Mumbai: The West Indies and England, two strong contenders for the World Twenty20, will aim for the first win of the competition when they face off in the Group 1 clash at the Wankhede Stadium here on Wednesday. The 2010 World T20 winners England come into the competition after some quality limited-overs performances and with a good number of T20 specialists in the squad. Expect the Englishmen to give tough competition to the opposition. [caption id=“attachment_2679140” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Chris Gayle. Getty[/caption] In their warm-up match on March 12, a good batting display followed by some disciplined bowling saw England outclass New Zealand by six wickets. Openers Jason Roy and Alex Hales, who looked in fine fettle against the Black Caps and also against local side Mumbai in their final warm-up game on Monday, will be a keen to give their side a good start against the West Indies. The middle-order comprising skipper Eoin Morgan, Joe Root, hard-hitting wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler and all-rounder Ben Stokes build up a strong batting line-up. As the pitches will favour the slower bowlers, preferably the tweakers, off-spinner Moeen Ali and leg-spinner Adil Rashid will be handy in these conditions. The duo troubled batsmen with variations and spin in both the warm-up fixtures here. For seamers, Liam Plunkett, Reece Topley and David Willey make a good trio. With a balanced squad, captain Morgan will hope his boys deliver to give themselves a winning start to the tournament. On the other hand, 2012 winners West Indies will as always rely on swashbuckling batsman Chris Gayle to fire for them at the top. But the hard-hitter failed to impress in the warm-up game against India, scoring just 18. Besides Gayle, opener Johnson Charles, middle-order batsmen Andre Fletcher, Marlon Samuels followed by some world class all-rounders in Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell make them an explosive unit. Experienced Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor will make a good pace bowling pair, besides spinners Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn who can be handy with their variations. With most of the players in the West Indies squad featuring in domestic T20 competitions around the globe, be it Indian Premier League (IPL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Big Bash League (BBL) to name a few, the experience they have gathered in the shortest format of the game will surely come into play and will keep them a step ahead. The squads: West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Marlon Samuels, Andre Fletcher, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Jerome Taylor, Sulieman Benn, Samuel Badree. England: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey.
World T20, England vs West Indies as it happened: Gayle's 100 off 48 powers Windies to big win
Live updates from England vs West Indies WT20 match at Wankhede, Mumbai
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And there is the century! Off just 47 balls. Madness. Just madness.
#Gayle starts yet another #WT20 with a century, races to 100 off 47 balls. Majestic https://t.co/Cs3fCTQIWo #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/5gaXWDUZ1B
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) March 16, 2016
After 17 overs,West Indies 172/4 ( Chris Gayle 99 , Andre Russell 8)
More of the same. Now 11 sixes, 5 fours.
Gayle now flicking balls for sixes. England facing heavy artillery
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 16, 2016
After 14 overs, West Indies 146/4 ( Chris Gayle 79 , Andre Russell 4)
It’s been raining sixes. Target has been turned into a formality by one man going beserk. England left helpless. Moeen Ali made to look hapless.
Gayle storm in Wankhede. #MatchReportIn4Words
Three in a row! Sixes no. 7, 8 & 9 on the night! All over long on. No words.. #ENGvWI #WT20 https://t.co/Cs3fCTQIWo pic.twitter.com/Dz2gKSfGKL
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) March 16, 2016
Is Gayle the greatest six-hitter ever?
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) March 16, 2016
After 12 overs, West Indies 113/3 ( Chris Gayle 56 , Dwayne Bravo 2)
England are not going anywhere without getting Gayle’s wicket – it’s been one huge six after another, as he romps to yet another T20 fifty. In the meantime, Ramdin came and went unnoticed for a dodgy 12 off 14 balls
A standing ovation for Gayle as he reaches his 50. He hasn't disappointed Wankhede crowd so far. #WT20 #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/syBXJtudFC
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) March 16, 2016
That was just after his 50 – monstrous hitting so far
Straight down the ground... Just below the press box... Whattay hit!
— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) March 16, 2016
Tiny 2'nd six by Gayle. Only in the 2nd tier!!
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 16, 2016
After 9 overs,West Indies 83/2 ( Chris Gayle 35 , Denesh Ramdin (W) 6)
All of a sudden, after a bit of a lull, Gayle explodes into life. Spin in tandem for England, and Gayle treats Rashid with disdain in the 9th with two colossal hits over long on!
SIX, SIX! High and handsome, over long on. 98, then 86 meters. Colossal! #WT20 #ENGvWI https://t.co/Cs3fCTQIWo pic.twitter.com/UP2ifJGioo
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) March 16, 2016
After 6 overs,West Indies 55/1 ( Chris Gayle 14 , Marlon Samuels 36)
A powerplay where Gayle just faced 10 balls, but the RR is nearly 10! Thanks to a strike-hogging Samuels who has hit 8 boundaries already. England need a breakthrough quickly
Samuels is on fire but a huge cheer goes up as Gaye finally gets the strike after a long time. #WT20 #ENGvWI
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) March 16, 2016
After 4 overs, West Indies 30/1 (Chris Gayle 10 , Marlon Samuels 18)
Gayle starts off in blistering fashion in the 2nd over – with a 4 and a 6 (his 50th is WT20s). It’s been all Samuels since then – three fours, all of them powerful shots through the offside. He has definitely overcome a shaky start.
This is how the CHANCES OF WINNING have changed over the course of the match:
10th over: West Indies started out with a pre-match COW of 51%, which increased to 56% in the 2nd over after giving away just 1 run in the 1st over and 4 runs in the 2nd. England stepped up the pace of scoring in the 3rd and 4th overs, bringing the COW back to 50%. An economical 8th over momentarily took West Indies back up to 51%, but some good hitting by Root and Hales gave England the edge, with their COW at 51% at the 10th over.
England got to 51% COW in the 10th over after some strong hitting, but Hales immediately got out in the 12th over. In addition to the wicket, West Indies conceded only 4 runs in that over, sending their COW to 50%.
Despite the big wicket of Root in the 15th over, Buttler and Morgan’s hitting got England’s COW up to 51% before a boundary-less over from Brathwaite brought it back to 50%.
A 17th over with 14 runs and just 1 dot ball took England’s COW to 52% for the first time in the match. Buttler got out in the next over but Stokes took over from him, keeping the scoring rate positive till the end of the innings.
Familiar face opening the batting for #WI along with Charles. Target 183 for Gayle & co https://t.co/Cs3fCTQIWo pic.twitter.com/LcwwuJ8V5N
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) March 16, 2016
After 20 overs, England 182/6 ( Eoin Morgan (C) 27)
Some big hitting by Morgan, Stokes in the last two overs – 30 from the last two, with three sixes and a four before Bravo traps Stokes with a wicked slower ball. Moeen Ali chips in with a six too (Holder should have caught that) as England finish strongly.
Enough to stop Gayle and Co?
OUT! A big six over (into the 2nd tier) off Bravo’s over and then Buttler miscues a full toss to long leg. Bravo gets his first wicket of the tournament & breaks into a dance!
Out comes danger man Ben Stokes
After 17 overs,England 142/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 21 , Eoin Morgan (C) 18)
England innings is getting a move on after a good spell for Windies. Buttler and Morgan plunder 13 runs off Benn’s over, the 17th. Buttler already has two sixes already, the 2nd a pull shot of Benn deep into the stands.
Big score on the cards? England will need more than 180 for sure
After 14 overs, England 114/2 ( Joe Root 48 , Jos Buttler 11)
Joe Root is heading towards a superb half century – been a near-flawless innings so far. Buttle, Mumbai Indians’ latest recruit, is in the middle with and is already into the act with a powerful shot over long-off for six
I feel sorry for this dj at the Wankhede. He's got a very tough job trying to convince people the only reason they are here is to make noise
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 16, 2016
Joe Root is good, Mumbai's outfield better and Andre Russell the best. #WT20
— Pratyush Sinha (@prat1204) March 16, 2016
After 10 overs, England 81/1 ( Alex Hales 27 , Joe Root 29)
After Roy’s dissmisal, it’s been all England at Wankhede. Root has quickly caught up with Hales, with his pull shot over fine leg off a very good bouncer for six being the pick of the day so far. West Indies are trying all they can with regular bowling changes. Brathwaite, Bravo, Badree, Russell all involved but with little luck.
After 4 overs, England 36/0 ( Jason Roy 15 , Alex Hales 14)
After first 2 overs which went 5 runs, West Indies have let go off their control. First Taylor concedes 18 runs in the 3rd over – a wide four, then the last extra ball slapped to long on by Roy. Then Badree goes for 13 in his over – hattrick of 4s by Hales! Blistering start.
Clive Lloyd is in the house watching the action from Wankhede's grand stand. #WT20 #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/QRCAUXSZA9
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) March 16, 2016


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