WI vs ENG 5th T20I: Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium St Lucia Pitch Report

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium [Source: @ragav_x/x.com]Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium [Source: @ragav_x/x.com]

West Indies will face England in the fifth and last match of the T20I series at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St. Lucia. The match will be played on November 18 at 1:30 AM IST.

West Indies played brilliant cricket in the ODIs and outclassed England to win the series. Jos Buttler returned for the T20Is and England looked a different unit in the T20Is. Under the leadership of their regular skipper, England won the first three matches of the series and sealed it off. 

When the visitors were looking to complete a clean sweep, West Indies announced themselves in the series. In the fourth match of the series at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, England batted first and posted a formidable total of 218/5 at the end of their 20 overs. West Indies chased down the target with five wickets in hand and six balls remaining in the game. Evin Lewis and Shai Hope played a crucial role for the team in the memorable win.

Now, we move onto the final game of the series. This match will be played at the same venue as the last game. Let us see how the pitch at the Daren Sammy National Stadium might behave in the last game of the series.

Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium Ground Stats In ODIs

Data
Criterion
Matches Played43
Matches won batting first19
Matches won batting second
24
Average 1st Innings Score148
Average 2nd Innings Score133

Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium Pitch Report: Batters Or Bowlers, Who Will Be More Successful?

The pitch at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium has generally been good for batting in the recent times. However, during the third T20I of the series it looked a bit slow. The batters struggled to play their shots and hence we saw scores around 140 in the game.

But in the last match, the wicket looked like a flat deck. The true pace and bounce on the track helped the batters play their shots and they also got full value for them. The same could be expected in this match and another high scoring clash might be on the cards. 

As for the bowlers, the pacers need to vary their pace and length with guile to be successful here. The spinners will have to refrain from providing pace to the batters. If the spinners look to bowl slow on this track they might be able to pick up wickets.

The last two games at this venue has been won by the chasing team. If history is taken into account then nearly 56% games have been won by the team batting second. So, the captain winning the toss might look to field first on this track.

Players To Watch Out For At The Daren Sammy International Cricket Stadium

Nicholas Pooran

The West Indian keeper-batter has not yet fired in this series. However, Nicholas Pooran on his day can win matches single handedly. The firm and try nature of the track might help him get back to form and play a significant role in the game.

Phil Salt

The England keeper batter has been in fine form in this series. Phil Salt has scored a century and a half century in this series. He looked comfortable on the pitch in the last game, too. With the ball coming onto the bat, Salt might enjoy playing here and could be a crucial cog in the game.

Rehan Ahmed

The English wrist spinner looked effective on this track in the last game. Rehan Ahmed with his guile and ability to deceive the batters with his variations in speed and length makes him a vital player in the game.