Cricket

West Indies' T20 World Cup campaign has suffered a major setback with the loss of opening batter Brandon King to a side strain. King sustained the injury during the team's Super Eight loss to England on June 19 and has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.King's absence is a significant blow to the West Indies, as he has been their leading run-scorer in T20Is since the start of 2023. He has amassed 651 runs in 23 innings, including four fifties. King was also the highest run-scorer in the team's 3-0 T20I series sweep over South Africa heading into the tournament.In King's place, left-hand opening batter Kyle Mayers has been called up to the squad. Mayers has played 37 T20Is and was considered unfortunate to miss the initial cut for the World Cup. He has had a decent 2024, scoring 367 runs in 11 T20 games at a strike rate of 155.50. Mayers is expected to join the squad on Saturday.King's injury occurred during the third over of West Indies' chase against England. He smashed a 101-metre six off Reece Topley but injured himself while attempting to charge down the track to hit Sam Curran through cover. King received treatment from the medical staff but was unable to continue and retired hurt on 23.West Indies went on to lose the match by eight wickets, and King did not field in the run-chase. He traveled to Barbados for the team's Super Eight fixture against USA on Friday, awaiting the results of his MRI scans. However, the scans revealed the extent of his injury, ruling him out of the tournament.The West Indies have won four out of four games in the group stage but started the Super Eight with a loss to England. After their USA fixture on Friday, they will play South Africa on Sunday in North Sound, Antigua.

England's T20 World Cup 2024 campaign received a much-needed boost with a convincing victory over West Indies on Wednesday. Captain Jos Buttler led the charge, surpassing Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan as the designated wicket-keeper batter with the most runs in T20I history.Buttler's 22-ball 25 took his tally to 2,967 runs in the format, surpassing Rizwan's 2,952. No other player has scored more than 2,500 runs as a designated keeper.Buttler praised the performance of veteran spinner Adil Rashid, who conceded just 21 runs in his four-over spell and claimed the wicket of Andre Russell. "He has been all the time. He is our most important player. Has so many variations and restricts runs," Buttler said.West Indies struck early, dismissing Buttler and Moeen Ali. However, Jonny Bairstow and Philip Salt steadied the innings with an unbeaten 97-run partnership. Salt's blistering 30 runs in Romario Shepherd's over effectively ended West Indies' hopes."Bairstow-Salt partnership was very good. Jonny took the game deep and Salty broke it with that one over. Jonny batted at No. 4 today, a class player for a really long time. You keep backing class players. Incredible, mature, senior player's innings. People say you learn when you lose, but you learn when you win as well. Important to put this to bed and focus now," Buttler remarked.England's victory keeps their World Cup hopes alive, while West Indies face an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages.

England's title defense in the T20 World Cup 2024 got off to a flying start as they comprehensively defeated West Indies in the opening match of the Super Eight stage.Batting first, West Indies posted a competitive total of 180/4 in 20 overs, thanks to a solid innings from Brandon King (56) and Rovman Powell (48). However, England's batting lineup proved too strong, chasing down the target with ease in just 17.3 overs.Phil Salt was the star of the show for England, smashing an unbeaten 87 off just 47 balls. His innings was a display of power and precision, featuring seven boundaries and five maximums. One of his sixes, a 100-meter blast off Andre Russell's bowling, became the highlight of the match.Jonny Bairstow provided valuable support to Salt, scoring an unbeaten 48. The duo put on a 122-run partnership for the second wicket, effectively sealing the victory for England.England's victory was a testament to their depth and experience in T20 cricket. They showed no signs of complacency after their dominant performance against Afghanistan in the group stage.West Indies, on the other hand, will be disappointed with their performance. Despite posting a competitive total, they were unable to contain England's aggressive batting. They will need to regroup quickly for their upcoming match against USA.England will now face South Africa in their next Super 8s clash on Friday, while West Indies will take on USA on Saturday.

West Indies and USA Face Off in Crucial Super Eight ClashThe T20 World Cup Super Eight stage has arrived, and two teams with contrasting fortunes in the group stages will face off in a pivotal match: West Indies and USA.West Indies, the co-hosts, entered the tournament as title contenders after an impressive group stage performance. However, their hopes were dented by a comprehensive defeat to England in their Super Eight opener. Another loss would put them on the brink of elimination.USA, on the other hand, have exceeded expectations by reaching the Super Eight. While they have not won since their upset victory over Pakistan, they have shown resilience and nearly upset South Africa in their first Super Eight game.Key Players in the SpotlightAndre Russell, the West Indies all-rounder, has been uncharacteristically quiet in this World Cup. His explosiveness at the death is crucial for his team's success. Steven Taylor, the USA opener, has struggled to convert starts into big scores. He will be eager to prove his worth against the team he once aspired to play for.Team NewsWest Indies will be without Brandon King, who suffered a side strain against England. Shimron Hetmyer is likely to replace him at the top of the order. USA captain Monank Patel remains a doubt due to a shoulder injury.Pitch and ConditionsThe match will be played at Bridgetown, which has seen relatively high scores in this tournament. The evening will be humid, with low chances of rain.Stats and Trivia* USA is aiming to become the first non-Full Member to reach the semi-finals of an ICC event since Kenya in 2003.* West Indies have a 1-1 record in T20 World Cup matches in Barbados.* Obed McCoy and Akeal Hosein are close to reaching 50 and 52 T20I wickets, respectively.

Daren Sammy, the head coach of the West Indies cricket team, urged his players to dismiss their eight-wicket loss to England as a minor setback and maintain their belief in their ability to win an unprecedented third men's T20 World Cup title.Despite setting England a competitive target of 181 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia, the West Indies bowlers failed to make an impact, allowing the defending champions to cruise to victory with 15 balls to spare. Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow's unbroken 97-run partnership for the third wicket proved decisive for England.Sammy acknowledged that his team fell short of a winning total on a flat pitch, but he emphasized that this loss should not dampen their spirits. "It's part of the game," Sammy said. "We still believe we've got a team that could win this World Cup."The West Indies made two changes to their lineup, bringing back Roston Chase and Romario Shepherd in place of Shai Hope and Obed McCoy. Sammy defended the decision, highlighting Shepherd's all-around abilities and his potential impact against England's strong batting lineup.Despite their current position at the bottom of Group 2 in the Super Eight, the West Indies remain confident in their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals. They will need to secure victories against both the USA and South Africa in their remaining matches."We did not execute our plans well enough," Sammy admitted. "But that doesn't mean we're out of it. We've got to win all our matches, and that's what we'll focus on."The West Indies will travel to Barbados for their next match against the USA on Friday. Sammy indicated that the team will assess their performance and make any necessary adjustments to improve their chances of success.

England's Jos Buttler has hailed legspinner Adil Rashid as the team's "most important player" after their commanding eight-wicket victory over West Indies in the Super Eight match of the T20 World Cup 2024. Buttler also praised Jonny Bairstow for his "senior player's innings" that helped England chase down the challenging target of 181 with ease.England's victory was built on a solid bowling performance that restricted West Indies to a manageable total. Rashid played a crucial role, bowling a miserly spell of 4-0-21-1, including the crucial wicket of Andre Russell in the 17th over."We keep saying [Rashid] is our most important player, he really has been for a long time," Buttler said. "He's got so much variation and so much threat of taking wickets and also restricting runs."West Indies captain Rovman Powell admitted that his team was 15-20 runs short and strayed away from their plans against Salt. "We left 15-20 runs out here as a batting group," Powell said. "I will say that we should have put up a better display as a bowling group."England's chase was anchored by Phil Salt's unbeaten 87 and Bairstow's 26-ball 48 not out. The duo added 97 off 44 balls to see England home with eight wickets and 2.3 overs to spare."That was a really good performance from us," Buttler said. "We planned really well, we've been practising well and executed both with the bat and ball and deserved to win."Buttler was particularly impressed with Bairstow's innings. "He is a class player, he has been for a really long time," Buttler said. "That's what we decided to do, you just keep backing class players. He hasn't had many opportunities but today was an incredibly impressive innings. A really mature, senior player's innings. With a lot of power, he scored at a great gear when the game was just in the balance."England's victory puts them in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals. They will face Australia in their next match on October 29.

England's dominance in the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup 2024 was showcased in their emphatic eight-wicket victory over West Indies in St Lucia. Phil Salt's blistering 87 not out and Jonny Bairstow's unbeaten 48 propelled England to a clinical chase of 181.West Indies, batting first, posted a competitive total thanks to Rovman Powell's late surge. Powell's 36 off 18 deliveries, including three sixes off Liam Livingstone, helped the hosts reach 180 for 4. However, England's spin duo of Adil Rashid (1-21) and Moeen Ali (1-28) restricted the West Indies batters throughout the innings.England's chase started cautiously, but Salt and Bairstow's 97-run partnership shifted the momentum. Salt, who was dropped on seven, played a calculated innings, reaching his half-century off 38 deliveries. Bairstow, batting at a strike rate of over 200, provided the impetus in the middle overs.Salt's brutal assault on Romario Shepherd in the 16th over, which yielded 30 runs, sealed the victory for England. The right-hander struck three fours and three sixes in the over, the joint-most expensive by a West Indian in a T20 World Cup.West Indies' fielding woes continued to haunt them, as they missed a half-chance to dismiss Salt early in the innings. The dropped catch proved costly as Salt went on to anchor England's chase.England's victory sends a strong message to the other teams in the Super Eight. Their clinical performance, coupled with their depth in batting and bowling, makes them a formidable contender for the title.

Brandon King's T20 World Cup campaign hangs in the balance after the West Indies opener suffered a side strain in their match against England. King, who has been a key player for the Windies, was forced to retire hurt after just 12 balls in the match.The injury occurred while King was attempting to hit Sam Curran through cover. He took one step and then crumpled to the ground, clutching his side. He received treatment from the West Indies medical staff but was unable to continue batting.Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that King had been diagnosed with a side strain. "Brandon King has suffered a side strain and will not return to the field of play in this evening's match," CWI said.Side strains typically take several weeks to heal, making King a major doubt for the rest of the World Cup. The tournament ends in just 10 days, and the Windies have only one more match remaining in the Super Eight stage.King's injury is a significant blow to the West Indies, who are already without several key players. Rovman Powell is still at the IPL, while Andre Russell and Obed McCoy have been ruled out of the tournament with injuries.The Windies have five players on standby for the World Cup: Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh Jr., and Matthew Forde. Mayers is the most likely replacement for King, having been widely considered unfortunate to miss the initial cut.The West Indies will travel to Barbados on Thursday ahead of their second Super Eight fixture against USA at Kensington Oval on Friday. They will be hoping to bounce back from their defeat to England and keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.

ENG vs WI Live Score: West Indies' Stellar Performance and England's Redemption QuestThe highly anticipated Super Eight clash between England and West Indies promises to be a thrilling encounter at the T20 World Cup. Both teams are vying for an unprecedented third title, and the match is expected to be a high-scoring affair given the flat pitches and short boundaries at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium.West Indies have been in impressive form, winning eight consecutive matches. Their batters have taken responsibility, with Shane Rutherford and Nicholas Pooran leading the charge. Their bowlers have also performed admirably, keeping the opposition in check.England, on the other hand, had a shaky group stage, relying on Australia's help to qualify for the Super Eight. However, they have the opportunity to start afresh and prove their mettle against a formidable West Indies side.The West Indies will rely on their left-arm spin duo of Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Moti to counter England's predominantly right-handed batting lineup. Obed McCoy's left-arm medium pace will also be crucial, as the extra bounce on the pitch provides an advantage for the quicks.England will need their batters to negotiate the cross winds that can send balls flying unexpectedly for six. Jos Buttler and his men will also need to be wary of the West Indies' spin attack, which has been effective in the tournament so far.The match promises to be a close contest between two evenly matched teams. West Indies will be keen to continue their winning streak, while England will be determined to redeem themselves after a disappointing group stage.