Saint Lucia, June 18 (FN Bureau) Records fell like ninepins as the West Indies totalled a stunning T20 World Cup innings to crush Afghanistan by 104 runs at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday. To start with, the West Indies’ total of 218/5 was the highest total by any team at this edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup, surpassing the 201/6 Sri Lanka managed against the Netherlands at the same venue and Australia’s 201/7 against England in Barbados. Nicholas Pooran’s outstanding innings of 98 was the highest score by any player at this T20 World Cup, eclipsing the unbeaten 94 USA’s Aaron Jones put together against Canada in Dallas.West Indies scored 92 runs during the Powerplay, beating the previous best of 91 by the Netherlands against Ireland at the 2014 edition of the tournament, according to icccricket.com.
The score of 218/5 by the West Indies was the best they have managed at any edition of the T20 World Cup, going past the 205/6 against South Arica in Johannesburg in 2007. It was an unwanted record for Afghanistan seamer Azmatullah Omarzai, who conceded a total of 36 in one over during the Powerplay. Pooran smashed three sixes and a pair of fours during Omarzai’s second over, with some wayward bowling meaning Yuvraj Singh’s long-standing record for most runs in one over at a Men’s T20 World Cup was equalled.Pooran hit eight sixes against Afghanistan, taking his tally to 128 in T20I cricket and past West Indies great Chris Gayle’s total of 124. Pooran has also become the joint-top six-hitter of the tournament, alongside USA’s Aaron Jones. Both have hit 13 over boundaries.