West Indies lift ICC WT20 cup for the 2nd time

West Indies left English fans scratching their heads after four sixes in a row from Brathwaite in the last over gave the Calypso team their second ICC WT20 title at Eden Gardens, Kolkata and condemned England to a four-wicket defeat.

The unbeaten seventh wicket partnership of 54 between Samuels and Brathwaite took West Indies home without anymore hiccups.

Marlon Samuels rode his luck and remained not out on 85. He faced 66 balls and smoked nine fours and two sixes in his match-winning knock. Brathwaite was giving him company with 34 from only 10 balls.

West Indies lost wickets early, but the 75 run stand for the fourth wicket and the seventh wicket partnership kept the English bowlers at bay.

Willey was the best England bowler tonight. He contributed with three wickets for 20 runs. Root surprised many with his two wickets in one over.

England bowler Willey came back in the 16 over and placed his team in the driver’s seat with his two-wicket burst.

West Indies captain Sammy scored two from two, went for the biggie and offered a catch to deep cover where Hales obliged.

England got the big wicket of Andre Russell when Willey sent him back to the dug-out for only a run to his name. Russell was trying to clear the boundary on the longest side of the ground, middled the shot but found Stokes running in to stoop and conquer.

Big wicket for England!

Adil Rashid gave England their fourth breakthrough in the 14 over, and ended the Samuels-Bravo resistance at 75.

Bravo went for the big hit and the top edge was easily taken by Root at backward point. West Indies allrounder failed to fire tonight, made 25 from 27 with a four and six to his name.

The fourth wicket partnership between Samuels and Bravo gave West Indies hope of chasing down England’s total.

With Bravo unable to score quickly, Samuels took it on him to keep close with the required run-rate and managed to dispatch the loose balls away.

England new ball bowler Willey got in the act and rattled West Indies in the third over. West Indies lost their in-form batter Simmons with only 11 runs on the board.

A sensational start from England…Simmons was dismissed for a golden duck. The ball pitched in line with middle, hurtled on to hit the pads, and the umpire raised his finger without much delay.

England are cock-a-hoop (and that's not a Willey pun)

West Indies were in trouble after Root gave his side the big wicket of Gayle, one ball after he sent back Charles.

Gayle wanted to blast his way out of frustration, slogged one into the sky, had the elevation but not the distance and was safely pouched by Stokes at long-off.

Chris Gayle could only score four runs in this match, his poor run continues…

England fans were dancing in the aisles at Eden Gardens, what a start to this chase!

Joe Root gave England their first breakthrough, that too in the second over West Indies’ chase. The change of bowling from Morgan worked perfectly!

West Indies batter Charles was caught by Stokes after he made one run, and didn’t look comfortable at the crease.

Earlier, England posted a decent total, 155 for 9 after 20 overs thanks to Joe Root’s fourth T20I fifty and some quick runs in the end from Willey against a spirited West Indies side at Eden Gardens, Kolkata under the lights.

Bravo picked up his third of the game when England bowler Plunkett was dismissed for four runs in the 19 over. Badree took the catch but hurt himself in the process.

Brathwaite took his third wicket in the 18th over, and ended up with his best T20I bowling return after he sent back Willey to the pavilion. Willey could not dispatch a short ball due to lack of pace after he scored 21 from 14.

Willey gave England some quick runs in the end with some lusty blows, a four and two sixes to be precise.

Brathwaite gave West Indies their seventh breakthrough in the 15 over, and dashed English dreams of a decent total at Kolkata under the lights.

Joe Root, England’s mainstay in the final was sent back by Brathwaite after the batsman reached his fourth T20I fifty.

Root premeditated a scoop shot, moved outside off, Brathwaite slowed it up and shortened the length. The batsman was left reaching for the ball up over his face, and without pace, he simply guided it to Benn at short fine leg.

England's most charismatic batter scored 54 from 36 balls, and smacked seven fours in his timely knock.

West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo placed the skids on England’s wobbly innings when he took two important wickets in the 14th over.

Moeen Ali was gone for a two-ball duck after Bravo’s slower ball was gloved to the keeper. The champion dance came out again as England stared down the bottom of a barrel!

England power-hitter Stokes was dismissed by Bravo in the 14 over when the batsman was beaten for pace, couldn’t pull out of his shot and offered a dolly to Simmons at point.

Stokes scored 13 from 8 but failed to provide the fireworks late in the innings.

England lost their fourth wicket at the worst possible time, when in-form batter Buttler was looking to tee off.

West Indies got the crucial wicket in the 12 th over when Brathwaite ended Buttler’s cameo at 36. The England keeper faced 22 balls, and smashed a four and three sixes during his stay at the wicket.

The third wicket partnership between Root and Buttler revived England’s chances of a competitive total. Together, they piled up 61 runs in 6.4 overs, and gave their side the impetus going into the death overs.

West Indies bowler Badree gave a huge reason for his teammates to celebrate when he got the better of England captain Morgan in the fifth over.

Badree’s googly was too good for the batsman, took the outside edge and Gayle gobbled it up gleefully. Morgan was sent back for only five runs to his name.

England all at sea…

England were rocked early and found the going quite tough with West Indies bowlers operating with their tails up!

West Indies took the second England wicket inside the second over, and were calling all the shots. Andre Russell sent back Hales for only one run.

England batsman was unlucky, as he picked out short fine-leg and fell to a down-the-leg short tracker from Russell. West Indies allrounder could hardly believe his luck…big wicket!

West Indies struck with the second ball of the final when Badree dismissed England opener Roy for a two-ball duck.

Roy was slow to react, played down the wrong line and paid the ultimate price.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy called it correctly when the coin was tossed and decided to field first given the conditions at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in the all-important final of ICC WT20 2016 in India.

The ICC World T20 2016 has boiled down to two sides: West Indies and England, both packed with power-hitters battling it out for the coveted cup.

West Indies' batsmen have been a delight to fans of T20. They play T20 cricket in its purest style and have taken power-hitting to a whole new level. They've got the little things right too: they field acrobatically, and when under pressure they back themselves so much that it hardly seems like they are under pressure.

England quietly have revolutionised their limited-overs cricket. Among teams that entered the tournament in the second round, England are second only to West Indies in six-hitting, and only by a count of two.

England were downed by West Indies in their first game despite posting a competitive total. The batsmen found their mojo in a mammoth chase against South Africa and from then on, they got past tough battles against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka before walloping New Zealand in the first semi-final in Delhi.

West Indies cruised through their first three games before a shock defeat against Afghanistan that threatened to derail their journey. But that was quickly forgotten when they overpowered hosts and favourties India in the second semi-final.

A final can often come down to what you are not at your absolute best at. If the pitch is flat, England will try to go well past the 182 they set against West Indies and lost in the league stage. West Indies, too, will have to match the quicker English fielders.

The toss will play a crucial role on a ground that is expected to aid the side chasing. The reserve day could come in handy, with rain predicted. The positive sign, however, is that there hasn't been enough in the lead-up.

Both teams have won the tournament before.

England

Eoin Morgan (Captain), Sam Billings, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, David Willey, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler (Wicketkeeper), Chris Jordan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Vince and Liam Plunkett

West Indies

Darren Sammy (Captain), Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Denesh Ramdin (Wicketkeper), Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Johnson Charles, Evin Lewis and Lendl Simmons

The official coin of ICC World T20 2016 at India used for the toss. Photo: ICC