After seeing a fairly low-scoring T20 World Cup 2024 in the group stage, St Lucia's third game witnessed West Indies hammering 92 runs in their first six overs, the highest powerplay score in men's T20 World Cups, against Afghanistan. That included Azmatullah Omarzai leaking 36 runs in his second over - the fourth of the innings - with Nicholas Pooran going berserk. It was the joint most expensive over in T20Is and here is how it unfolded:
3.1: Azmatullah to Pooran, SIX runs Goes the distance. Off the outside edge. Length ball outside off from around the stumps, Pooran goes hard and looks to heave it across the line. But gets a thick outside edge that carries well over third. The six was into the breeze, says Roller
3.2: Azmatullah to Pooran, (no ball) FOUR runs Pooran in his elements early. Length ball angling in at 130.3kph, he stays back, swivels and pulls it all along the ground through midwicket. What's worse, Azmat has overstepped
3.2: Azmatullah to Pooran, 5 wide It goes from bad to worse for Afghanistan. He goes for the bouncer but it is too short. Passes well over Pooran as well as the keeper's head
Free hit remains
3.2: Azmatullah to Pooran, no run The perfect yorker! But it counts for little. Omarzai nails the yorker on middle and leg, Pooran swings and misses
3.3: Azmatullah to Pooran, 4 leg byes Full length ball on leg, Pooran swings and misses. But the ball deflects off his pads and runs away to the fine leg fence
3.4: Azmatullah to Pooran, FOUR runs Length ball angling across Pooran, 122.4kph, he slices hard at that. Gets a thickish outside edge towards the vacant deep backward point region. Once again into the wind. It is the shorter boundary too
3.5: Azmatullah to Pooran, SIX runs Fetch that! Full and in the slot on middle and leg. Pooran clears his front leg and thwacks it well over deep midwicket. 89m hit, thanks to the breeze
3.6: Azmatullah to Pooran, SIX runsPooran power punishing Afghanistan in Gros Islet! Omarzai bowls the slower one, 119.9kph, on a length around off. Pooran just belts it over the non-striker for a maximum. The boundary there is 77m, not the shortest one but it cleared it easily