Global T20 Canada, CWI B Team vs Vancouver Knights, Final: 5 Talking Points
It was the final of the first edition of the Global T20 Canada and it turned out to be a pretty one-sided affair. The Chris Gayle-led Vancouver Knights chased down 146 with ease and with 15 balls to spare as the young Windies side who played excellent cricket throughout the tournament were left heartbroken.
Gayle won the toss and decided to field first. Sheldon Cottrell set the tone upfront as he got dismissed both the openers in his first spell. It was then the spinners who not only put the brakes on the scoring rate but also kept picking wickets. Fawad Ahmed and Saad Bin Zafar shared 5 wickets between them as they broke the middle-order of the CWIB.
Fabian Allen’s struck a fine 23-ball 41 and his efforts helped CWIB get to 145 as they failed to bat out the 20 overs. It wasn’t a big score but the Windies had the runs on the board in the big final.
Chasing a little more than 7 runs per over, the Knights had a disastrous start as they lost their top three inside 4 overs. But Saad Bin Zafar scored an unbeaten 79 and Rassie van der Dussen supported him well and made an unbeaten 44 to drive the Knights to the Global T20 title.
#5. Sheldon Cottrell starts and finishes the innings
Sheldon Cottrell has had a wonderful tournament. Except for the first game where he was smashed all around the ground, he has stood up and delivered for the Knights in almost every single game. He has taken wickets at the start and at the back end as well.
In the big final, it was Cottrell who set the tone for the Knights as he picked up two wickets in his first spell sending back both the openers back to the dressing room. He first went through Shamar Springer’s defences and then had Justin Greaves caught at short third-man.
The left-arm pacer then came back and finished of the innings as he picked up the last two wickets. He got both Derval Green and Jeremiah Louis in identical fashion as Cottrell foxed both with a slower one and had them caught at long-on. He finished with figures of 4/29 and also climbed to the top of the wicket-takers list in this tournament.