by The Professor » Sat Jun 24, 2017 11:15 am
On this day in 2012 Alex Hales blasts England to T20 victory over West Indies.
With the exception of Dwayne Smith, West Indies efforts with the bats looked paper thin, however the bowling and the fielding from the English was of a good standard. One example of some spectacular fielding came when Johnny Bairstow sprinted in to execute a diving catch to dismiss Lendl Simmons in the fifth over. By the end of the sixth over, West Indies were 29-2 and, two runs after, lost Marlon Samuels off the bowling of Graeme Swann. All though this Smith was a mainstay. When he fell in the fifteenth over for 70, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard upped their tempos and began to go at a run a ball. Pollard focussed in on some vulnerable bowlers - taking 14 off one Samit Patel over. West Indies ended their innings on 172.
From the off, Hales seemed as if he was eager to prove his doubters wrong - attacking short balls which his critics say is his weakness. Hales found a strong partnership alongside Ravi Bopara and together they smashed the ball around to make 159 together - the highest partnership off any wicket for England in this format. Bopara too was keen to banish some doubts and prove his worth in England's limited overs teams. Both players managed to zero in on some truly dreadful bowling performances by the West Indians; when coupled with their fielding it made life just a little bit easier for the English. Hales' 99 was the highest score by an English player in T20 cricket.
Neither batsmen could see the endeavour through with Hales being dismissed in the eighteenth and Bopara in the nineteenth overs. Eoin Morgan hit the winning runs to leave England with a seven wicket win.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."