Chris Gayle's record-215 helps West Indies crush Zimbabwe
The fastest double hundred in ODIs, most sixes in an ODI innings and a lot more records fell as West Indies racked up their highest ODI score (372/2) after opting to bat first. You'd be forgiven for forgetting that Gayle had not scored a 100 in ODIs for close to 20 months.It took some time coming but when Chris Gayle finally delivered, he did so in thunderous fashion breaking a string of records in the process. Highest score in World Cup history, highest individual score for West Indies, For West Indies, it could not have come at a better time in ICC World Cup 2015. Gayle also picked up a couple of wickets to cull Zimbabwe's reply and help West Indies win by 73 runs.
Marlon Samuels' career-best 133*, understandably, became a footnote amidst Gayle's stunning 215 (10 fours and 16 sixes) but he played an important part in the highest partnership (372) in ODI history. As with most of Gayle's best knocks, the pacing of the innings was splendid. He got his fifty off 51 balls, his hundred off 105 balls but then exploded to score his next hundred off just 33 balls. However, it was a far cry from how his and West Indies' innings started.
West Indies opener DwayneSmith was castled off just the second ball of the match by Tinashe Panyangara. Gayle could have been dismissed for a golden duck, but Umpire Steve Davis turned down a close LBW call. What looked plumb to the naked eye was refuted by DRS, which supported the umpire, and Gayle survived, and later thrived in Samuels' company.
West Indies made sedate but steady progress. Gayle was brisk but Samuels was a lot more watchful and got his fifty off 95 balls - the slowest in World Cup 2015. However Samuels' go-slow approach did not hurt West Indies too much and was neutered by Gayle's belligerence. It took Gayle 21 balls to move from 90 to 100 but the batting powerplay was in the offing and Gayle cut loose at the right time. 55 runs came in the batting powerplay between overs 35 and 40. Gayle scored 35 of them. That was the beginning of the carnage. The next fifteen overs yielded 207 runs as Zimbabwe's bowlers withered and crumbled against Gayle's onslaught. After staying with Gayle for the longest stand in ODI history, the big hitting methods rubbed off on Samuels as well towards the latter stages of the innings.
The thumping at the hands of Gayle and Samuels left Zimbabwe flustered and it was compounded by the loss of two early wickets either side of a short rain-break. Zimbabwe's target was revised to 363 in 48 overs due to the break. The middle order trio of Brendan Taylor (37), Sean Williams (76) and Craig Ervine (52) kept Zimbabwe on par with the asking rate for a large part of the innings. However, Elton Chigumbura's men were done in by the loss of wickets at regular intervals coupled with unrelenting scoreboard pressure. One of coach Dav Whatmore's biggest challenges after the game will be to get Zimbabwe to maintain the same intensity throughout the game.
The record-breaking innings must be particularly sweet for Gayle, who faced public criticism from WICB president Dave Cameron before this game. A stronger statement could not have been made.
The fastest double hundred in ODIs, most sixes in an ODI innings and a lot more records fell as West Indies racked up their highest ODI score (372/2) after opting to bat first. You'd be forgiven for forgetting that Gayle had not scored a 100 in ODIs for close to 20 months.It took some time coming but when Chris Gayle finally delivered, he did so in thunderous fashion breaking a string of records in the process. Highest score in World Cup history, highest individual score for West Indies, For West Indies, it could not have come at a better time in ICC World Cup 2015. Gayle also picked up a couple of wickets to cull Zimbabwe's reply and help West Indies win by 73 runs.
Marlon Samuels' career-best 133*, understandably, became a footnote amidst Gayle's stunning 215 (10 fours and 16 sixes) but he played an important part in the highest partnership (372) in ODI history. As with most of Gayle's best knocks, the pacing of the innings was splendid. He got his fifty off 51 balls, his hundred off 105 balls but then exploded to score his next hundred off just 33 balls. However, it was a far cry from how his and West Indies' innings started.
West Indies opener DwayneSmith was castled off just the second ball of the match by Tinashe Panyangara. Gayle could have been dismissed for a golden duck, but Umpire Steve Davis turned down a close LBW call. What looked plumb to the naked eye was refuted by DRS, which supported the umpire, and Gayle survived, and later thrived in Samuels' company.
West Indies made sedate but steady progress. Gayle was brisk but Samuels was a lot more watchful and got his fifty off 95 balls - the slowest in World Cup 2015. However Samuels' go-slow approach did not hurt West Indies too much and was neutered by Gayle's belligerence. It took Gayle 21 balls to move from 90 to 100 but the batting powerplay was in the offing and Gayle cut loose at the right time. 55 runs came in the batting powerplay between overs 35 and 40. Gayle scored 35 of them. That was the beginning of the carnage. The next fifteen overs yielded 207 runs as Zimbabwe's bowlers withered and crumbled against Gayle's onslaught. After staying with Gayle for the longest stand in ODI history, the big hitting methods rubbed off on Samuels as well towards the latter stages of the innings.
The thumping at the hands of Gayle and Samuels left Zimbabwe flustered and it was compounded by the loss of two early wickets either side of a short rain-break. Zimbabwe's target was revised to 363 in 48 overs due to the break. The middle order trio of Brendan Taylor (37), Sean Williams (76) and Craig Ervine (52) kept Zimbabwe on par with the asking rate for a large part of the innings. However, Elton Chigumbura's men were done in by the loss of wickets at regular intervals coupled with unrelenting scoreboard pressure. One of coach Dav Whatmore's biggest challenges after the game will be to get Zimbabwe to maintain the same intensity throughout the game.
The record-breaking innings must be particularly sweet for Gayle, who faced public criticism from WICB president Dave Cameron before this game. A stronger statement could not have been made.
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