England vs West Indies, ICC T20 World Cup final: as it happened
- West Indies win by four wickets to claim the 2016 T20 World Cup and second title.
- Carlos Brathwaite hits four sixes from final over off Ben Stokes
- Marlon Samuels top scores with 85 from 66.
- England stumble to 155 for 9. Joe Root top scores with 54.
- Charles Braithwaite and Dwayne Bravo take three wickets apiece as West Indies win the toss and bowl first.
Not sure I can remember a more devastating finish to a major sporting final. Carlos Brathwaite hits four sixes in the final over to shock England and Ben Stokes, who looks shell-shocked on the outfield Marlon Samuels was key too with 85, the highest score from any player in a World T20 Final. The West Indies add the men's title to the Under-19s and the women, who beat Australia earlier today. A fabulous event ended in the grand manner.
Well that is all we have time for on this T20 World Cup live text. We hope you have enjoyed our coverage throughout the last three-and-a-half weeks but until next time, goodbye.
19th over: West Indies 137 for 6 - Chris Jordan is England's specialist at the end but he goes for four and now it is the West Indies who are in the box seat. Samuels is the beneficiary and if he stays in you fancy his side might get home. Singles follow from the next three balls but the West Indies are throwing everything at the ball as Jordan is giving them every opportunity with a few full deliveries. Samuels to the highest T20 World Cup score as he goes to 85. 19 needed from the last over to win the World Cup as Jordan get a crucial dot ball.
18th over: West Indies 129 for 6 - 38 needed from 18 balls. Normally you might consider the batting team to be the favourites but the West Indies have found boundaries hard to come by. Samuels and Brathwaite - via a thunderous strike down the ground - both get two but they need to find the rope. Willey has been superb for England but he ends by going for four as Brathwaite scoops over the top. Figures of 3 for 20 for Willey.
17th over: West Indies 118 for 6 - Interesting to see who England go with at the death. Their depth of bowling options has been a real boost for Morgan. Jordan gets the ball for his penultimate over and surely the West Indies have to go big or go home here. Samuels gets a much-needed four as he gives himself some room outside off-stump. Jordan keeps it tight though, with the help of a brilliant boundary-saving dive from Morgan.
16th over: West Indies 111 for 6 - The momentum has shifted completely towards the West Indies, with 18 from the last over. 52 required from 30 balls. But another wicket for England! David Willey back for his third over and it starts with a huge hit from the powerful Russell to the long boundary which picks out Stokes. Darren Sammy in for a rare appearance with the bat and it doesn't last long as Hales takes the catch at extra cover. In the space of an over the game has turned on its head, again, with two wickets in the over for Willey. Samuels gets two to go to 70, but may his innings be in vain?
15th over: West Indies 104 for 4 - Big effort required now but while Samuels remains at the crease anything is possible. He gets a much-needed four with a big heave through mid-on. The West Indies are surely just going to throw caution to the wind now with a defeat looming. Camera pans to Chris Gayle who look uncharacteristically downbeat, and that probably reflects the West Indies' hopes. He will like that one though as Samuels throws his hands at the ball and it flies over the rope from the final two deliveries. Some knock this fro the experienced Samuels.
14th over: West Indies 86 for 4 - Bravo using his second life to full affect as he blasts Rashid into the stands, the only boundary the spinner has gone for in his four overs. Too much variation from Rashid after his first over turned so much. But relief for England and Sam Billings and Bravo takes a massive swipe and finds Root at point. You can't keep this man out of the game.
13th over: West Indies 76 for 3 - No sixes yet from the West Indies and it it nearly two overs since a boundary of any sort. Two big overs can change that but Stokes is giving nothing away as Bravo again rotates the strike. Big moment now as Bravo goes big and Sam Billings, the substitute fielder, drops the all-rounder and to compound the mistake the ball runs for four. Has he dropped the World Cup? Billing, on for Alex Hales, seems to slip as the ball came his way. Stokes having issues with sweat and losing control but the West Indies can't take advantage.
12th over: West Indies 66 for 3 - England have lost all four of their previous T20 meetings with the West Indies and they need a wicket here to help end that run. It is Rashid with his third over and though he has been very tight, a scalp would be excellent for the England cause. Bravo happy to rotate the strike and this has been a very uncharacteristic performance from the West Indies, though perhaps the power will come later. Required rate now above 11-an-over.
11th over: West Indies 54 for 3 - England lead by 13 runs in the head-to-head and the required rate is above 10 an over, but seven wickets are in hand. Samuels makes it less than 100 to win with a four behind square. Bravo and Samuels reach their fifty partnership and this has been so crucial in keeping the game alive for the West Indies, but they have to go on. Stokes ends the over with another dot ball, of which there have been countless.
10th over: West Indies 54 for 3 - The required rate is above 9-and-a-half runs an over and with Gayle gone a big effort is required in the second half of this innings. Rashid is back and Bravo eases him through cover for one. Interesting that the West Indies are not pushing a second run, though admittedly it is not the biggest outfield. Just four from the over as Rashid continues to cause problems.
Eighth over: West Indies 43 for 3 - Adil Rashid into the attack and a first look at England's front-line spinner, though maybe I am doing a disservice to Joe Root? Bravo get one from the first three deliveries, the second one of which turns a mile. Encouragement for England and Ali might be into the attack very quickly. Morgan brings a catcher in and the West Indies play the rest of the over out cautiously.
Seventh over: West Indies 39 for 3 - Drama in Kokata as Marlon Samuels is given out before being recall as his edge clearly touched the floor before being claimed by Jos Buttler. Reprieve for the West Indies and how significant could that be? Plunkett comes back well though after being denied a wicket and just two comes from the over.
Sixth over: West Indies 37 for 3 - Final over of the powerplay and the West Indies need to cash in. Samuels does just that with successive fours off Jordan from balls short of a length, the second top edged over Buttler. He adds two more before another boundary from a half-volley outside off-stump. West Indies end with 36 from the powerplay, and despite losing three wickets ahead of England after six overs.
Fifth over: West Indies 21 for 3 - Liam Plunkett with the ball now as Morgan varies up the pace. Three dot balls can always create pressure but Samuels does get the ball away for a single from a miss-field, which England can ill-afford when defending a small total. Just three from the over in the end as the West Indies continue to re-build.
Fourth over: West Indies 18 for 3 - This is now a match fitting of the occasion and the West Indies need to show the character which got them to this final, and saw them win the title in 2012. Bravo gets a couple of singles as Jordan gets his length spot on, going short to the all-rounder. Just five from the over. Required rate already approaching nine an over.
Third over: West Indies 13 for 3 - New Zealand defended 145 on this ground earlier in this tournament and England need similar inspiration here. Joe Root has given them the perfect start and that is followed up by a third wicket from David Willey and he traps Simmons lbw. This is a stunning start for England but let's not forget how deep the West Indies bat. Suddenly 155 looks daunting.
Second over: West Indies 10 for 2 - Cricket, bloody hell. You can't keep Joe Root out of the game with bat or ball and he strikes twice in his first over in identical fashion. Johnson Charles and Chris Gayle heave Root towards long-on and on both occasions Stokes takes a fine catch. Root is pumped and England are back in this game. Marlon Samuels is the new man and he gets four through mid-wicket. Game very much on.
First over: West Indies 1 for 0 - Willey gets a flicker of movement off the seam early on, but can England take advantage of that? How will the West Indies go about this, or do they know anything else other than attack? Four dot balls in a row helps as Johnson Charles fails to get the ball away. Suddenly, England falling 15 runs short is nullified. Great over from Willey with just one from it. Gayle yet to face.
Plenty of teams are licking their wounds after being dumped out of this tournament before the final, not least Pakistan who are facing an upheaval following their Super 10 exit. That has begun with the exit of Shahid Afridi as captain, though he will remain available for selection. Social media has naturally exploded and here is our story on the reaction to his resignation.
The West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first, but I doubt they could have imagined restricting England to 155 for 9. Dwayne Bravo did the damage with three wickets and though Joe Root made a half century his dismissal sparked a mini collapsed that ensured England could not go big at the end. Pace off the ball was key for the Windies; can England replicate that blueprint to make this close? The reply is on the way.
20th over: England 155 for 9 - Not much more England can do than knock it around and maybe go for a big shot at the end of the over. Russell back into the attack and he starts up with a yorker which Jordan can't get a bat on. But now four to the all-rounder, precious runs for England and he hits a full toss into the left side. two more for Jordan keeps him on strike for the penultimate ball. Rashid will take the final delivery and he gets a two. West Indies need 156 to win the T20 World Cup.
19th over: England 145 for 9 - England need around 22 to make this competitive in the second half of the game. Plunkett gets four from the first two ball before slicing horribly to the hands of Badree, who slings on despite picking up what looks like another shoulder injury. Adil Rashid in with nine ball left and England need every run.
18th over: England 138 for 8 - Jordan can bat too but he is not having the same success, but he gets Willey back on strike with a shot to long-off. Willey finds the rope again with a fine strike down the ground. Not much technique there, just pure power. Willey can't connect from the next ball though and he finds the out-stretched hands of Charles in the deep. Another wicket at a bad time for England, perfect for the West Indies.
17th over: England 131 for 7 - Seven runs and three wickets for England in the last three overs had turned this game firmly in the West Indies' favour. Willey gets a much-needed six after a freebee from Bravo, a length ball which is dispatched into the crowd. He misses a second ball very much in the slot and is ruing the opportunity at the non-strikers end. He gets the strike back and takes full advantage with a heave over the boundary down the ground. Fourteen off the over and a much-needed double blow from Willey.
16th over: England 117 for 7 - Into the last five overs and England can ill-afford to go after the West Indies' bowlers or risk not batting their overs, which would be tragic. Willey can't get the ball away and Russell's pace is undoing England's pursuit of runs. Varying pace will be the key as England look to defend what looks increasingly likely to be a sub-par total.
15th over - England 115 for 7 - A Mexican wave going around Eden Gardens at the moment; clearly a stadium full of fans enjoying a World Cup final. England's hopes rest with Root but now they look in trouble, he had paddles straight to Benn at fine leg. England 3 for 1 from their last five balls and in danger of not batting out their overs. David Willey is more than capable however of getting England to something respectable, if not competitive. Braithwaite thinks he's got Jordan but it is clearly bump ball. Nevertheless, another great over for the Windies.
14th over: England 110 for 6 - More joy for Root as he cuts through backward point again for a seventh four. Bravo thinks he's got Root next ball with a slower ball yorker but it hit outside the line. Stokes is denied another four via Sammy's out-stretched boot and there has been some good fielding out there. Bravo's variation should not be downplayed though and he gets Stokes with a slower ball bouncer which catches out the Durham man and lands in the hands of Simmons. Consistent flow of wickets has done for England here. Ali survives the first ball but feathers one down the leg side and Ramdin takes the catch.
13th over: England 103 for 4 - Darren Sammy brings himself on to fill the void left by Benn, who has been dispatched in this innings. Will England look to attack? can they afford to? Stokes gets away and puts Root on strike but he top edges, safe, for two. Root takes advantage of his extra life with a four cut through point. He goes to his half century from 33 balls from the next delivery and even more than normal he presents the glue in this innings. Stokes now gets in on the act, smashing the ball away to bring up England's hundred.
12th over: England 89 for 4 - Disaster for England as Buttler picks out Bravo on the boundary. Braithwaite's celebration tells you all you need to know about the significance of the scalp. Ben Stokes to the crease now and he won't die wondering. He gets off the mark immediately with a two whipped through mid-wicket. Root just keeps going and the West Indies are allowing him easy runs.
11th over: England 83 for 3 - The advantage of losing early wickets is it does give England's best two batsman more time at the crease, and that could bizarrely still be the West Indies' undoing. Buttler goes big with two successive sixes, the first soaring into the Kolkata night. England have gone after Benn, who has disappeared for 40 in his three overs. Doubt we'll see him again.
10th over: England 67 for 3 - The highest score, bar the 201 put on by Pakistan against Bangladesh, is in the region of 150 so England need not go mad in an attempt to break records here. This is not as true a surface as it looks on top. England continue the re-build with a four pulled away behind square from Root. I would say 165 is a good score on this track, but there is some work to do for Morgan's team.
Ninth over: England 57 for 3 - Benn back to continue England's trial by spin. He often angles the ball in to the right-hander, restricting them for room but his first ball is wide and that is a missed chance for Buttler. He tucks in three ball later though with a flat six through extra cover. England need plenty of those.
Eighth over: England 47 for 3 - Ignore the ICC-paid commentary team on your television sets - if you're watching from the UK - there is barely a whiff of atmosphere at a three-quarters full Eden Gardens. Root gives those who have turned out something to shout about with a two out to square leg. Buttler digs one out and he is getting himself in, and is 11 from 10 balls. Root taking on the responsibility and he is already to 30.
Seventh over: England 41 for 3 - Badree in for his final over and Sammy can clearly sense blood here, with England's premier batsman in the middle. Buttler and Root rotate the strike as Badree goes flat, before the latter takes him to the cleaners with a four through mid-wicket with a leg-stump full toss.
Sixth over: England 33 for 3 - Dwayne Bravo into the attack now and can England thrive with some pace on the ball? Jos Buttler certainly won't mind and he gets off the mark with a four, as Bravo goes horribly short, wide and slow. Free runs, essentially. Bravo goes full this time but he is clipped away through mid-wicket which is eventually awarded two runs after Russell's efforts on the boundary. Just 33 from the powerplay. Advantage for West Indies.
Fifth over: England 23 for 3 - Badree back into the attack. Sammy likes to bowl the premier spinner out in the first 10 overs and he is causing more problems for Morgan, who again struggles to get the ball off the square. the England skipper isn't picking Badree and he departs for just five, edging to Gayle at first slip. Badree bowls a wicket-maiden, the golden ticket of T20 cricket.
Fourth over: England 23 for 2 - The India-Pakistan match saw plenty of joy for the hosts' spinners and Badree's success here sees Sulieman Benn into the attack. Root gets on top of him straight away however with a four through cover off the back foot. Now Morgan is off the mark with a boundary of his own. This has been brilliant powerplay period for the West Indies, but England taking advantage of the fielding restrictions at last and Root finds four again through mid-on.
Third over: England 9 for 2 - Jos Buttler already being prepped to come in next ahead of Ben Stokes and boy does this England innings need an injection of calm. Joe Root remains in and with him anything is possible. He brings Morgan on strike and Badree is straight into him. The Irish-born left-hander fails to score from the first five deliveries and you can see his lack of form from a mile away.
Second over: England 8 for 2 - Andre Russell with a bit of pace early on and he beats Root's bat in what is a pretty concerning passage of play. Lots of nerves for England's fearless side. Root gets away with a single into the leg side to bring Hales on strike. He picks up a nice half-volley but directs it right down the throat of Badree at fine leg. Nightmare start for the 2010 champions.
First over: England 7 for 1 - Worst possible start for England and lift off the West Indies in the first over. Badree gets on to straighten up and it crashes into Roy's leg stump. Roy, who has been in super form, played all around it. Joe Root into the middle and he gets England away with a four. Plenty of work needed to rebuild this innings.
Players out and the anthems are currently being played over the PA. I would suggest the West Indies players are not the most outwardly passionate of players, if their derision of their national song is any indication. England's players would be pillaged if they don't belt out every word of 'God Save The Queen'.
The contrast between where both sides are now, compared with a year to 18 months ago, is staggering. In October, the West Indies withdrew from their tour with India following a payment dispute between players and the WICB. Just a year ago, England were dumped out of the 50-over World Cup in embarrassing circumstances but a change in coach, players and mentality has seen them reach a global final. A reminder of their previous problems could help calm these sides ahead of the pressure-cooker environment in Kolkata.
So it may only be the toss, but it is advantage West Indies who would have much preferred to chase, and England must set a total. No changes for the 2012 champions either.
Eoin Morgan clearly wanted to bowl first but his side must lay down a marker. England are also unchanged from the semi-final, so Liam Dawson remains the only player not to feature for the team in this tournament.
The all important toss is on the way from Kolkaka in a matter of minutes. Both sides reached the final chasing in their respective semi-finals, while the West Indies prevailed in their group meeting with England batting second. With the dew a factor as ever in the sub-continent, there is plenty of pressure on both captains to call it right. Darren Sammy has won every of his five tosses in this tournament, could his luck change?
England's batting was regarded as their main strength, after they beat Sri Lanka to reach the semi-finals, but against New Zealand it was their death bowling which saw them into today's final. Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett and David Willey have all be crucial and their accuracy against the West Indies' power hits will be crucial. Go here to look back on that seven-wicket win over the Kiwis.
The West Indies have unfairly been labelled a one-man team, perhaps unsurprisingly given the explosive nature of Chris Gayle at the top of the order, but they proved against India they are so much more. Johnson Charles, Lendl Simmons and Andre Russell are all dangerous hitters of the ball and found the boundary with ease in a high pressure situation in Mumbai. And with Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy lurking down the order, this West Indies innings is only going one way. Click here for a recap on their over-by-over win against India.
If you're the type of person who fancies themselves as a bit of expert [who doesn't?] then head this way to our betting preview which contains all the odds ahead of this final. England start as marginal favourites but we know full well T20 cricket can be a real lottery, so the contest will swing this way and that over the next few hours.
This final is of course a repeat of the match from the opening week of the tournament in the Super 10 stage when Chris Gayle scored a century as West Indies chased down 184 with ease. Gayle smashed 11 sixes and England were mere spectators. Here is a recap of that match which England will be hoping to reverse this afternoon.
If the events of the women's final, where we have seen nearly 300 runs in 40 overs, is any indication we are set for a really high scoring men's finale. Who does that suit more? England have the depth and the invention but the West Indies have the power to make the most of any surface and as we now know about victory over India, a batting line-up to compete with any team in the world.
Here is the winning moment for West Indies' women in Kolkata, as they are engulfed by their teammates.
Here's the winning moment for #WI Women!!#WT20 #WT20Finalhttps://t.co/sVKTnitkPN
— ICC (@ICC) April 3, 2016
Before we focus on the men's final, the warm-up for the climax to the tournament has come in the form of the women's final at Eden Gardens. The West Indies successfully chased down 149 to beat reigning champions Australia by eight wickets with three balls to spare. Imagine the celebrations if the men's team, who have been seen celebrating with their female counter-parts in Kolkata, can make it a Windies double?
After three-and-a-half weeks, 34 matches and tones of drama and intrigue we are down to two teams to battle it out for the 2016 T20 World Cup title. England and West Indies are bidding to claim a record second crown in this form of the game, in an unlikely line-up in the final in Kolkata. All eyes will again be on Chris Gayle, who will be entrusted with opening the West Indies innings, while Jos Buttler is the key man for England who have staged a fine about-turn after their 50-over trials last year. All the build-up, including the toss and confirmation of the teams on he way ahead of the schedule 2:30pm BST start.
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