Cricket Classics - Part X : 2012 ICC T20 World Cup Final
Hello, fellow Sports Enthusiasts,
Cricket is not just a sport between two teams; it's a battle of skills, strategy, and capitalizing on clutch moments. Although the game has transformed over the decades, it has never failed to impress or leave us with unforgettable moments.
So, through this series, I will present some of the most iconic cricket matches that have made fans jump out of their seats. Let's remember those legendary games once a week.
After losing in the 2007 & 2011 ODI World Cups, and the 2010 T20I World Cup Finals, the Sri Lanka team got the opportunity in another Final. Indeed the golden era of us. The 2012 T20 World Cup was held in Sri Lanka from 18 September to 7 October 2012. 12 teams were available in 4 groups in the first round. The top two teams of each group were qualified to the Super 08. Those 8 teams competed in another two groups, and Sri Lanka, West Indies, Australia, and Pakistan advanced to the semi-finals.
As the hosts, and having champion players, Sri Lanka was one of the favorites from the beginning. Under the captaincy of Mahela, the line-up consists of Sangakkara, Dilshan, Malinga, Kulasekara, Mendis, Mathews etc. We started off the tournament with a dominant win against Zimbabwe but lost to SA in the Group Stage. But in the Super 08, we became the table toppers defeating, WI, NZ, and England comprehensively. Sri Lanka reached the Finals, after winning by 16 runs against Pakistan.
As usual, West Indies combined some power-hitting and match-winning combinations with Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Narine, Bravo, Pollard, and Russel under the captaincy of Sammy. At the start, they were lost to Australia and one match was washed away. But still, they qualified for the Super 08. They won 2 out of 03 matches and faced Australia in the Semi-Finals. It was a 74-run win for them, advancing to the Finals.
R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo was ready for the Finals on 7 October 2012. The stadium was filled with the crowd. The West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first. But Sri Lankan ballers took the driving seat, with Mathews dismissing Charles in the first over for a duck. Apart from that they controlled the fearsome hitting of the batters. When Gayle got out in the 6th over, he took 16 balls to score just 03 runs. After the powerplay, the score was 14/2. From there Marlon Samuels and Bravo stabilized the innings a bit.
At the end of 10 overs, West Indies were 32/2. At that moment we believed that it was our day. But one guy was standing there tall. Marlon Samuels. He turned the entire game in the favor of the West Indies. He smashed 78 runs off 56 balls ruthlessly, including six sixes.** He went after Lasith Malinga, one of the best at death overs at that time. With his effort, West Indies posted a competitive total of 137/6 in their 20 overs.
Even though it was a small total, with the balling options they had the game was on. In the reply, Sri Lanka lost Dilshan early for a duck. Then Sangakkara and Mahela tried to rebuild the inning but could not score runs freely. After 10 overs, the score was 48/2. But from there we lost the momentum. The middle order collapsed and the score was 69/7 in the 15th over.
Kulasekara put a little cameo at the end, scoring 26 off 13 but it was a tough target for him alone. Sri Lanka bowled out for 101 in 18.4 overs.
Aaaaand it was the celebration time for the West Indies team. They did what they do best at the end!!!
See you at the next episode!! You can always suggest a match to discuss in the next episode.
src - Wikipedia
espncricinfo
Thank you.
Best Regards!