3 Wicket Hat Trick Seals West Indies T20I Thriller
West Indies thwarts a clean sweep by Afghanistan with the help of Springer’s hat trick
West Indies thwarts a clean sweep by Afghanistan with the help of Springer’s hat trick. Shamar Springer hit a dramatic last minute blow when West Indies beat Afghanistan by 15 runs in the last T20I in Dubai, depriving the hosts of a 3 – 0 series win. Springer took his place in the annals of record books after joining only three West Indians bowlers to have been recorded as having taken a hat trick in the T201s, ousting Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, and Shahidullah in one 19th over which turned the tide of the game entirely.
Springer’s Impactful Spell Turns the Match
In place of Shamar Joseph, Springer took the most of chances, and with a smart combination of speed and accuracy. His second to last over yielded only five runs and Afghanistan required 19 in the last over. This was done well by young left arm pacer Ramon Simmonds who snared the game with a series of sharp yorkers and low full tosses to seal a much desired win to the West Indies cricket team.
Afghanistan Strong Start in the Chase
The outcome previously had not appeared possible due to the good start that Afghanistan had made in their pursuit of 152. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran contributed 59 runs within the first seven over of the match making the batting side well in command of the situation. Gurbaz began with his tentative hand, and, in the course of the middle overs, was confident enough to raise a half century at a steady pace. At some point, Afghanistan was required to make only 58 runs using only 36 balls and nine wickets to spare.
West Indies Batting Struggles Early
The innings of West Indies, however, had not been even at the very beginning. They were requested to start first with the bat, and only scored 27 runs on the first four overs. Johnson Charles who replaced Alick Athanaze and injured Evin Lewis at the opening struggled with fluency and was bowled by Shahidullah 17 times. Captain Stand-in Brandon King countered the situation by calmly making 47 in responding to a composed 47 with a few clean hits in the powerplay before succumbing to Rashid Khan in the 15 th over.
Rashid Khan’s Milestone Spell
Rashid also dismissed Shimron Hetmyer just as he had dismissed Shimron Hetmyer in the same delivery with a sharped hit that turned back sharply and he went on with his impressive spell of 2 for 13. The Afghanistan spinner is four wickets short to become the first player to have 700 T20 wickets, which also defines his consistency as an international cricketer.
Hat Trick Seals the Contest
This match winning over by Springer was decisive though late opposition was shown by Afghanistan. He sent Gurbaz away with a catch in the midwicket boundary and then sent Rashid away with the next delivery. His hat trick was complete when he yorked Shahidullah and the West Indies players celebrated and the crowd in Dubai was silenced.
What Lies Ahead for Both Teams
The match was the last T20I match Afghanistan will have before going to India to participate in the T20 World Cup and West Indies will go to South Africa to participate in a three match T20I series as a preparation. Performances such as this have left no doubts that Springer is now in the running to make the squad of the West Indies T20 World Cup, with the team gaining momentum, confidence, consistency, belief, depth, and form before the global competition
Congratulations