Batting prowess of the West Indies Champions and South Africa Champions shone bright as both the teams emerged victorious in two high-scoring clashes at County Ground in Northampton at the World Championship of Legends 2024 on Tuesday. (More Cricket News)
West Indies Champions earned a win over England Champions, while South Africa Champions made quick work of Pakistan Champions as both games saw over 400 runs scored in each of them.
Here is a quick look at both the matches of the day.
West Indies Champions vs England Champions
In the first match of the day, the West Indies Champions chased down a formidable target of 210 set by England Champions.
Despite losing Chris Gayle early in the first over, Dwayne Smith and Chadwick Walton ensured a strong start, posting 65 runs for the loss of one wicket by the end of the powerplay. Walton particularly targeted Chris Schofield, scoring 20 runs off him in the sixth over. Although Smith was dismissed LBW by Samit Patel for 11, Kirk Edwards kept the momentum going.
Walton continued his assault on Schofield, smashing 23 runs in the eighth over with three sixes and a four. He was finally dismissed by Ravi Bopara in the 12th over, scoring a blistering 85 off 42 balls. Following Walton's departure, Edwards fell for 14, leaving West Indies at 125/4.
However, Ashley Nurse and Jason Mohammed forged a crucial partnership, adding 67 runs for the fifth wicket. Nurse and Darren Sammy completed the chase, leading West Indies Champions to a 5-wicket victory in 19.3 overs. Walton was named the player of the match for his explosive innings.
England Champions, after being put in to bat first, faced an early setback with Phil Mustard falling for a duck to Samuel Badree. Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell stabilized the innings, guiding the team to 48/1 in 6 overs.
Pietersen's quickfire 42 off 19 balls was instrumental, but he was dismissed in the eighth over with the score at 80/3. Bell and Ravi Bopara then put up a substantial 118-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Bell's 97 off 64 balls, along with Bopara's 53 off 30, propelled England to a total of 209/5 in 20 overs.
Brief Scores
Match 1: West Indies Champions vs England Champions
England Champions: 209/5 in 20 overs (Ian Bell 97, Ravi Bopara 53; Samuel Badree 1/24, Jerome Taylor 1/33)
West Indies Champions: 210/5 in 19.2 overs (Chadwick Walton 85, Jason Mohammed 32*; Samit Patel 1/20, Ravi Bopara 1/39)
Result: West Indies Champions won by 5 wickets
Player of the Match: Chadwick Walton
South Africa Champions vs Pakistan Champions
The second game saw South Africa Champions chase down 211 against Pakistan Champions in with nine balls still remaining.
Sarel Erwee led the charge with an unbeaten 105 off 57 balls, maintaining a strike rate of 184.21. His innings included 11 fours and six sixes. Jacques Snyman provided excellent support, scoring an unbeaten 82 off 47 balls, with six fours and five sixes. Together, they put on an unbroken 183-run stand for the second wicket, dismantling the Pakistan bowling attack.
The only wicket to fall was that of JP Duminy, who scored 9 off 8 balls before being dismissed by Sohail Khan.
Earlier, Pakistan Champions posted a competitive 210/4 in their 20 overs. Shoaib Malik's unbeaten 51 off 26 balls and Sharjeel Khan's explosive 72 off 36 balls laid a solid foundation.
Contributions from Sohail Maqsood (24 off 24), Shahid Afridi (20 off 10), and Abdul Razzaq (25* off 15) bolstered the total. Imran Tahir and Dale Steyn were the standout bowlers for South Africa, taking 1/19 and 1/24, respectively.
Brief Scores
Match 2: South Africa Champions vs Pakistan Champions
Pakistan Champions: 210/4 in 20 overs (Sharjeel Khan 72, Shoaib Malik 51*; Imran Tahir 1/19, Dale Steyn 1/24)
South Africa Champions: 211/1 in 18.3 overs (Sarel Erwee 105*, Jacques Snyman 82*; Sohail Khan 1/38)
Result: South Africa Champions won by 9 wickets
Player of the Match: Sarel Erwee
