Rovman Powell-led West Indies became the fourth team to seal their spot in the Super 8 following their stunning 13-run win against Kane Williamson's New Zealand in match 26 of the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup 2024 which was being played at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, on June 13 (Thursday). Sherfane Rutherford was the real hero of this victory as his fifty that came in the clutch situation of the first innings helped the Windies post a total of 149/9 against the Black Caps and win the big match.
Sherfane Rutherford's match-winning fifty
West Indies were 112/9 at the end of 18 overs and even a score of 120 looked a little far-fetched from there but Sherfane Rutherford had different plans. He smashed 19 runs in the 19th over including three big sixes and then followed it with 18 in the final over including two fours and one Six. This completely changed the flow of the match. Rutherford completed his fifty in 33 balls and finished with an unbeaten 68 off just 39 balls.
Alzarri Joseph's four-fer steals show in second innings
Now that the Windies had a good total on board, it was time for the bowlers to do their job. Alzarri Joseph's four-fer and Gudakesh Motie's three-wicket haul did the job for former two-time champions. They managed to restrict NZ on 136/9. NZ tried to fight back but Rutherford's heavy hitting set the big difference in the match. New Zealand have almost been eliminated from the mega tournament, they need a miracle from here to reach the next round of competition.
Windies qualify for Super 8
After South Africa, Australia, and India, West Indies have become the latest team to qualify for the Super 8 stage. Now there are only four remaining spots. India vs Australia and West Indies vs South Africa are the two confirmed Super 8 matches now. All four of them are also front-runners to finish as the semi-finalists considering their dominant performance so far in the marquee event.
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