Chris Gayle and Oshane Thomas starred as the Windies thrashed England by seven wickets in the final ODI in St Lucia to level the five-match series 2-2.
The 39-year-old Gayle, playing in what may be his final home ODI, smashed 77 off just 27 balls after England had been skittled out for 113 in 28.1 overs, with Oshane Thomas doing the most damage with five wickets.
Just three days after the visitors had posted 418 against the same attack, the West Indies, who won the Test series between the two sides 2-1, this time needed just 12.1 overs to race to their target at 115-3, thanks to yet another ‘Gaylestorm’.
The southpaw hit the fastest-ever ODI half-century by a West Indian, surpassing Darren Sammy’s 20-ball fifty scored against South Africa almost a decade back in 2010. Gayle scored 135 and 162 in the first and fourth ODIs to power the Windies to 350-plus totals though they ended the second-best on both occasions.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Universe Boss for a reason. 27 ball 77 from the big man, raining sixes at will , what an entertainer @henrygayle
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) March 2, 2019
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1101899899484942336
It’s Daren Sammy with the 1 “r”!!@darensammy88 🤣🤣 https://t.co/GaE75DSDga
— Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano) March 3, 2019
At times we take for granted special players of our time, @henrygayle is a player of a generation. #universeboss
#WIvENG #ODI series – 424 runs, 39 sixes, 2 x 💯Career
Tests – 103 matches
ODI’s – 289 matches
T20’s – 369 matches pic.twitter.com/wIxNrSvYeI— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) March 3, 2019
The greatest entertainer in cricket history. Congrats @henrygayle 👏 https://t.co/QK7XaSBADV
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 2, 2019
Proud of this yute oshanethomas2265 up top! Ofcourse the legend left his mark in the Caribbean in ODI cricket with the man of the series @henrygayle but on a whole very well done to the… https://t.co/mU0dfIqaj7
— Jason Holder (@Jaseholder98) March 2, 2019
So Chris Gayle signs off from ODI cricket in the West Indies with 77(27)! Some player! #UniverseBoss
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 2, 2019
https://twitter.com/isaguha/status/1101907030938476544
Chris Gayle is having a turbo charged series! 77 off 27 balls! What a knock!
— Gaurav Kapur (@gauravkapur) March 2, 2019
Oh magnificent stuff from @henrygayle 👌👏 #nevertoold 😬👊🏻😎🌴 What a bounce back from @windiescricket in #Stlucia Congrats Caribbean guys 👍🎉😎
— Danny Morrison (@SteelyDan66) March 2, 2019
Get the Universe Boss signed up for the 100 ASAP please ….
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 2, 2019
So proud of Oshane Thomas 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 #WIvEng
— Tino95 (@tinobest) March 2, 2019
The game will be poorer when Crystal Gayle retires !!
— Nasser Hussain (@nassercricket) March 2, 2019
Gayle has taken six hitting to a new easiness. Simply phenomenal #WIvENG
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) March 2, 2019
Universe Boss 🐐 https://t.co/yZlwUxEp0c
— Carlos Brathwaite (@CRBrathwaite26) March 3, 2019
Series ends 2-2 .. some excellent performances on both sides .. very entertaining
— David 'Bumble' Lloyd (@BumbleCricket) March 2, 2019
From the sublime to the ridiculous….that’s how England plays ODI cricket. On good days (admittedly there are more of them) they are exceptionally good. On bad days…they are shockingly bad. #WIvEng
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 2, 2019
Oshane Thomas 5-21 vs the worlds No1 team. I don’t begrudge him at all. When he has to bowl on such a good batting surface in Grenada one game ago. Then make hay etc when you get on a bouncy one. How’s England’s batting in Odi’s when the pitch isn’t a batting paradise?
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) March 2, 2019
