Global T20 Canada, Vancouver Knights vs CWI B Team, Qualifier 1: 5 Talking Points

From 11/3 to 221/4 in a run-chase of a high-pressure game! The West Indies B team pulled off a heist in the first qualifier, courtesy Sherfane Rutherford.

Powered by Chadwick Walton 21-ball half-century, the Vancouver Knights got off to a blazing start as they scored 73 in the powerplay after being put into bat by the Windies B team. Skipper Chris Gayle struck a half-century as well and decent contributions from the middle-order took the total to 215. The CWIB bowling was very disappointing as they conceded 25 extras (which included 15 wides and 6 no-balls). Sherfane Rutherford was the only bowler who showed some sort of control as he returned with figures of 2/25 in his 4 overs.

In reply, CWIB got off to the worst start possible as they lost three wickets in the first three overs and it looked like the game would end quickly. But Sherfane Rutherford who was the best bowler for CWIB scored a fantastic and a fabulous ton. He shared a superb 130-run stand with Nicolas Pooran and kept his team in the hunt.

Even after the dismissal of Pooran, Rutherford kept going and kept taking CWIB closer and closer. He took most of the strike and his 66-ball 134 reduced the equation to 13 off the final over. Anthony Bramble then held his nerve as he hit the remaining runs and took CWIB home on the last delivery of the game. CWIB are now in the final and will have to wait for the other two games to unfold to find out the other finalist.

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#5 Chris Gayle scores second consecutive fifty

Chris Gayle got back amongst the runs in the last game when he scored a sluggish half-century. In this game, he was once again slow and was largely playing second fiddle and struck his second successive fifty of the tournament.

In the first six overs, Gayle took the backseat as Chadwick Walton was striking the ball to all corners of the ground. The big Jamaican faced just 11 deliveries in the powerplay and scored 15. He was largely subdued after the powerplay before struck a couple of back-to-back boundaries in the 11th over. He then found the boundary on a regular basis but couldn’t quite fluently rotate the strike and eventually brought up his half-century in 42 deliveries.

He fell as soon as he reached his fifty as he tried to clear long-on.

#4 Chadwick Walton overshadows Chris Gayle

CRICKET-PAK-WIS

When you bat with Chris Gayle (the Universe Boss), all eyes are on him and it is not easy to steal the limelight away from him. However, Chadwick Walton completely overshadowed the big Jamaican opener. Walton struck a very good 24-ball 54 and struck the ball cleanly.

He got off the mark on the first delivery he faced and then got going with a couple of boundaries in the very first over. In the second over, he hammered Jeremiah Louis for a four and two sixes as he raced away to 26 off just 10 deliveries. He continued his clean striking as he bludgeoned his way to 50 in just 21 balls.

He was dismissed in the final over of the power play for an excellent 54 which included 6 fours and 4 sixes. During this time, Gayle had managed just 15 off 11 deliveries (which included a couple of sixes). Walton not only outscored Gayle but also stole away the spotlight from him.

#3 Middle-order cameos propel the Knights to 215

Andre Russell struck three sixes in his innings of 29.

The Knights got off to a flying start as Chadwick Walton’s 24-ball 54 helped them score 73 in the powerplay. But they lost a couple of quick wickets and were 78/2.

Chris Gayle batted till the 16th over and scored a fifty but wasn’t his usual self. But the middle-order came in and kept the momentum going. Rassie van der Dussen, Babar Hayat and Andre Russell, all scored quick-fire 20s and never let the innings have a lull.

van der Dussen came in and scored freely as Gayle struggled to get going. He struck 2 fours and 1 six in his 16-ball 23. Hayat walked in and scored 25 in 15 balls, hitting 2 fours and 2 sixes. Russell chipped in as well with a few lusty blows and ended with a 16-ball 29.

These cameos helped VCK get to 215 in their 20 overs.

#2 Disastrous start for CWIB

The Windies B side didn’t have a great start to the game with the ball as they conceded 73 runs in the first 6 overs. They had a poor start in their chase as well.

Shamar Springer was out in the first over as Steven Jacobs took an excellent catch off Tim Southee. Justin Greaves was out trying to pull a short delivery off Sheldon Cottrell and then Brandan King found mid-off trying to smash one down the ground.

CWIB were reduced to 11/3 in the third over and things looked very bleak for them at that stage. Nicholas Pooran and Sherfane Rutherford consolidated and ensured that there was no more damage in the powerplay.

#1 Sherfane Rutherford’s ton helps CWIB pull off a heist

What a masterful display of batting from Sherfane Rutherford to register the first century of #GT20Canada #VKvCWI #6sInThe6ix pic.twitter.com/mKztAkFixG

— GT20 Canada (@GT20Canada) July 12, 2018

This 19-year-old all-rounder from Guyana, Sherfane Rutherford has been in decent form with the ball but has been quite scratchy with the bat in this tournament. But in this big game, he stood up and delivered with both bat and ball.

With the ball, he was CWIB’s best bowler as he had figures of 2/25 in his 4 overs. He picked up the wickets of Ben Dunk and Babar Hayat and kept thing very tight when the other bowlers were being taken for cleaners.

Rutherford then walked out at No. 4 with his team reeling at 3/2 and struck a wonderful and a mind-boggling hundred. He scored just 10 runs from his first 12 deliveries and then he exploded. He struck a four and 3 back-to-back sixes off Fawad Ahmed to inject momentum into the innings. That was the beginning of a magnificent onslaught.

The 19-year-old all-rounder raised his fifty in 28 deliveries but he wasn’t done yet. He went onto register a fabulous hundred and became the first player to hit a hundred in the Global T20. He brought that coveted ton up in just 50 balls and kept the CWIB side in the hunt. He found the boundary at will and he played some fabulous shots.

He struck the ball cleanly and scored a magnificent 66-ball 134 which included 11 fours and 10 sixes. He kept scoring boundaries throughout the innings and eventually brought the equation down to 13 off 6. Anthony Bramble then held his nerve and scored those remaining runs as CWIB scampered home on the last ball.