
The stage is set at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for the clash of former champions England and West Indies. Despite the decline in West Indies cricket, T20I is one format that they have excelled in. Having won the ICC World T20 in 2010, West Indies enter this tournament as one of the favourites. The Darren Sammy-led Caribbean side will miss the likes of Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard but still have enough in their ammunition to get past top sides.
A major chunk of West Indies’ hopes rests on Chris Gayle. In fact, the team comprises stars of top T20I leagues around the world. On the other hand, England historically have not been able to replicate their Test success in the shorter formats but under Eoin Morgan, the side has seen success off late.
In Morgan, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, England have firepower at plenty. The 2010 World T20 champions will draw confidence from their series win against Pakistan in UAE, late last year. The game has all ingredients of an exciting encounter. CricLife presents you with the pick of the tweets:
WEST INDIES WIN BY 6 WICKETS! #ENGvWI West Indies 183/4 (18.1 Overs). Gayle 100, Russell 16. What a century from Gayle!
— westindies (@westindies) March 16, 2016
#Gayle Becomes 1st Player To Score Two Centuries In #WT20 . #ENGvWI #GayleStorm
— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) March 16, 2016
Chris Gayle#WIvsEng#wt20 pic.twitter.com/kmpBF9MCTO
— Billoo-The Cricketer (@MohitParmarr) March 16, 2016
The thing about Chris Gayle is that his smaller six goes into the upper pavilion and his bigger ones almost go to the Arabian sea. #ENGvWI
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) March 16, 2016
Go.. Going.. Gone.. Gayle..
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) March 16, 2016
Ok… Game over
— Chris Tremlett (@ChrisTremlett33) March 16, 2016
Windies women hold their nerves and pull off a victory at Chepauk.
— K Balakumar (@kbalakumar) March 16, 2016
Gayle can count… #wt20 #eng #wi
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Roars of approval in the Mumbai press box as Gayle helps himself to three successive sixes off Moeen Ali. For England, the end is nigh.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) March 16, 2016
Gayle – the Bradman of T20. #GOAT
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) March 16, 2016
Chris Gayle is on fire for #WI & he goes past Brendon McCullum’s record for T20I sixes! #WT20 pic.twitter.com/ro3d28Gu50
— ICC (@ICC) March 16, 2016
गेल को छोड़ कर निचला क्रम शीघ्र पतन का शिकार #ENGvWI
— Sir Ashish Nehra (@Guru_A_Nehra) March 16, 2016
That is out. Bravo goes, Topley gets him with the old full toss. Maybe #ENG can just get the others out, and ignore Gayle… 113-4. #WT20
— AllOutCricket (@AllOutCricket) March 16, 2016
Chris Gayle (@henrygayle):
ODIs: 69 50+ scores in 264 inns
T20s: 72 50+ scores in 236 inns#ENGvWI #WT20— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) March 16, 2016
Teacher – 1+1 kitna hota hai
Suleman Benn – pic.twitter.com/ahvtnC8zNJ
— अरुण लाल (@dhaikilokatweet) March 16, 2016
Think Ramdin is out there to massage Gayle’s ego and thigh muscles.#ENGvWI
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) March 16, 2016
Gayle always gets the home crowd support in India, unless he is playing against India.
— Sagarcasm (@sagarcasm) March 16, 2016
Well well, Henry Gayle is in boss mode. Two monster sixes pulled over mid wkt off Stokes tilts the game his way. 103-2 in 11
— Dean Wilson (@CricketMirror) March 16, 2016
Most career 6s in T20Is
92* C Gayle (44 inns)
91 B McCullum (70)
79 S Watson (52)
73 D Warner (57)
70 S Afridi (87)#WT20#EngvWI— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 16, 2016
So Gayle completes 50 sixes in T20Is! First man to do so. Yuvraj second with 31. #WIvsENG #WT20
— Chinmay Jawalekar (@CricfreakTweets) March 16, 2016
Is Ramdin a double agent?
WTF is that in cricket?
A player who wears his team’s jersey but actually plays for the Soviet Union #ENGvWI
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) March 16, 2016
Never seen super soppers employed to remove dew – tokenism
— Derek Pringle (@derekpringle) March 16, 2016
Should be a commfortable victory for the Windies! #WT20 #WIvsENG
— Srini Mama (@SriniMama16) March 16, 2016
Had this been a gully cricket match, the captain would have retired Ramdin for playing 3 consecutive dots. #Gullycricketrules #WIvsENG #WT20
— Chinmay Jawalekar (@CricfreakTweets) March 16, 2016
Gayle facing only 21 balls in first 10 overs is a huge win for @ECB_cricket. Can’t afford for any more in last 10 #WT20 #ENGvWI
— Larry Leprechaun (@LarryLeprechau) March 16, 2016
Gayle has completed 50 sixes in World T20 – first to do so. He had 49 sixes before this match. Next highest: Yuvraj 31.#ENGvWI #WT20
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) March 16, 2016
Expecting a Numbers game article on Gayle’s SR and average against off spinners tomorrow
— Ravi Maestri (@ravimaestri) March 16, 2016
Why Denesh Ramdin? #WI should have brought an entertaining middle-order batsman & made Charles keep the wickets. #WIvsENG #WT20
— Chinmay Jawalekar (@CricfreakTweets) March 16, 2016
Mooen can destroy Indians, but can he do the job against West Indians….? #WT20 #eng #wi
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
— Laddi Sohal (@IamSohal_Yuvian) March 16, 2016
Adil goes 11/4 joint favourite for #SPOTY….. #wt20 #eng #wi
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
THAT IS OUT – Rashid strikes to get Samuels (37) well held at long on by Willey. 57-2 from 6.4
— Dean Wilson (@CricketMirror) March 16, 2016
Rashid has to bowl googlies to Gayle
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) March 16, 2016
When Rashids first over goes for 20 twitter will probably break…. #wt20 #eng #wi
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Marlon Samuels is one of the biggest underachievers in world cricket. When clicks, he can be the best! Otherwise, frustrating #WIvsENG #WT20
— Chinmay Jawalekar (@CricfreakTweets) March 16, 2016
Samuels smashed it straight to point but NO BALL AND FREE HIT! pic.twitter.com/1zPuTCAaIi
— WIPA (@wiplayers) March 16, 2016
OUT! and It’s No Ball.. #ENGvWI #WT20
— Laddi Sohal (@IamSohal_Yuvian) March 16, 2016
Snipers MARMALIZED….
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Lol – that’ll get em started… 😉 #SEETHE #wt20 #eng #w
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Samuels Back In Action! #ENGvWI #WT20
— Laddi Sohal (@IamSohal_Yuvian) March 16, 2016
England finish on 182-6, Eoin hitting 27* from 14 balls! #WT20 #TeamMiddlesex pic.twitter.com/2DyhzkcRVz
— Middlesex Cricket (@Middlesex_CCC) March 16, 2016
Chris Gayle first to hit 50 sixes in #WT20 — https://t.co/3eNUpo69eQ #WIvsENG #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/u1Zq3jgr1E
— CricketCountry (@cricket_country) March 16, 2016
Samuels currently winning the battle of the salute against Stokes. Successive fours. 38-1 after 4.3. #WT20
— AllOutCricket (@AllOutCricket) March 16, 2016
Should get Stokes on to Marlon – that should be fun… #wt20 #eng #wi
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Scoring 7 runs off 2 balls and getting out in an inns in Int cricket:
Jerome Taylor, T20I v SA, 2010
Moeen Ali, T20I v WI, 2016#WT20— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) March 16, 2016
Ye willey to apne Umesh yadav ka bichda hua bhai lagta he. 4 gende achi dalega aur baki ke 2 ball par 4 Pakka. #ENGvWI
— India.. India… (@PushprajZala) March 16, 2016
England 20 runs short then… #wt20 #eng #wi
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Need to bowl to your field to create pressure, England’s lefties not managed to do that yet
— Derek Pringle (@derekpringle) March 16, 2016
Going to be Jordan next over isnt it – I can tell the twitter SEETHERS are poised in anticipation… #wt20 #eng #wi
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Hale-storm was okayish. How devastating will #GayleStorm be? #WIvEng #WT20
— HoldingWilleyCricket (@holdingwilley) March 16, 2016
Gayle started his Taandav.#EngvWI
— Sunil- The Cricketer (@1sInto2s) March 16, 2016
SIX! GAYLE STORM #ENGvWI #WT20
— Laddi Sohal (@IamSohal_Yuvian) March 16, 2016
Marlon Samuels has scored 952 runs, and needs 48 more to achieve the 1,000 runs milestone in T20Is. #WI #WT20 pic.twitter.com/lEjDnfsCiv
— Cricketopia.com (@Cricketopia) March 16, 2016
6 from the event full first over #WI 6 for 1 #ENGvWI #WT20
— Circle of Cricket (@circleofcricket) March 16, 2016
Willey is Mohammed Aamir Of England. #ENG #ENGvWI #WT20
— Laddi Sohal (@IamSohal_Yuvian) March 16, 2016
Johnson caught off a swinging Willey #WT20
— Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) March 16, 2016
Why Johnson Charles opening the innings? Where the hell’s Dwayne Smith? #WIvsENG #WT20
— Chinmay Jawalekar (@CricfreakTweets) March 16, 2016
No team has chased 183 or more against #ENG in T20Is.#WI has once chased down a 180+ score (232 v SA, Joburg, 2015).#WIvENG #WT20
— Deepu Narayana (@deeputalks) March 16, 2016
Just about par score in #Mumbai. England will have to bowl well to stop WI hitters.Dew might play a role in the outcome. #AKLive #ENGvWI
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) March 16, 2016
Sometimes I feel Morgan and stokes could swop positions..both dangerous players but stokes could do more damage if he faced more balls.
— Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) March 16, 2016
Dear Andre Russell, we have a blackboard full of writings but no duster. Will you oblige?
— Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) March 16, 2016
Good total for #Eng …but not out of #WI reach. Expecting some fireworks in the next 20 overs. Winner of this likely to reach last 4 #WT20
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 16, 2016
Eng just about with their noses in front with 182 I think. Still need to strike with the ball though. — Dean Wilson (@CricketMirror) March 16, 2016
— Laddi Sohal (@IamSohal_Yuvian) March 16, 2016
Bravo not celebrating that ball… #wt20 #wi #eng — Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Brilliant slower ball from Bravo to dismiss Stokes, but not before the first three balls of the over cost 11
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) March 16, 2016
Suspect after the Windies batting powerplay we will be saying England were 20 runs short… 🙁 #wt20 #eng #wi — Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Bravo OC maxx as usual and It will be an uttermost sadness if Buttler warms bench in two months playing for MI.
— Ravi Maestri (@ravimaestri) March 16, 2016
You are everywhere @LarryLeprechau #WT20 pic.twitter.com/7iW6BAGniB — Kevin O’Brien (@KevinOBrien113) March 16, 2016
Only five singles off that over from Brathwaite. England 128-3 with four overs to go.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) March 16, 2016
5 off the over – England falling short here… #wt20 #eng #wi — Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Into the Sachin stand – which also was the stand that booed him at the Mumbai test in 2006… #wt20 #eng #wi
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Appreciate Eoin Morgan trying to take out the kid in ManUnited jersey in the stands. — Subash Jayaraman (@thecricketcouch) March 16, 2016
Joe Root get his timing right even in his dismissal. He gets out right after they had just shown two previous wickets in the innings.
— K Balakumar (@kbalakumar) March 16, 2016
Well played. Joe Root wahi Sikandar. — Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) March 16, 2016
Need a minimum of 170 runs at the wankhede stadium. Need to end well here. #cmonengland.
— Owais shah (@owaisshah203) March 16, 2016
This t20 World Cup,wide open.no favorites. — Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) March 16, 2016
Great to see support in the crowd for @dcfcofficial at #ENG‘s #WT20 match. Big game for the Rams this weekend! #P2bD pic.twitter.com/GBqSrJzU6f
— Derbyshire CCC (@DerbyshireCCC) March 16, 2016
England send in Buttler ahead of Morgan. I hesitate to say good move in case he’s out first ball, but… good move. — Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) March 16, 2016
#ENG 92/2 in 11.1 Overs vs #WI. OUT! Alex Hales 28 (26). Joe Root 38 (26) — https://t.co/UmhUYxnnOK #WT20 #ENGvWI #WIvsENG
— CricketCountry (@cricket_country) March 16, 2016
Really poor Crowd…. Surely it’s best to give tickets away and make sure the grounds are full @ICC ??? #ENGvWI #ICCWT20 — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 16, 2016
Finding the gaps, playing the percentages, pressing the score along. England are looking remarkably competent out there … #ENGvWI #WT20 — Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) March 16, 2016
All India Radio commentator making Sulieman Benn sound like a gujju lady – Sulemanben #ENGvWI — Jimish (@jimishbathia) March 16, 2016
Both Sehwag & Akhtar in commentary box and Sehwag few second away from saying ” Wahan tera baap baitha h, usse baat kar “.#WIvEng — Sunil- The Cricketer (@1sInto2s) March 16, 2016
#ENG 49/1 in 6 Overs vs #WI. Alex Hales 19 (16), Joe Root 6 (5) — https://t.co/UmhUYxnnOK #WT20 #ENGvWI #WIvsENG — CricketCountry (@cricket_country) March 16, 2016
Watched Dwayne Bravo with Renegades. Bowls slower balls most of the time, with great control, often in blockhole — mike selvey (@selvecricket) March 16, 2016
#ENG going along nicely, reaching 42-1 after 5 overs. LIVE – https://t.co/BSl9cfc7WS #ENGvWI #WT20 pic.twitter.com/6fyrPd0Zd4 — ICC (@ICC) March 16, 2016
The @ICC #WT20 game between two teams having some hitters is always going to be interesting. #ENGvWI #AKLive — Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) March 16, 2016
Moving from the ‘expecting doom start’ to ‘expecting a collapse imminently’…. #wt20 #wi #eng — Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) March 16, 2016
Better for #ENG. 23-0 after three overs, first two overs only brought 5. How they deal with Badree looks to be key. #WT20 — AllOutCricket (@AllOutCricket) March 16, 2016
Always enjoy being at the Wankhede. Especially if the company is good! @VVSLaxman281 pic.twitter.com/iVLGuZMVry — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 16, 2016
Badree will share the new ball with Taylor. ENG 1-0 (1) #ENGvWI #WT20 — WIPA (@wiplayers) March 16, 2016
Swing and jitters in the first over. This could be old-school tasty #WT20 — Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) March 16, 2016
Hint of swing for Taylor and a proper covering of grass on this pitch. Eng openers not able to take liberties first up — Dean Wilson (@CricketMirror) March 16, 2016
I’d have appreciated @englandcricket‘s jersey colour had they put the same in their helmets. #ENG #WIvsENG #ENGvWI #WI #WT20 — Devarchit (@Devarchit) March 16, 2016
Brett Lee calls #Eng favourites to win this. Again an #Aus challenging #WI before a #Wt20 match. Forgot what happened last time ? #ENGvWI — CrickBC (@crickBC) March 16, 2016
All ready to watch the men play!!! Come on boys!! #ENGvWI #WT20 — Sarah Taylor (@Sarah_Taylor30) March 16, 2016
#ENGvWI England XI: J Roy, A Hales, J Root, E Morgan*, J Buttler+, B Stokes, M Ali, C Jordan, A Rashid, D Willey, R Topley. — westindies (@westindies) March 16, 2016
.@Eoin16 is now the most capped T20i player for #Eng in his 57th game going past @StuartBroad8!#WT20 pic.twitter.com/bFVZxkECag — England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 16, 2016
#ENGvWI West Indies XI: J Charles, C Gayle, M Samuels, D Bravo, D Ramdin+, A Russell, D Sammy*, C Brathwaite, S Badree, J Taylor, S Benn. — westindies (@westindies) March 16, 2016
Welcome to Wankhede!!! West Indies vs England. Less than an hour to go! #rally #WT20 pic.twitter.com/CDUq1OJ161 — westindies (@westindies) March 16, 2016
Countdown to today’s BIG match Windies vs England at Wankhede 730pm (10am East Caribbean/9am Jamaica)#WT20 #RALLY pic.twitter.com/hdGn06QCyq — westindies (@westindies) March 16, 2016