During the innings break at Trent Bridge on Wednesday, the audience went into a frenzy. There were beers to be bought, sausage rolls, among a plethora of other delicacies being served at the stadium, to be consumed. The rush was maddening. Near one of the counters, stood a mobile charging station, which displays famous video clips from previous edition of the World Cups.
A bunch of Australia supporters, while hogging on their hotdogs, were glued to the station. “Starc got to do this again. Only he can stop Gayle and Russell,” exclaimed one of the guys.
And approximately five minutes later, at the ground, Starc bowled a sensational over to Chris Gayle. The Aussie speedster made Gayle jump, fend, hop and nick. He even dismissed him twice but the decision was overturned. It’s not that Gayle was struggling. He plundered 424 runs against the World No. 1 side in March and had undergone a rather decent IPL season.
Well, the “Universe Boss” scored a half-century at the same venue against Pakistan in his opening game of the World Cup 2019, who boast some quality pacers. Yet, Gayle looked clueless.
He was finally dismissed by Starc on the penultimate delivery of the fifth over.
Starc was happy to get the wicket of Gayle but the Windies star shouldn’t have been given out on that delivery.
Commentators uncovered the ball before Gayle’s wicket, which was jammed down to fine leg for two, was a huge no ball from Mitchell Starc – but the umpire didn’t pick up on it.
If it had been discovered, the wicket ball would have been a free hit.
Look away @henrygayle…
Not sure how it was missed, but the ball before the #UniverseBoss's dismissal was a MASSIVE no-ball from Starc, and therefore should have resulted in a free hit.
Follow LIVE: https://t.co/tbsZNaR4tE #CWC19 #AUSvWI #WIvAUS #CmonAussie #MenInMaroon pic.twitter.com/rSO1IaFzy4
— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) June 6, 2019
The next ball, Gayle was give out LBW, with DRS favouring the umpire’s call to dismiss the big hitting opener.
Starc, however, saved the best for last. With West Indies needing 38 needed off 30 and a set Jason Holder batting on 50-plus along with Carlos Brathwaite, scoring at just run-a-ball, Starc bowled a phenomenal 46th over. In fourballs, Starc removed both.
The 29-year-old seamer cleaned up Sheldon Cottrell in his next and final over was merely a formality.
Fortunate to get Gayle’s wicket says Starc
After the match, Starc admitted that he was unaware of the mis-step at that moment.
“I’m normally pretty close and I’ve actually been a fair way back for the last few weeks,” he said.
“I didn’t know I was over there, but someone told me about five minutes ago that I was a fair way over. Got away with that one, fortunately.”
