EDWIN SEERAJ
INSIDE EDGE 
WlLL the Windies men cop a second World T20 title and the Windies women their first? Cricket fans throughout the Caribbean are understandably elated that both the men and women wearing the coveted maroon uniforms will be representing them in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) T20 World Cup finals set for Mumbai, India, today.
Congratulations are in order to all stakeholders — the administrators, coaching and managerial staff, sponsors, players and faithful fans — for making this possible as the men square off with England and the women do battle with the Aussies.
Although having the male and female teams from one country simultaneously contesting the finals of an ICC World Cup is not a unique occurrence (Australia did so in 2010), the fact that both West Indies outfits will be on show on this massive stage is enough reason to be ecstatic.
In the men’s version of the ICC T20 World Cup, today marks the end of the seventh edition, the first of which was played in South Africa in 2007.
In the inaugural competition, India and Pakistan battled in a riveting final in Johannesburg with the Indians eventually overcoming their neighbours by just five runs.
In England in 2009, the Pakistanis made amends by defeating a cheeky Sri Lanka side at Lord’s to take possession of the title and trophy.
In 2010, the venue shifted to the Caribbean and fans and followers in the Region and beyond thought that the West Indies would have dominated as they exhibited their skills on home turf in front of exuberant and loyal fans.
But the hosts made an early exit and the showpiece final at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, was a match-up between the English and the Australians-a showdown that saw England emerging winners.
It was not until two years later, in the fourth ICC T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, that the West Indies made it to the final, having defeated Australia in one of the semis a couple of days earlier.
A packed-in crowd at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo witnessed the West Indies captain Darren Sammy winning the toss and electing to bat against the host and fighting finalist, Sri Lanka.
The innings got off to a stuttering start as it took the West Indies 17 deliveries to score the first run off the bat and in the course of the sixth over, the openers Chris Gayle (3) and Johnson Charles (0) had already exited the middle at 14 for two.
Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo set about repairing the damage, even as the Sri Lankan bowlers applied the pressure, restricting the opposition to a miserly 32 for two at the half-way point; but they still managed to add a crucial 59 for the third wicket before Bravo fell leg before wicket to the ‘mystery” spinner Ajantha Mendis (4/12) for a sedate 19.
Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell fell cheaply and at 87 for five in the 16th over, the probability of the regional team suffering the indignity of being bowled out inside the allotment of 20 overs was extremely high.
However, Samuels had begun to assert himself and in fact had reserved special punishment for one of the top T20 bowlers in the game — the fast-bowling, yorker specialist Lasith Malinga. In one of his overs Samuel struck him for three sixes — a flick over midwicket, a loft over long-on and a beautiful drive over extra-cover as the deflated bowler ended with 0 for 54 from his four overs.
When Samuels eventually departed the scene at 108, he had acquired 78 of the most attractive runs in any of the formats of the game off just 56 deliveries, spiced with three fours and six spectacular sixes.
Darren Sammy cracked a crucial unbeaten 26 to take the West Indies to a respectable 137 for six when the innings closed.
Needing to take early wickets and set the Sri Lankans back, Ravi Rampaul did just that, sending back the experienced and quick-scoring Tillakaratne Dilshan (0) with his very first delivery in the second over of the innings.
The skipper, Mahela Jayawardene and the ever-reliable Kumar Sangakkara took the score to 48 in the 10th over, before the leg-spinner Samuel Badree broke the partnership and set the floodgates wide open.
Despite handy contributions from Jayawardene (33), Nuwan Kulasekara (26) and Sangakkara (22), the Sri Lankans lost wickets at regular intervals and never got the opportunity to assert themselves in the face of disciplined and incisive bowling, smart catching and splendid fielding from the Windies.
The game ended with Sri Lanka being bowled out for 101 in 18.4 overs, giving the “Maroon Caps” victory by a huge 36 runs as Sunil Narine 3 for 9 and Darren Sammy 2 for 6 ran riot and the Caribbean carnival got into full swing.
In 2014 in Bangladesh, the Sri Lankans made sure they knocked the sails off the West Indies ship in the semi-final and duly matched skills with India in the final. They committed themselves to being the best T20 side in the world and in the end wore the crown with pride as the Indians had to settle as runners-up.
England, for their part, have only once reached the semi-final stage of an ICC T20 World Cup (pre 2016) and did go on to claim the top prize in 2010.
Coming up against a formidable Australian team, Paul Collingwood called correctly and promptly asked his counterpart Michael Clarke to bat first. The ploy immediately paid rich dividends as the Aussies lost three early wickets while eking out just eight runs.
The openers Shane Watson and David Warner managed just two runs apiece, while the promoted, free-scoring wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was sent packing for a solitary single.
Ryan Sidebottom (2/26), bowling left-arm fast medium, accounted for Watson and Haddin, while the willow-wielding Warner was run out as England applied the pressure.
David Hussey (59) and the captain Clarke (27) took the score to 45 before the off-spinner Graeme Swann claimed the skipper to leave the Aussies in a precarious position in the 10th over of the innings.
A 19-ball 30 from Cameron Whyte aided in a fifty-run partnership for the fifth wicket with David Hussey and although Michael Hussey chipped in with a 10-ball 17, Australia closed their innings at a below par 147 for six.
England suffered an early blow when the opener Michael Lumb fell to the speedster Shaun Taitt, but the bustling opener and wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter (63 from 49 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes) and the mature Kevin Pietersen (47 from 31 balls with 4 fours and 1 six), took the score to 118 before they were separated in the14th over.
In the end, England romped to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory at 148 for three, with a full three overs to spare. Significantly, the captain Collingwood and the player currently in charge, Eoin Morgan, were in the middle when the exciting win came.
In the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup, the Australians have dominated in a huge way winning three of the four tournaments to date.
Having not made it to the first final played in England in 2009, when the host and New Zealand competed for top honours, the “Kangaroo Girls” have taken the accolades in 2010 (defeating New Zealand) and in 2012 and 2014 (upsetting England).
The West Indies women, on the other hand, exited early in 2009, but made it to the semis in 2010 against New Zealand and in 2012 and 2014 against Australia. However, they have never ventured further until today.
Will the West Indies men cop their second ICC T20 World Cup title today? Will the West Indies women win their maiden ICC T20 World Cup title today?