West Indies’ Chris Gayle, left, and colleague Oshane Thomas demonstrate the stumps in the wake of beating England by seven wickets on the fifth One Day International cricket game.
Oshane Thomas and Chris Gayle highlighted as the West Indies whipped England by seven wickets in the fifth and most recent one-day worldwide in St Lucia on Saturday to square the course of action 2-2. Thomas guaranteed five for 21 with the best positioned visitors being devastated for 113 off 28.1 overs – their most reduced ever aggregate in an ODI against the Caribbean side – only three days in the wake of scoring 418 in the fourth match in Grenada.
Gayle punctuated his dominance in the region with a blistering 77 from only 27 deliveries, propelling his team to a target of 115/3 in just 12.1 overs. This performance cemented his status as the Man of the Series; the 39-year-old was unstoppable across four matches, racking up 424 runs at a staggering average of 106, including 39 sixes.
Reflecting on the match, Gayle admitted, 'At one point, I thought this might be my final ODI innings at home for the West Indies, so I wanted to end it on a high note. This gives us some much-needed respect heading into the World Cup.' When Shimron Hetmyer hit the winning boundary in the 13th over, it sent a strong message to the world. Despite being ranked ninth and having barely scraped through the qualifiers in Zimbabwe a year earlier, the West Indies proved they could beat one of the tournament favorites for the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales.
– England’s batting collapse –
Despite being the fourth bowling option, Oshane Thomas tore through England's world-class batting order in only his ninth ODI, recording the best figures of his career. He was supported by Carlos Brathwaite and captain Jason Holder, who took two wickets each, proving that Holder's decision to bowl first after winning the toss was a stroke of genius.
Coming off a crushing defeat in the high-scoring fourth match, the West Indies pace attack capitalized on a tricky pitch that exposed England's weaknesses. The visitors struggled significantly, with Alex Hales and Jos Buttler managing only 23 runs each, and captain Eoin Morgan contributing 18 before the lineup fell apart under Thomas's pressure. Morgan later noted that the team struggled to adapt to the extra bounce of the pitch, stating they found it difficult to find their rhythm and score runs.
England's collapse was total, losing their final five wickets for a mere two runs, with the last four batters failing to score a single run. Early on, Sheldon Cottrell set the tone by bowling Jonny Bairstow for an inside edge after a 23-run opening stand with Hales. While Hales and Morgan managed a brief 39-run partnership for the third wicket, it provided little relief. Interestingly, Holder opted for four overs of spin from Ashley Nurse, who proved to be the most expensive bowler, conceding 24 runs in nearly four overs.
– Merciless Gayle –
With a tiny target to chase, Gayle wasted no time in attacking. Chris Woakes and Mark Wood both struggled to contain him as the opener smashed nine sixes and five fours in a ruthless display. Wood, who had previously dominated with pace in the final Test of the series, managed to break through by dismissing John Campbell before eventually getting Gayle. On the team sheet, the West Indies stayed consistent, though surprisingly leaving out all-rounder Andre Russell despite his recent arrival from the Pakistan Super League in Dubai.
On a comparable ground where his unrefined pace brought a five-wicket pull and a solace triumph in the last Test of the initial three-facilitate game plan, Wood had the ability to in any occasion end the Gayle slaughter by ousting the left-hander having as of late spoken to the next opener, John Campbell. West Indies went into the match with an unaltered group, shockingly discarding all-rounder Andre Russell by and by despite the fact that he had flown in from the Pakistan Super League in Dubai prior in the week to be a piece of the squad for the last two matches.
England made just one change to their lineup from Wednesday's game, bringing in Tom Curran to replace the injured Liam Plunkett.