AI Simulation, ENG-C vs WI-C | West Indies Champions beat England by seven wickets to register first win in WCL 2025

ByUmesh Sharma,SportsCafe Editor

Yesterday at 9:20 PM

As per Artificial Intelligence, West Indies Champions will register their first win in WCL 2025, with a big seven-wicket win against England Champions. Skipper Chris Gayle’s swashbuckling half-century (63 off just 41) helped the Caribbean side chase the target comfortably with eight balls to spare.

Pitch and Weather

As expected, County Ground’s pitch was flat with a good carry, helping the batters in most of the game. The bowlers hardly get a bit of assistance at this surface in the first six overs of the first innings.

The weather was overcast but remained dry, which later turned into a big boon for the batters as the game progressed into the second half.

Toss

West Indies Champions won the toss and decided to bowl first, which eventually favoured them to win the game.

Lineups

ENG-C XI: Phil Mustard (WK), Alastair Cook, James Vince, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan (C), Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, Chris Tremlett, Liam Plunkett, Ajmal Shahzad, Stuart Meaker.

WI-C XI: Chris Gayle (C), Dwayne Smith, Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard, Chadwick Walton (WK), Dwayne Bravo, Ashley Nurse, William Perkins, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Sulieman Benn.

Match Report

West Indies Champions won the toss and asked England Champions to bat first. The hosts lost their first wicket early in the fourth over when Phil Mustard chipped Sheldon Cottrell’s slower one to mid-off in the hands of Dwayne Bravo. After a 28-run stand for the second wicket between Alastair Cook and James Vince, the latter’s 11-run knock ended as he edged a rising delivery behind the wickets. Then came a crucial 49-run stand between Cook (42 off 34 balls) and Ian Bell (37 off 25 balls) for the third wicket, before Cook fell prey to Sulieman Benn’s quicker. Later around the end of the innings, all-rounder Ravi Bopara’s unbeaten 38 (23) helped England post 176/6. Bravo, Benn and Edwards ended up taking a wicket each for West Indies Champions.

During the run chase, the opening pair of Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith provided a strong and fiery opening start of 59 runs in just 5.2 overs. Their partnership came to an end when Smith (34 off 20 balls) was caught at long-on off Chris Tremlett’s slower one. Following the first blow, skipper Gayle stood there in the middle and stitched another decisive partnership of 49 runs for the second wicket with Lendl Simmons (22 off 15 balls). Simmons missed a slog-sweep off Samit Patel, and it dislodged the bails. At the score of 155 runs in 15.1 overs, Gayle’s match-winning 63-run knock was ended by Stuart Meaker. Kieron Pollard’s fireworks in his blistering and unbeaten 25-ball 45 helped West Indies Champions comfortably chase down the target in just 18.4 overs, scoring 179/3 and handing England Champions their first defeat in the tournament.