DUBAI: Eoin Morgan’s England signalled their title aspiration with a comfortable six-wicket victory against defending champions West Indies in their Twenty20 World Cup Super 12 opener on Saturday.

Batting fireworks were expected in the repeat of the 2016 final between the sides but England made it a one-sided affair with their bowlers running amok at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Moeen Ali (2-17) wrecked the West Indies top order before Adil Rashid ran through rest of the line-up to skittle out the Caribbean side for a paltry 55 inside 15 overs.

England, bidding to become the first side to hold the 20-overs and 50-overs World Cup titles at the same time, chased down the target in 8.2 overs to begin their Super 12 campaign in style.

Morgan’s men endured their own batting wobble in their chase losing four wickets in the process but their victory was never in doubt.

Earlier, wary of the evening dew that could make gripping the ball a challenge, Morgan opted to field and West Indies slumped to 37-5 inside eight overs with Moeen in the thick of things.

Stationed at mid-off, Moeen ran backwards chasing a skier from Evin Lewis and took a terrific running catch over his shoulder to draw first blood.

In the next over, Moeen, who bowled his four overs on the trot, had Lendl Simmons caught in the deep and the spinner returned to dismiss Shimron Hetmyer to jolt West Indies.

The middle-order did hardly any better as Tymal Mills dismissed Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran, while Chris Jordan removed Dwayne Bravo.

Rashid then ran through the bottom half of the West Indies line-up, dismissing Kieron Pollard and Obed McCoy off successive deliveries.

Gayle’s 13 was the only double-digit score in West Indies’ abject batting capitulation against England’s fiery attack. Rashid sent down 14 balls, conceded only two runs and claimed four wickets in a terrific display of spin bowling.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES:

L.M.P. Simmons c Livingstone b Moeen 3

E. Lewis c Moeen b Woakes 6

C.H. Gayle c Malan b Mills 13

S.O. Hetmyer c Morgan b Moeen 9

D.J. Bravo c Bairstow b Jordan 5

N. Pooran c Buttler b Mills 1

K.A. Pollard c Bairstow b Rashid 6

A.D. Russell b Rashid 0

A.J. Hosein not out 6

O.C. McCoy c Roy b Rashid 0

R. Rampaul b Rashid 3 EXTRAS (W-3) 3

TOTAL (all out, 14.2 overs) 55

FALL OF WKTS: 1-8 (Lewis, 1.3 ov), 2-9 (Simmons, 2.2 ov), 3-27 (Hetmyer, 4.4 ov), 4-31 (Gayle, 5.6 ov), 5-37 (Bravo, 7.2 ov), 6-Pooran, 8.5 ov), 7-44 (Russell, 10.1 ov), 8-49 (Pollard, 12.1 ov), 9-49 (McCoy, 12.2 ov), 10-55 (Rampaul, 14.2 ov).

BOWLING: Moeen Ali 4-1-17-2; Woakes 2-0-12-1; Mills 4-0-17-2 (3w); Jordan 2-0-7-1; Adil Rashid 2.2-0-2-4.

ENGLAND:

J.J. Roy c Gayle b Rampaul 11

J.C. Buttler not out 24

J.M. Bairstow c and b Hosein 9

Moeen Ali run out 3

L.S. Livingstone c and Hosein 1

E.J.G. Morgan not out 7

EXTRAS (NB-1) 1

TOTAL (for four wkts, 8.2 overs) 56

FALL OF WKTS: 1-21 (Roy, 3.1 ov), 2-30 (Bairstow, 4.1 ov), 3-36 (Moeen, 5.2 ov), 4-39 (Livingstone, 6.1 ov).

DID NOT BAT: D.J. Malan, C.R. Woakes, C.J. Jordan, Adil Rashid, T.S. Mills.

BOWLING: Hosein 4-0-24-2; Rampaul 2-0-14-1; McCoy 2-0-12-0 (1nb); Pollard 0.2-0-6-0.

RESULT: England won by six wickets.

UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and M. Erasmus (South Africa).

TV UMPIRE: C.M. Brown (New Zealand).

MATCH REFEREE: D.C. Boon (Australia).

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Moeen Ali (England).

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2021