Gayle May Start in #WorldCup quarter-final vs New Zealand

West Indies opening batsman, Chris Gayle, has undergone scans on his injured back and should be ready to play in the team’s World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand on Saturday, all-rounder Darren Sammy said yesterday.

Gayle missed the West Indies’ final pool match against the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, but Sammy said he believes Gayle will take his place in the line-up for the quarter-final. The injured batsman has received a cortisone injection to help with the pain.

“Chris is not missing this quarter-final for anybody,” Sammy said. “He is more pumped up than we are. He’s been writing down the path for us and the different scenarios.”

The two-time champion West Indies will start as considerable underdogs in Saturday’s match. New Zealand was unbeaten in pool play, while the West Indies had to win their final match and lift their net run rate to scrape into the knockout rounds with a 3-3 record.

Sammy said the teams’ records don’t count for anything in the knockout stages.

“We always believed, from the time the tournament started, the first goal was to reach the quarter-finals. After that, you’re two knockout games away from a World Cup final. We’ve won two, it’s been a long time, but New Zealand has not won any,” he said.

Sammy said the pressure should be much greater on New Zealand as the favourite and the home team.

“Here we are, a knockout game, so the pressure is on the home team,” he said. “They are the favourites to win, so the question is, what are they going to do when they play West Indies in a knockout?

“We’re not too bad in knockout games. We’re just going to enjoy it. The pressure is not on us.”

The West Indies last played New Zealand in the knockout rounds of a major tournament at the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2012. That match ended in a tie and the West Indies went on to win in a super over.

“It’s a big occasion, but we’re not going to be overwhelmed,” Sammy said. “We’ve played New Zealand in a quarter-final of a T20 World Cup before, and when it came down to crunch time, we won. Same set of players.

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“This time around, it won’t be any different, a full house rooting for New Zealand. but we know within our group, once we do the basics, the things we know, we can do well, we are unstoppable.”

Gayle May Start in #WorldCup quarter-final vs New Zealand

Chris Gayle hits first World Cup 200... amongst other records

West Indies opener Chris Gayle hit the first double century in World Cup history in their Pool B victory over Zimbabwe at Canberra.

The 35-year-old left-hander reached 200 off 138 balls, hitting Tendai Chatara for a boundary in the 46th over.

His mark eclipsed the unbeaten 188 by South Africa’s Gary Kirsten against the United Arab Emirates in 1996.

Gayle hit a total of 16 sixes in 147 balls before he was out for 215 off the last delivery of his side’s innings.

It was also only the fifth double century in all one-day internationals and the first by a non-Indian, with Rohit Sharma (two), Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag the only other batsmen to achieve the feat.

The stand of 372 with Marlon Samuels – after Dwayne Smith had departed for a second-ball duck – was also a record partnership for any ODI wicket, surpassing the 331 shared by India’s Rahul Dravid and Tendulkar against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1999.

The story of the innings

Gayle’s knock was almost ended by the very first ball he faced but the on-field umpire turned down Tinashe Panyangara’s lbw appeal and, despite a review showing the ball would have clipped the top of the bails, the original decision stood.

He went on to reach his 22nd one-day century from 105 balls before blasting his second hundred in only 33 deliveries.

From the final ball of the innings Gayle top-edged a catch high to midwicket.

Samuels finished unbeaten on 133 from 156 balls as West Indies amassed 372-2 from their 50 overs.

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After a short rain delay, Gayle then took two wickets with his part-time off-spin and a catch as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 289. The Windies won by 73 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method.

Chris Gayle hits first World Cup 200... amongst other records

Explosive "Chris Gayle" Lead W.I. to victory vs S.A. [Video]

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Explosive opener Chris Gayle announced his return to international cricket after nearly five months with a stunning half-century but West Indies made a meal of their target before stumbling past South Africa by four wickets in the opening Twenty20 International of the three-match series on Friday.

The 35-year-old left-hander, who has been side-lined in recent months by injury, slammed the fastest half-century by a West Indies batsman en route to a top score of 77 off 31, an innings which allowed the Caribbean side to chase down their target of 166, with only four deliveries remaining at Newlands.

Gayle belted five fours and eight whopping sixes, raising his 12th T20 International half-century off a mere 17 balls to break Kieron Pollard’s record of the fastest fifty by a West Indies player which had come off 20 deliveries.

Marlon Samuels chipped in with 41 off 37 balls and Dwayne Smith made 20 in an up tempo opening stand of 78 off a mere 37 balls with Gayle, to lay the foundation for the Windies victory bid.

However, as has become the norm, the Caribbean side needed to inject the now obligatory drama, into what otherwise should have been a straightforward run chase, especially after Gayle’s fireworks paved the way.

Cruising at 147 for two in the 16th over, the Windies suddenly suffered an attack of nerves and lost four quick wickets for 17 runs in the space of 14 deliveries, to carry the game down to the last over.

Earlier, Rilee Rossouw pounded an unbeaten 51 off 40 balls to steer South Africa to 165 for four off their 20 overs, after they opted to bat first.

Explosive "Chris Gayle" Lead W.I. to victory vs S.A. [Video]