Amazing Gayle hits first World Cup double as Windies win big

Gayle smashed 215 out of 147 balls
Gayle smashed 215 out of 147 balls. WICB photo

CANBERRA, Australia – Chris Gayle returned to his brilliant best with the first double century in Cricket World Cup history to pilot West Indies to a superb victory over Zimbabwe at Munaka Oval on Tuesday.

The powerful left-hander was in record-breaking form as he smashed 215 off just 147 balls with 14 fours and 16 sixes before he was out off the last ball as West Indies made 372-2 off 50 overs.

With this innings, he became the first player to score a triple century in Test cricket, a double century in ODIs and a century in T20 Internationals.

Gayle’s 22nd ODI century surpassed Garry Kirsten’s previous best of 188 made against the United Arab Emirates in 1996. The 16 sixes equalled the record for the most in an innings.

During the innings, Gayle reached the 9,000 run landmark in ODIs and is now second behind Brian Lara 10,405 in the West Indies all-time list.

Gayle also broke several West Indies records.

He surpassed Sir Vivian Richards’189 not out against England as the highest all-time score, and his 181 against Sri Lanka as the highest score by a West Indian in the 40-year history of the World Cup.

Gayle added a world record 372 for the second wicket with Marlon Samuels, who made a career-best 133 not out.

He also took two wickets to complete a memorable Man-of-the-Match performance as West Indies won by 73 runs (Duckworth/Lewis Method).

West Indies travel to Sydney on Wednesday as they prepare to face South Africa at the SCG on Friday (11:30 pm Thursday Eastern Caribbean Time).

Gayle spoke to reporters after Tuesday’s play.

Please see quotes below:

About the innings and what it means.
It was a slow start. You know, we lost Dwayne Smith early, and then Marlon came in with only two deliveries bowled. He asked me what was happening out there, but I couldn’t give much information. All I said was that the bowler kept the ball a bit low. But eventually, we had to attack because we didn’t want to put ourselves under tremendous pressure. That was my game plan, try and push them back as early as possible. Eventually it worked, and then in the middle period, then we can pick up things a bit further and then you can pick and choose which bowler you want to take your chances off more, and then eventually it worked.

On his return to form and playing through the pain barrier
This innings means a lot. It has been a while since I’ve been on a run, maybe one year and a couple months now. I’m still playing with an injury, so I’ve been restricted in a lot of areas, you know, preparation-wise. I hope this is a start of a new beginning. Try and build this as much as possible and then put the team in a good position, and then we look forward to it against South Africa on Friday. It’s the same back injury. I’ve had it since last January. It can’t seem to be solved. I’ve been restricted from that for a couple of months, as well. Eventually it worked out for me in the end. You just have to be mentally strong.

On facing South Africa in the next match
We toured South Africa recently. We know each other, as well. It’s going to be a good could be test. It’s a World Cup event now, so we’re all on neutral ground, so we’ve got to make our best performance speak for ourselves, and hopefully can come out on top against South Africa and go one up on them in the World Cup here.

On the team’s mood in the dressing room
We lost the first match but to come back and beat Pakistan and now to beat Zimbabwe in this fashion is positive for us – we scored 300 runs in each match so far. So hopefully we can go four-for-four and post a good total, or whatever we are going to chase and look to win again. Apart from the first game, I thought our bowlers did a wonderful job. Jerome Taylor with the new ball is picking up early wickets for us, which puts us in a good position and the captain Jason Holder, has backed him up very well.

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15 Comments

  1. Mahaut Boi
    February 24, 2015

    GET HUUUUUUGEEEEEE #REDCAP

  2. February 24, 2015

    my gayle you go man make the team proud :) :- :) \
    you are the man for the game windies we for woww

  3. February 24, 2015

    It was brilliant by Chris Gayle, try to be more consistent to win games,

  4. Best man
    February 24, 2015

    that’s a batsman yes

  5. Ring pop
    February 24, 2015

    ba yo bwa meme! hes the best of all time!

  6. believer
    February 24, 2015

    ” With this innings, he became the first player to score a triple century in Test cricket, a double century in ODIs and a century in T20 Internationals”

    Thank you for that statistic..amid the disappointing performances of West Indies cricket in the last few years, it good to see a silver lining…West Indies has the player who owns this most amazing statistic in the history of cricket.

  7. derp
    February 24, 2015

    baked him up hmm…

  8. Jah
    February 24, 2015

    Gayle scoring 215 against last placed Zimbabwe, big deal…..

  9. Jay
    February 24, 2015

    Would have meant more to me if they had accomplished these records against a real competitive team, say South Africa, Australia, India or England.. Zimbabwe is the weakest team in the tournament.

    • Informant
      February 25, 2015

      A team is a team. Zimbabwe has bit even some of the same ‘real competitive teams’ you refer to. It is fault that we as a people always find some of of lessening someone’s achievements. Other top players have played against Zimbabwe and have not did what Gayle did!

  10. Zandoli
    February 24, 2015

    Never mind that. I want to see him do it against SA and the other top teams, which is where it really counts. Beating up on minnows is easy. As I tell my daughter, almost everybody can do easy

    But judging from his past performance, he will fail the next 10 matches.

    • forreal
      February 25, 2015

      so Pakistan is not a top team which they trashed,and when they got
      beat by Ireland, it was alright

      • forreal
        February 25, 2015

        and even if they lose to south Africa am a gonna be still proud of them,for that performance,i see in sports ,that you go out there you win but fate have you lose,but these man and them can really play,win or lose,i can see that now

    • Informant
      February 25, 2015

      How many times has Gayle’s performances helped the West Indies win? How many times have he done well and the team failed? When it was Lara people found ways to criticize no matter how well he did. We are a people, it is just sad. Let us celebrate his achievements and pray that he and the team continues to do well.

  11. forreal
    February 24, 2015

    this has left the critics stupified,criticizeing people in sports is not patriortism,you need to cling to your team when they are up and when they are down,not to tweet them down when they are
    down,calling for the mans resignation,like they have anything better.

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