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NORTHAMPTON: Chadwick Walton’s explosive 83-run followed by Fidel Edwards’ four-wicket haul sealed a 10-run victory for West Indies Champions over England Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 here at the County Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
Chasing a challenging 165-run total, England Champions crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for 154 on the final ball of the game.
England Champions had a poor start in pursuit of the chase, losing two wickets on the first two balls of their innings. Sir Alastair Cook and Moeen Ali were dismissed for golden ducks.
The situation worsened further when Fidel Edwards sent Ian Bell and skipper Eoin Morgan packing for five and nine runs, respectively, as the scorecard read 19-4 in 4.4 overs.
With a top-order collapse, came Ravi Bopara, who, alongside experienced Samit Patel, rescued England Champions from a precarious position.
The duo batted cautiously, bringing the score to 59 runs at the halfway stage of the innings until Bopara’s dismissal. He was stumped after scoring 24 off 22 deliveries.
Meanwhile, Patel continued until the 15th over and reached his half-century. With England Champions on 108 in 15.3 overs, the match was evenly poised, but Shannon Gabriel removed the set batter to dent his team’s hopes.
Following his removal, there were no significant contributions from the lower order as England Champions were bundled out in the last over.
For West Indies Champions, Fidel Edwards starred with the ball, taking four wickets in three overs, while Dwayne Bravo and Shannon Gabriel shared two scalps apiece.
Earlier, Chadwick Walton’s explosive 83 and Kieron Pollard’s quick-fire 30-run cameo took West Indies Champions to a strong total.
Put into bat first, West Indies Champions posted 164-9 in their allocated 20 overs.
England Champions capitalized on the decision early, removing the top-order batters inside the first four overs. Opener Dwayne Smith was removed for a golden duck in the opening over, while Lendl Simmons could only manage to score four runs.
However, following early hiccups, veteran batter Chris Gayle and Chadwick Walton forged a 44-run partnership. Chris Gayle was removed for 21 off 19 balls with the aid of a six and two boundaries as England Champions reduced them to 61-3 in nine overs.
Incoming batter William Perkins’ (5) short stay at the crease was also ended in the 10th over, with West Indies reeling at 74-4. However, Kieron Pollard and Chadwick Walton formed a crucial 80-run stand in quick time to lift them out of trouble.
The duo’s partnership was enough to take West Indies Champions to 154 in 16.4 overs. Pollard struck two sixes and three fours for his 30-run knock, while Walton’s 83 off 50 balls featured five towering sixes and eight fours.
Despite the duo’s formidable stand, the West Indies Champions lost their way in the last few overs, losing four wickets in quick succession as the England Champions restricted them from posting a formidable total.
For England Champions, Stuart Meaker was the standout bowler, taking four wickets in his four overs while giving away only 24 runs.
The WCL 2025 will be contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).
Six teams, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the WCL 2025 semi-finals.
The upcoming edition marks the second installment of the WCL, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.
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