Image source, Getty Images
- Author, Matthew Henry
- Role, BBC Sport Journalist in St Lucia
West Indies 218-5 (20 overs): Pooran 98 (53), Charles 43 (27); Gulbadin 2-14
Afghanistan 114 (16.2 overs): Ibrahim 38 (28); McCoy 3-14
West Indies won by 104 runs
Nicholas Pooran hit a stunning 98 as West Indies prepared for a Super 8s match against England at the T20 World Cup with a 104-run victory over Afghanistan.
With both sides already through to the next stage, co-hosts West Indies dispatched a much-fancied Afghanistan side with a statement win in St Lucia.
Pooran’s eight sixes helped the co-hosts rack up 218-5 – the highest score of the tournament so far.
They were 85-1 after five overs with 36 runs coming from the fourth, including three Pooran sixes, a no-ball and five wides – equalling the record for the most expensive over in men’s T20s.
Having taken down Afghan superstar Rashid Khan, left-hander Pooran was run out in the final over desperately trying to keep the strike in search of three figures.
But West Indies dominance continued into Afghanistan’s chase when Akeal Hosein had Rahmanullah Gurbaz caught for a three-ball duck in a wicket maiden to start.
From there the hosts found breakthroughs regularly and Afghanistan were bowled out for 114 in 16.2 overs.
Obed McCoy took three wickets and spinners Akeal and Gudakesh Motie two apiece.
The victory concludes the initial group stage of this compelling World Cup, which now moves on to its second phase with eight teams battling across two groups to secure a semi-final place.
West Indies and England meet on Wednesday (Thursday 01:30 BST) at this ground.
West Indies make a statement
England, beware. This was West Indies showing why they are fancied by many as winners of this tournament.
Roared on by a raucous home crowd, they set a new record for the highest powerplay score at a T20 World Cup and continued on to their highest total in the history of the tournament.
West Indies’ early boundaries were streaky – no more so than Pooran’s first boundary, which flew over the rope at third man off the leading edge.
Fazalhaq Farooqi, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, was thrashed for 28 in his first two overs but that was economical in comparison to the pummelling taking by Azmatullah Omarzai in the fourth over.
After Pooran’s edgy six, he followed with a no-ball that was pulled for four by Pooran before the subsequent free hit flew for wides over the wicketkeeper’s head. Still the pain was not done – four leg-byes and two sixes followed.
Afghanistan managed to drag the scoring back thereafter as Pooran put on 80 with Johnson Charles, who made 43, and 64 with Rovman Powell.
The left-hander went back up the gears to finish, however, by taking 24 runs from the 18th over bowled by Rashid, including three leg-side sixes. There were three balls to go when he was scampering back for two to give himself a chance of a first T20 hundred for West Indies but was run out from a direct hit from the deep despite a dive.
West Indies’ all-round effort with the ball was as impressively as Pooran’s highlight reel of classy hitting.
They have effective spinners, pace and experience and also caught everything in the field. They go into the game against England having won eight T20s in a row.
‘I felt like it was my day’ – reaction
West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran: “I assessed the conditions early. It was really important for us to not lose wickets in the middle. I felt today was my day and I had to take the responsibility.
“We have been really consistent as a team. The way we have played is wonderful.”
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan: “The way they started with the bat, it was pretty hard to come back from that. To restrict them to 220 was a good effort.
“It is good it happened in this part of the tournament. We will learn from it.”