields well, holds their nerve and is well prepared for opponents. Thats enough to get us to the KOs before we face teams who have better players that can perform better at that level and stage.
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we have always relied on professionalism and clinical cricket*
 
BDfanforever said:
What are blabbing about. These players dont need tournament money. They make millions through sponsorships, even Kholi regular salary is like 200k for team India.
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Ok then why have prize money, they are already rich
 
Indiafan said:
How's it luck when you have things like guptill getting hit wicket? That's not luck for the opposition?
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It is but, getting over the line for the kiwis has involved a lot of fortune.
And then getting a point from India too
 
So now that we (NZ) have played several games its time to reflect and tinker. Firstly, the fact we are winning while playing well below our best is a good sign, but our only clinical performance was in the opener against Sri Lanka. We have to play at that level to truly compete in the knock out rounds.

We also need to spend much more time practicing outfield catches and hitting the stumps with run out chances.

Munro has to be dropped for Nicholls for the rest of the tournament. No way is Munro making substantial runs against the likes of Starc, Cummins, Bumrah in knock out games. I can at least envision Nicholls grinding out 30s and 50s and he seems to do well in pressure situations. Have to have faith that Guptill will come good.

Kane and Ross no complaints except for running which is what it is, the game should come easier to them if other batsmen contribute more.

Treat Latham like a safety blanket. If we lose the 3rd wicket before the 30th over send in Latham to steady things. If we lose our 3rd wicket from over 30 onward promote Neesham and CDG, let them have a few overs to acclimatize to the conditions so they can try and dominate the game. If they both fail Latham can stabilize the innings and try to eek out some kind of score with whoever he goes out to bat with + Santner and the bowlers.

Henry is not allowed to bowl in the death overs if the opponent has anything resembling a power hitter, even tail end power hitters like Starc. We should know this already. Need to make sure at least the last 6 overs are shared between Ferguson, Boult and Neesham or a spinner if its a slow turning track. Also if we aren't going to have a slip for our pacers against the tail then we should have a fly slip.

The selectors will probably be tempted to try Southee after that Henry death over. He has been our worst bowler over the last 4 years and is very lucky to be in the squad, he should not be picked unless we get an injury. He sucks especially badly against good teams and averages over 53 against India/Aus/England since the last world cup. Henry has had 3 good games out of 5 this world cup. Southee has had maybe 3 good games in the last 4 years.

If we pick Sodhi the 2 bowlers that least suit Sodhi pitches are Neesham and Henry. Probably want to drop Henry in that case as Neesham is a better batsman with more bowling variations. First 10 overs of bowling should be between Boult, Santner and CDG. Neesham and Williamson as 6th and 7th bowling options is enough on spinning tracks.
 
So far Latham’s contributions in this tournament have been Malik-esque.
[MENTION=132954]Aman[/MENTION] do you think it would be worth bringing Blundell into the team for the next 3 games?

And how about Henry Nichols? Any chance he gets a run out in the next few games?
 
delpiero10 said:
So far Latham’s contributions in this tournament have been Malik-esque.

[MENTION=132954]Aman[/MENTION] do you think it would be worth bringing Blundell into the team for the next 3 games?

And how about Henry Nichols? Any chance he gets a run out in the next few games?
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Worth giving Blundell a run to find the best XI.

Nicolls may get a game in the next few. Munro has not been scoring runs.
 
Phantom Menace said:
So now that we (NZ) have played several games its time to reflect and tinker. Firstly, the fact we are winning while playing well below our best is a good sign, but our only clinical performance was in the opener against Sri Lanka. We have to play at that level to truly compete in the knock out rounds.

We also need to spend much more time practicing outfield catches and hitting the stumps with run out chances.

Munro has to be dropped for Nicholls for the rest of the tournament. No way is Munro making substantial runs against the likes of Starc, Cummins, Bumrah in knock out games. I can at least envision Nicholls grinding out 30s and 50s and he seems to do well in pressure situations. Have to have faith that Guptill will come good.

Kane and Ross no complaints except for running which is what it is, the game should come easier to them if other batsmen contribute more.

Treat Latham like a safety blanket. If we lose the 3rd wicket before the 30th over send in Latham to steady things. If we lose our 3rd wicket from over 30 onward promote Neesham and CDG, let them have a few overs to acclimatize to the conditions so they can try and dominate the game. If they both fail Latham can stabilize the innings and try to eek out some kind of score with whoever he goes out to bat with + Santner and the bowlers.

Henry is not allowed to bowl in the death overs if the opponent has anything resembling a power hitter, even tail end power hitters like Starc. We should know this already. Need to make sure at least the last 6 overs are shared between Ferguson, Boult and Neesham or a spinner if its a slow turning track. Also if we aren't going to have a slip for our pacers against the tail then we should have a fly slip.

The selectors will probably be tempted to try Southee after that Henry death over. He has been our worst bowler over the last 4 years and is very lucky to be in the squad, he should not be picked unless we get an injury. He sucks especially badly against good teams and averages over 53 against India/Aus/England since the last world cup. Henry has had 3 good games out of 5 this world cup. Southee has had maybe 3 good games in the last 4 years.

If we pick Sodhi the 2 bowlers that least suit Sodhi pitches are Neesham and Henry. Probably want to drop Henry in that case as Neesham is a better batsman with more bowling variations. First 10 overs of bowling should be between Boult, Santner and CDG. Neesham and Williamson as 6th and 7th bowling options is enough on spinning tracks.
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That sums it up.

Neesham, Boult and Lockie should be bowling the death overs, get Henry's overs done early or in the middle/ when you need a breakthrough.
 
Brathwaite 'heartbroken' as West Indies fall agonisingly short

West Indies lost by five runs to New Zealand after almost chasing down 292

Carlos Brathwaite led the charge with a brilliant 101 but was caught on the boundary at the death looking to finish the game with a six

Devastated and heartbroken was how West Indies centurion Carlos Brathwaite described himself after narrowly failing to deliver victory for his side in a dramatic run chase against New Zealand.

In pursuit of 292, Brathwaite bludgeoned five sixes and nine fours in a quick-fire 101 before falling to a well-judged catch by Trent Boult on the long-on boundary, aiming to finish the chase in style with just five runs needed.

He had shepherded the tail to the brink of a memorable triumph in an innings reminiscent of his knock in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016 but ultimately came up just short this time around.

“We came close,” said Brathwaite. “Give credit to the lower order, everyone that came in.

“Everyone believed we could get over the line. Obviously it was heart-breaking to get so close but not get over the line. There were some positives though, the fight that the lower order showed was commendable.

“It was bittersweet. For me personally, for my confidence, as a result of all the hard work I've been putting in, it's finally good that it comes to fruition.

“I’m devastated not to get over the line, but also giving thanks for the performance, even getting the team into the position we got into before I got out.

“I thought it had enough bat on the final shot. I was willing it to go up and up and up.

“One of the best fielders in the world was out there. It’s a game of margins. One or two yards more and we would have been victorious.

“I just knew how much everyone in the dressing room wanted it. We always talk about belief. For me to be the person out there to try to bring it home, that was the only thing on my mind, finding a way to get it done.

“Myself and the lower order, we talked about it. Everything that we talked about happened, except getting over the line.”

The defeat leaves the West Indies’ chances of reaching the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 as slim, with victories needed in all their remaining games and other results to go their way.

But Brathwaite was touched by the New Zealanders congratulating him on his century at the end of the game.

“The New Zealanders are some of the best people in the world ... I’m good friends with a few of them,” he added. “That was good sportsmanship on their behalf. I appreciated the mutual respect.

“I'm not going to beat myself up because the ball should have gone for six and we should have won.”
 
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Trent Boult’s reaction said it all.

The New Zealand fast bowler held his nerve on the final ball of the penultimate over, catching Carlos Brathwaite and ending a magnificent innings that almost handed the Black Caps a first defeat of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019.

And while most fast bowlers would not have enjoyed seeing the sort of bludgeoning Brathwaite produced on his way to a near match-winning 101, Boult could only stand back and admire the West Indian’s knock.

He said: “For Carlos to come out and do that as cleanly as he did, pure hitting – I’m going to say that was pretty cool to watch. It was a great game, great for the tournament and it was a good crowd out there as well. So it was good for them as well.

“Initially I thought (the catch) was going to be quite a way inside the rope, but it was almost driven for six in the end. It was nice to snaffle it. And what a game. Simple as that, really.”

So much happened in this encounter at Old Trafford, eventually won by five runs by the Black Caps, that it is hard to take it all in.

Sheldon Cottrell’s two-wicket opening over set the tone, before Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson shifted momentum back with a 160-run partnership.

Williamson went on to make 148, his highest one-day score, as New Zealand made 291 from their 50 overs.

Boult then struck twice early, removing Shai Hope and Nic Pooran, both for one, before returning to remove Ashley Nurse and Evin Lewis.

That was his best return in terms of wickets in the tournament so far, but the leader of the Kiwi attack did not do anything differently.

He explained: “I'm almost 30 now, so I'm getting on a bit. So I've played enough cricket to understand it comes around when it comes around, I suppose.

“I feel like I've been contributing to the rest of the group in terms of building pressure in certain ways. But, of course, it's nice to get a couple myself.

“I think the way that Lockie (Ferguson) has been coming in with the middle of the bowling, a lot of speed, a lot of pace and doing what he's been doing, it's been awesome to watch. It was nice for the bowling unit to stick together and get the job done.”

That is now three close games that New Zealand have been involved in, coming out on top against Bangladesh and South Africa prior to this victory, with Boult relishing the pressure at the death.

He added: “It's a bit special, to be honest. It's been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster sitting there with the pads at times and then being under the pump there with the ball. It's what it's all about.

“It's awesome to be a part of it. And I'm sure there will be a lot of proud Kiwis back home, diving into poached eggs, watching a result like that.

“It's nice to be put under pressure like that with both facets of the game there, and I'm sure that will give us a little bit of confidence moving hopefully deeper into the tournament.”
 
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Holder not surprised by Brathwaite heroics

Carlos Brathwaite produced a scintillating knock of 101 to take the West Indies to the brink of victory against New Zealand

The all-rounder was caught on the boundary with just six needed, looking to finish the game, as the Black Caps prevailed

Few people could have predicted that Carlos Brathwaite would produce such a spectacular innings as the West Indies came within a foot of stunning New Zealand.

But skipper Jason Holder was not the least bit surprised at the way his all-rounder smashed a sensational century in a heartbreaking five-run ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup defeat at Old Trafford.

Left to bat with the tail, and with the Windies’ hopes hanging by a thread, Brathwaite produced a knock of blistering brutality on his way to 101, but with one more hit required, he could not quite clear the long-on boundary off the bowling of Jimmy Neesham, with Trent Boult snaffling the ball just inside the rope.

This knock outshone even the quartet of sixes that Brathwaite hit to clinch the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016, with Holder paying tribute to his teammate.

He said: “His work ethic is really good. He's not one to shy away from his responsibilities. And he puts in a really good effort into his preparation.

“That's one thing that I credit him for. The knock that he played is not surprising to me.

“We let ourselves down in the middle, no doubt. We were always up with the run rate. It wasn't a case where we needed to keep going, per se. We just needed to keep our wickets intact. Set it up in there, a really good foundation. And we weren't able to do that in the middle overs.

“But we fought back well. And Carlos and the other guys at the lower half really gave us a chance. But as I said, you can look back and pinpoint one or two areas when you lose a great game. Having said that, I still think we played a really good game.”

This defeat leaves the West Indies needing to win out and hope for other results to go their way if they are to have any chance of making the semi-finals.

Despite that, Holder felt there were a lot of positives to take from a thrilling encounter, arguably the best of the tournament so far, as the Windies almost chased down 292 on a slow wicket.

He added: “We fought right to the very end. We came right back into the game when pretty much everyone thought the game was over.

“And credit to the lower half. The guys really put it in their hands today and took responsibility. Top-notch by Carlos. He was outstanding. He gave us a chance, gave us hope. Just unfortunate at the very end that we weren't able to get a win.

“It’s just a little disappointing, obviously, not being able to cross the line, after coming so close. But I'm proud of the guys.

“I guess everybody could sit here and agree that we'd love to see that a little bit more often. But that's the general feeling within the entire group. I think as a team we just need to be a lot more consistent.”
 
The swashbuckling Carlos Brathwaite and Chris Gayle did their brutal best to upstage him but, ultimately it was Kane Williamson who was the match-winner as New Zealand and West Indies combined to produce an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup thriller.

Skipper Williamson dug his New Zealand side out of a huge hole with a match-winning knock at Old Trafford that showed precisely why he is ranked alongside Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Joe Root as the finest batsmen of the modern era.

Put into bat after losing the toss, the Black Caps lost both openers for a golden duck in an inspirational
first over delivered by West Indies paceman Sheldon Cottrell.

It was only the third time in ODI history that two openers from the same side were both removed by the first ball they faced.

Martin Guptill was yorked by the first ball of the day. That represented a remarkable turnaround for the batsman because the last time he came across the West Indies in the World Cup he amassed a competition record 237 not out in Wellington in 2015.

Guptill’s fellow opener Colin Munro was also yorked by Cottrell in the opening over and it needed the calm heads of Williamson and Ross Taylor to slowly but surely drag their team back into the contest.

The pair shared a face-saving stand of 160 for the third wicket before part-time spinner Gayle removed Taylor for 69.

The 39-year-old Gayle sparked laughter among the crowd when he punched the air in celebration before jokingly holding his shoulder in mock pain.

Taylor’s dismissal did little to disturb Williamson’s concentration. He may not be as demonstrative as Kohli, Smith or Root but he is certainly every bit as effective.

The 28-year-old Kiwi underlined his batting genius by manipulating the ball into all the right spaces and, when the right moments came, bludgeoning it into the distance.

The only time he displayed any hint of nerves was when, on 99, he almost went for a suicidal single.

Williamson pulled Kemar Roach to long leg to register his second successive World Cup century and marked the occasion in typically modest style with a momentary raising of his bat and an equally brief wave to his team-mates in the dressing room.

He is clearly a cricketer who commands respect among his opponents because several West Indian fielders congratulated him on reaching the milestone.

Williamson, who generally hits the ball on the ground and has a particular fondness for dabbing the quick bowlers into empty spaces behind square on the off side, continued to up the scoring rate.

By the time he was caught behind for an ODI-best 148 off the impressive Cottrell, New Zealand had reached a healthy 251/5 in the 47th over and some belligerent late hitting from the tail helped them post an imposing total of 291/8.

Cottrell was the standout performer in the field. He claimed four wickets, two catches and also ran out Colin de Grandhomme.

At the halfway stage it appeared as though the West Indies would need a similarly productive batting display from Gayle to stand a chance of picking up the win they needed to keep alive their chances of reaching the semi-finals.

Trent Boult dropped Gayle at fine leg when he was on 15 and the veteran left-hander was in the mood to make the New Zealanders pay for their mistake when he cracked two sixes and one four in one Matt Henry over.

Gayle was dropped twice more, on 58 and 59, before he finally holed out to Boult on the long-on boundary when he was on 87.

Brathwaite then picked up the baton as he started flaying a beleaguered New Zealand attack to all parts of the ground.

The West Indian all-rounder evoked memories of the remarkable onslaught he conjured up to carry his side to T20 World Cup final glory against England in 2016 by lashing five sixes and nine fours.

Brathwaite scored all 41 runs in his 10th-wicket stand with Oshane Thomas and, when he went to his century in the penultimate over, it seemed as if he was on the brink of pulling off the unlikeliest of victories.

But when he was caught by Boult on the long-on boundary off the final delivery of the 49th over, it meant New Zealand were able to clinch a nail-biting five-run victory.

"The West Indies side is incredibly dangerous, even down their order,” said Williamson. “So credit to them, but credit to our side for getting a competitive total.

“It was a great game of cricket, good to be on the winning side. It's been a great learning curve for us. For me, it's about playing my role as best I can and adjusting my game to the surface and the situation. If you can make good decisions, that's the focus."
 
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BDfanforever said:
NZ couldve lost all of their three games against BD, RSa, WI
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Could've, should've blah blah. It's irrelevant, they won all of them. That's what good sides do, they win the close ones, and they win when they are playing far from their best.

NZ have showed that even when they don't play near their best they still win. That's a really good sign for them.
 
Ashraful_Rox said:
Think about the lesser teams, not everyone in the playing 11 is Kohli. Also, it's a global tournament, prize money and top 4 rewards are quite embarrassing. You won't understand if you just follow cricket as your only sport.
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Nothing to do with nerves, they were just beaten by a better side on the day. Australia man for man were the best team in the '15 world cup, and they won that final in home conditions.

Why must losses always mean some sort of mental instability to Pakistan fan-boys on this forum? It's weird.
 
Awesome match. There was no need to go for the maximum at all. Just needed to keep his head and the West Indiies were home. The lad lost his head at the wrong time.
 
Awesome match.

Finally Braithwaite did something worthwhile after wt20 final. He should look to play in similar fashion from now on rather than mindlessly trying to hitting every ball for a 6 runs.
Trent boult was amazing as always & very well supported by lockie ferguson.
Neesham & CDG chipped in with important breakthroughs. Henry was unlucky.
Cottrell was very entertaining as well throughout the match.
 
Wow, wow, just wow! What a nail-biting match, what a thriller and what a heroic effort on Brathwaite´s part! One of the greatest world cup centuries that you´ll ever see, I´m sure. That third six of the 48th over, the one over over the backward point region, will go down as one of the most unbelievable shots ever. What a hitter! The highlights package was immense fun to watch.

But I blaphemously question the need of going for a six when only five were required off seven deliveries! I know that hindsight has its great advantage, and people would´ve equally called for his head if he´d suddenly changed his game to go for ones and twose, and then got out. So people would´ve then questioned the need of going for a method other than what was working for him already. Also, the highlights suggest that that ball was really in the slot and did after all deserve to go for a maximum. So yeah, all kinds of possibilities that we can discuss for the years to come won´t change the fact that Brathwaite absolutely pulled off a blinding innings there!

One batsman gets 101, one gets 87 and one 54 and yet you fail in your pursuit of a score of 293 - only the West Indies can do that. Only they know how to goof up such a chase when only three of your batsmen make you 242 runs out of the whole total.

A personal note: I wasn´t able to watch the game. I was mentally exhausted and done for the day following the India-Afghanistan match, and also it was the time for me to go to bed. What thrilling matches we had yesterday!
 
West Indies -New Zealand game the best ever in a losing cause in a world cup?

Yesterday West Indies lost to New Zealand but the cricketing world witnessed an epic which was a victory for the game -reminiscent of a classic movie with sensational switches and turns.There simply could not be an adjective to describe the fluctuation of fortunes with the equivalent almost of miraculous change of plot in the climax of a Hollywood classic.In the end what prevailed was the Kiwi nerves.

West Indies were coasting along with Gayle and Hethmeyer in full flow with the run rate above the required run rate .Reminiscent of a boat cruising along in the smoothest fashion to its destination they looked like getting the target in less than 45 overs.However e New Zealand came back in the manner of an army battalion launching a spectacular counter-attack to tear the flesh of the West Indies middle order and make it look beyond their reach.Bratwaithe then launched a blitzkreig to ressurect West Indies from the grave to come within a whisker of untold glory.West Indies were virtually dead and buried at 164-7 and 212 -8 earlier.In the 1st part of the recovery it just looked as though Bratiwaithe was leading his team to repair the shipwreck and salvage self -respect and only after the 45th over did West Indies give any glimpses of actually winning.Carlos Bratwaithe resembling a dynamite exploding at the end came within a stroke of scoring what may have been the greatest innings ever in a world cup to take a side out of the woods to reach the pinnacle of glory.Arguably no team ever in the world cup rise so spectacularly after locking dead and buried like West Indies yesterday.A cricket lover for the game would have felt sorry that West Indies did not cross the line yesterday.

I feel the game also exposed the limitations of New Zealand who although victorious struggle to hit the final nails in the coffin when their oponents lliterally looked rolled over.Nor was their fielding at their best.
Although beaten West Indies proved that their spirit is still alive and must be given credit for their great fight back yesterday.It demonstrates their great reserves of talent which they have been unable to harness or bind.

I wonder where Brathwaithe's knock would rank amongst the all-time world cup and ODI innings particularly in chases but it may well be in the top 3-4 in losing causes in a run chase.
 
West Indies chase the best ever in a losing cause in a world cup and best recovery ever?bratwaithe's innings best ever in a losing cause in the world cup?Had the Calypsos won would it rank among st the top 10 ODI inings of all time?
 
Harsh Thakor said:
West Indies chase the best ever in a losing cause in a world cup and best recovery ever?bratwaithe's innings best ever in a losing cause in the world cup?Had the Calypsos won would it rank among st the top 10 ODI inings of all time?
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Maybe South Africa Sri Lanka in 2003?
 
Had West Indies won it would have been the greatest comeback ever in the history of the world cup to lift oneself from the depths of despair after looking dead and buried to reach the pinnacle of Glory.Few games ever had as many twist and turns .Brathwaithe's innings may possibly be the best ever played in a losing cause in the history of the world cup where from the very grave he ressurected his team to the brink of glory reminding one of an army batallion spectacularly coming out of an ambush to launch a blitzkrieg on the enemy.He have vibrations of a grenade exploding.

Earlier West Indies were cruising along with Gayle and Hetmetyer like a motorboat reaching its destination before the scheduled time.Like launching a bomber air raid on abase New Zealand ripped the flseh of the Calypso middle order.It virtually looked as though only the final rites or rituals of the match were being performed to salvage some self-respect before Bratwaithe launcher his blitzkrieg. What made the Kiwis prevail was their great tenacity and nerves under pressure which prevented them from buckling.Morally the West Indies possibly deserved to win .

Arguably amongst the greatest ever games in the world cup ,best performance in a losing cause and best ever innings played in a losing cause in a world cup.
 
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Great sportsmanship exhibited by Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson ,consoling Carlos Bratwaithe at the end and not immediately rejoicing.He knew that his team virtually had an escape being on the very edge of defeat.Rare to see the captain of any other team exhibit such sportsmanship .It is this very spirit cricket and the world cup should revive.After the bomerang launched by Bratwaithe in the previous over ,a Kiwi win was an anti-climax to the script just written.
 
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