Akeal Hosein affirmed his place in West Indies cricket history as the seventh player to take 50 wickets in Twenty20 Internationals. This is historic for the left-arm off-spinner, who got the landmark in the recently concluded second T20I versus South Africa at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad.
Hosein, however, struck the game’s big blow on the penultimate ball of the 14th over when he accounted for the dangerous Tristan Stubbs on 28, who at that point was raising thoughts that he could seriously thwart the West Indies’ tilt at victory. That incision by Hosein derailed the chase mounted by the visitors and restabilized the dynamics in the West Indies’ favour.
Besides the wicket of Stubbs, Hosein also ended Rassie van der Dussen’s struggle in the middle. Rassie, who failed to stamp his authority against the required run rate, could only manage 17 runs with the bat in 24 balls at the strike rate of 70.83 before Hosein dismissed him back to the pavilion. This performance thus saw the Rovman Powell-led West Indies claw their way back into the contest.
In doing so, he joined an elite group of West Indian bowlers in T20Is and also contributed to a great cause for his team. The brilliantly set performance by Hosein secured a dominant run for the West Indies in the T20I series against South Africa, thereby, winning the series 2-1.
Most Wickets in T20Is for West Indies, Akeal Hosein joins the list:
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Average | Economy Rate | 4-Wicket Haul | 5-Wicket Haul |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwayne Bravo | 91 | 78 | 26.10 | 8.11 | 3 | – |
| Jason Holder | 63 | 66 | 28.87 | 8.57 | 2 | 1 |
| Andre Russell | 82 | 60 | 30.23 | 9.23 | – | – |
| Samuel Badree | 50 | 54 | 20.75 | 6.09 | 1 | – |
| Sunil Narine | 51 | 52 | 21.25 | 6.01 | 1 | – |
| Sheldon Cottrell | 45 | 52 | 23.92 | 8.13 | 1 | – |
| Akeal Hosein | 59 | 51 | 28.88 | 7.36 | 1 | 1 |
With this accomplishment, West Indies secure a commanding lead in the T20I series, marking a significant victory in the ongoing contest.
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