That's all that we have for the coverage of the match between Australia Champions and West Indies Champions with the former coming out victorious. Stay tuned for more cricketing action across the globe.
This is me Aditya Agarwal signing off on behalf of Deepak Prakash and Saptak Sanyal alongside scorer/analyst Raju Khariya. BYE, CHEERS!
Brett Lee (Australia Champions Captain): "Yeah, the guys felt it was probably a 160–165 wicket. They ended up about 20 runs short, but full credit to our bowling unit. I thought we started well with the ball, and through that middle period, the spinners did a great job. In particular, Nathan Coulter-Nile bowled a really effective back-of-a-length delivery, and Peter Siddle was absolutely outstanding.
Yeah, exactly — that’s when we tried to apply the pressure. We looked to rotate the bowlers so they didn’t get used to facing one in particular. But full credit to the bowlers — they did a great job. And that chase — wow! I mean, I haven’t seen a chase like that in a long, long time. Chris Lynn was out of the blocks super quick.
Someone had already booked dinner somewhere—but hey, that’s T20 cricket for you. We know how good the West Indies are; they’ve got some brilliant players. It can go either way sometimes, but I’m really pleased with how the guys played tonight.
I’ve been bowling for 40 years now! The pace might not be what it used to be, but the passion and love for the game are still very much there. I’m just enjoying it and having fun."
Chris Gayle (West Indies Champions Captain) : "It was a tough day at the office today. We didn't get the start we wanted with the bat. Chris played really well and took the game away from us. The wicket had low bounce today, but we will not mind it much. We have some crucial upcoming games. It is a bit challenging as well to take part in this league."
Chris Lynn (POTM): "Yeah, we've had a couple of optional sessions, but it's all been good fun. Our first game against England got washed out, so it was great to bounce back with a win in Northampton. Really good to be here.
Yeah, look, I've actually played a couple of seasons here, so I know the surface quite well, which is fortunate. I've also been playing down in Hampshire recently, so it’s nice to get a few out of the middle and help get the boys on a roll.
Yeah, look, they are — and that’s why they’re Australian champions. They’re competitive, even off the field, with some good banter. It’s great being around the boys. We're toward the back end of our careers, but you're always learning. It’s good fun."
Player of the Match: Chris Lynn
Time for the post-match presentation.....
07:00 PM Local Time & 11:30 PM IST | Australia Champions thump West Indies and gets their first win off the season in fine style by 8 wickets, as they chased down 143 in just 9.3 overs.
Earlier, Australia Champions won the toss and opted to bowl first. West Indies Champions never kept going as they got restricted to a total of 142/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Lendl Simmons and Dwayne Bravo top scored with 29 and 26 respectively with no batters contributing much.
Peter Siddle and Nathan Coulter-Nile bowled brilliantly for their side as they bagged 5 wickets amongst each other.
Chasing 143, Chris Lynn got his side to a rollicking start. He plundered the West Indies Champions' bowlers to all parts of the ground. Though, Shaun Marsh fell cheaply on 7 but Chris Lynn didn't stop from the other end.
He smoked 8 lusty blows along-with 8 fours in his blistering knock of 81 runs off 27 balls befoe getting out to Nikita Miller.
D'Arcy Short and Ben Dunk joined hands and the duo continued the onslaught. The latter scored a quickfire 30* runs off 9 balls and got his side over the line by 8 wickets remaining and chased down the target in 9.3 overs.
OVER 10
Australia Champions
143/2
Ben Dunk
30(9)
D'Arcy Short
18(12)
Dave Mohammed
0-5(0.3)
THERE IT IS! Australia Champions crush West Indies Champions as they beat them by 8 wickets and a massive 63 balls remaining.