Sherfane Rutherford rescued the West Indies from a seemingly hopeless position to a competitive 149 for nine while batting first against New Zealand in a Group C match of the T20 World Cup at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. Rutherford’s unbeaten 68 off 39 balls (two fours, six sixes) lifted the home side from 30 for five in the seventh over after they were put in by Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson.
He received invaluable support from the lower order, adding 28 with Akeal Hosein for the sixth wicket, 27 with Romario Shepherd for the eighth, and then plundered all 37 runs in the last two overs with last man Gudakesh Motie watching from the non-striker’s end.
Earlier, Trent Boult led New Zealand‘s bowling attack by dismissing Johnson Charles in the first over, finishing with excellent figures of three for 16.
He received good support from Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee, who took two wickets each. New Zealand, who were humiliated in their opening fixture against Afghanistan in Guyana last week, looked focused in this must-win match to advance to the Super Eight phase.
After victories over Papua New Guinea and Uganda at the Guyana National Stadium, West Indies seemed unprepared for the challenge until Rutherford’s intervention transformed what seemed like an impending collapse.
Fans had mixed reactions to the West Indies vs. New Zealand ICC T20 World Cup 2024 match. West Indies supporters were thrilled by Sherfane Rutherford’s heroic 68 off 39 balls, which turned the game around from a dire 30 for five.
New Zealand fans, initially confident due to Trent Boult’s strong bowling, were ultimately disappointed as the match slipped away. The dramatic contest showcased cricket’s unpredictable nature, captivating fans worldwide.
Here’s how fans reacted:
https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/1801104552613298359?s=46
https://twitter.com/criccrazyjohns/status/1801104655721881699?s=46
https://twitter.com/icc/status/1801106788034433074?s=46
https://twitter.com/ragav_x/status/1801104176849756378?s=46
https://twitter.com/imtanujsingh/status/1801105474156437506?s=46
https://twitter.com/caribcricket/status/1801106607360659896?s=46
https://twitter.com/105of70mumbai/status/1801097190317973553?s=46
Rovman Powell, West Indies captain said: “I’m very happy, we find ourselves in some trouble and two guys went deep. We already discussed that somebody had to play a blinder, it was not an easy wicker for the inclement weather. Sherfane’s innings was fantastic and gave us confidence during the innings break. What the New Zealand bowlers tried to do well we tried to replicate.
At the halfway mark we sat down and discussed trying to hit a hard length and our spinners to spin the ball. We have got to use what we have, we don’t have fast bowlers like New Zealand. Credit to them (spinners) even with a wet ball, they did well. Such a brilliant night and someone had to stand up and be counted.”
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