West Indies vs. England: Form Guide, Live Stream for ICC World T20 Final 2016
The ICC World Twenty20 final takes centre stage on Sunday, as the West Indies face England in Kolkata for the right to be crowned champions.
England made it to the tournament climax with a hugely impressive win over the previously untouchable New Zealand, while the West Indies chased down 192 to knock out host nation India in their semi-final clash.
These sides have already met at the World T20 2016 back in Group 1 of the Super 10, and they served up a thrilling spectacle on that occasion. Chris Gayle chalked up a ruthless century to give the West Indies the perfect start to the competition.
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Here we look ahead to Sunday’s showdown and assess which nation could be lifting the trophy.
Date: Sunday April 3
Time: 2:30 p.m. BST
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Live Stream: Sky Go (U.K. only)
England have something of a reputation for losing their bottle when it matters most, but this year’s World T20 has gone some way to proving that they can do the business on the big stage.
The way they performed against New Zealand in the semi-final was nothing short of exemplary—making a top team look ordinary.
According to Lawrence Booth of MailOnline, the Eden Gardens surface will have a light covering of grass in order to avoid a slow-turner.
Eoin Morgan’s men had plenty of joy in similar conditions in Delhi, although the bowling will need to be at their very best to see off a confident West Indies side.
Gayle was the difference between these teams back in the group stage, but his early dismissal against India gave the West Indies the chance to showcase the rest of their lethal armoury.
Lendl Simmons led the West Indian charge in the semi-final, as he produced an incredible knock of 82 from just 51 balls to silence the home crowd.
Gayle will undoubtedly be motivated after drawing blanks against Afghanistan and India, so the way England bowl will be very important.
Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara agrees, as he told Sky Sports that the final will be won and lost in the field:
“Both teams have explosive hitters so the bowling is going to be the issue—whoever bowls the best, executes in the first six overs, controls the middle and bowls exceptionally at the death will probably win.”
England bowled brilliantly against both Afghanistan and New Zealand, and Morgan has enough tactical nous to get his combinations right on the day. And the batting order isn’t exactly in bad form, either.
Opener Jason Roy was almost unplayable in the semi-final, as his knock of 78 from 44 balls gave England the perfect platform from which to go on and earn a place in the final. The nation’s official Twitter account displayed some of the 25-year-old’s tournament highlights:
The in-form batsman’s performance could be imperative for England once again, as they’ll likely need a big score to get the better of the West Indies.
However, a big score wasn’t enough to topple them back in the Group 1 clash, as the West Indies brilliantly put the English to the sword.
Even so, captain Darren Sammy is taking nothing for granted, as he told BBC Sport that England are a team to be feared:
"England is a team we respect. We know the calibre of players they have in the dressing room, they have a lot of match-winners as well. Since that loss to us, England have moved in leaps and bounds, that's why they are in the final. I always want cricket to be the winner and hope the fans are entertained and it will be a very exciting match, but at the end I just want West Indies to be victorious.
"
Indeed, an entertaining encounter looks all but guaranteed in Kolkata.
The team that lifts the trophy will be the one that gets the tactics right in the field. It’s all set to be a thriller.
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