Hosein's five-for guides Windies to 2nd T20 World Cup win

TWO-TIME International Cricket Council (ICC) Twenty/20 World Cup winners West Indies got their second straight win of the 2024 edition on June 8 when they got a crushing 134-run victory over newcomers Uganda at the Providence Stadium, Guyana.

Batting first, West Indies got to a competitive total of 173 for five, with Johnson Charles top-scoring with 44 off 42 balls. Several other players got starts as captain Rovman Powell (23), Sherfane Rutherford (22) and Nicholas Pooran (22) all chipped in nicely, with allrounder Andre Russell playing a typical cameo at the back end with an unbeaten 30 off 17 balls.

The Ugandan team were no match for the co-hosts West Indies in the chase, and they were bowled out for a paltry 39 in just 12 overs — equalling the lowest-ever score in a T20 World Cup match.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein was the chief destroyer with the ball for the West Indies, and he grabbed remarkable figures of five for 11 as the Caribbean team totally dismantled the opposition. Hosein grabbed three wickets in the power play as Uganda slipped to 22 for five after six overs. He then got the wickets of Dinesh Nakrani and Kenneth Waisa in his last over to finish with his career-best T20 figures.

Hosein's five-for is also the best bowling return from a Windies player in the history of the T20 World Cup.

Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd and Russell all got a wicket each, with vice-captain Alzarri Joseph (two for six) wrapping up the contest when he clean-bowled last man Frank Nsubuga to end the 12th over.

West Indies go level on four points with Afghanistan, but the latter team heads group C thanks to a superior net run rate.

Powell's team will return to action on June 12 when they face New Zealand from 8.30 pm at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, Trinidad.

Summarised Scores:

West Indies — 173/5 (Johnson Charles 44, Andre Russell 30 not out, Rovman Powell 23; Brian Masaba 2/31) vs Uganda — 39 from 12 overs (Juma Miyagi 13 not out; Akeal Hosein 5/11, Alzarri Joseph 2/6). West Indies won by 134 runs.