Sammy pleased with West Indies’ ‘thoughtful and smart cricket’ in T20I series decider
Sammy Pleased with West Indies’ Performance
Sammy pleased with West Indies’ ‘thoughtful and smart cricket’ in T20I series decider, as the team clinches a series-clinching five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the deciding T20I in Kingston on Sunday.
After Sri Lanka had scored 169, West Indies were going nowhere three-quarters of the way in the chase, the scoreboard reading 110 for 4 after 16 overs, still 60 to get in four overs. That’s when Sherfane Rutherford and Rovman Powell upped the ante, and Jason Holder crashed three sixes in the 19th over, bowled by Dushmantha Chameera, to all but finish the job.
Thoughtful and Smart Cricket
“I wasn’t too nervous. I was just hoping that we get over the line. But today it was a lot more thoughtful and smart cricket, especially by Rovman and Sherfane and followed by Jason Holder,” Sammy told reporters after the match at Sabina Park, before talking up Shamar Joseph, who returned a career-best 5 for 33 in the first half.
The last time West Indies won a bilateral T20I series at home was in August 2024, when they beat South Africa 3-0. “I remember just before World Cup 2024, we played South Africa here [in May 2024]. That was probably the first time we played cricket in years in Sabina. But you could see, I always tell the guys, we have to give the Sabina fans something to shout about,” Sammy said.
Player of the Match and Series
Joseph was named the Player of the Match, and the Player of the Series, too, for his overall haul of 11 wickets – his sequence was 3 for 29, 3 for 32 and then the five-for. “It’s exciting for me, my first five-wicket haul in T20s, you know, couldn’t ask for anything better. And also, you know, a match-winning series for our West Indies team and especially for Jamaica,” Joseph said.
Joseph had two big phases in the game. First, in the sixth over, he sent back Pathum Nissanka and Pavan Rathnayake off successive deliveries. And then, in the last over, he had Dunith Wallalage and Chameera off the second and third balls, and Maheesh Theekshana off the last.
Future Plans
West Indies play Tests and ODIs next before returning to T20Is in October when they travel to India. “You know, we now have to put things together, skill set players to match the conditions we’re going to find in Antigua. But most of all, being under pressure today and having the nerve and the calm and the cricket smarts to do what it takes to come out over the line. That was special,” Sammy said.
