West Indies' six blitz
Stats highlights from the second semi-final between West Indies and Australia in Colombo
Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan
05-Oct-2012
Gayle has made the most fifty-plus scores in the World Twenty20 • ICC/Getty
In what can only be described as a mauling, West Indies crushed Australia by 74 runs in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20. Here are some key numbers from a game which witnessed a six-hitting spree by the West Indies.
- The margin of victory (74 runs) is the highest ever for West Indies. Their previous highest margin of victory (in terms of runs) over Australia was 14 runs in Barbados earlier this year. The loss is also Australia's worst in terms of runs after England's 100-run win in Southampton in 2005. The defeat margin is the third-highest for a major Test team (excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) in the World Twenty20.
- Chris Gayle now has the most fifty-plus scores (7) in the World Twenty20. Three of these have come against Australia. With 43 sixes, Gayle is well ahead of Shane Watson on the list of batsmen with the most sixes in the World Twenty20. Gayle is also third on the list of highest six hitters in Twenty20 internationals (59 sixes) behind Brendon McCullum and Watson.
- West Indies' score of 205 is the seventh 200-plus total in World Twenty20 matches. It also equals their third-highest total in Twenty20 internationals. Only South Africa have posted more 200-plus totals (5) than West Indies (4).
- Among innings lasting 15 or more deliveries, Kieron Pollard's strike rate of 253.33 is the third-highest in the World Twenty20. The highest is Yuvraj Singh's strike rate of 362.50 against England in 2007.
- West Indies scored 63 runs in the last four overs of the innings. This is joint-fourth on the list of most runs scored in the last four overs in the World Twenty20. The highest is 70 runs by India against England in 2007. The number of runs scored off the last over (25) is the highest ever in a World Twenty20 game (off the final over) and the second-highest in a Twenty20 international. The four sixes hit off Doherty's over is also the highest ever in the 20th over in a Twenty20 international.
- The number of sixes hit by West Indies in their innings (14) is joint-third on the list of most sixes hit in a team innings. The highest is 17 by South Africa against England in Centurion in 2009. In their two matches against Australia in the tournament, West Indies have hit a total of 25 sixes. Their tally of 14 sixes is by far the highest in a game in Sri Lanka.
- West Indies' aggregate of 42 sixes is comfortably the highest among all teams in the tournament. Australia are a distant second with 31 sixes. West Indies also became the sixth team to total 100 sixes in World Twenty20 matches. However, their rate of sixes per match (5.26) is second only to Australia's 6.04.
- Xavier Doherty went for 48 runs off his three overs. His economy rate of 16.00 is joint-third on the list of highest economy rates in a Twenty20 international (min three overs bowled). The top three expensive performances for Doherty have all come against West Indies. There have been only three other instances of Australian bowlers conceding more runs in an innings than Doherty.
- Ravi Rampaul's 3 for 16 is his best bowling performance in Twenty20 internationals. It is the best bowling performance by a West Indies bowler against Australia and their fourth-best in the World Twenty20.
- George Bailey's strike rate of 217.24 is the second-highest for a batsman in a losing cause (fifty-plus scores only). The highest is Watson's 237.50 during his 57 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2011. Bailey's 63 is also the fourth-highest score by an Australian captain in Twenty20 internationals and the highest by an Australian captain in the World Twenty20.
- The 83-run stand between Gayle and Dwayne Bravo is the second-highest third-wicket stand for West Indies in Twenty20 internationals. The highest is 108 between Gayle and Pollard against New Zealand earlier this year. The run-rate during the fourth-wicket stand between Gayle and Pollard (15.60) is the third-highest in Twenty20 internationals (fifty-plus fourth-wicket stands).
Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan is a sub-editor (stats) at ESPNcricinfo