It was a match that summed up the modern-day West Indies perfectly. A week after all the hype surrounding the India-Pakistan clash in Manchester, all-time World Cup classic unfolded at Old Trafford on Saturday as New Zealand emerged winners by five runs.

It was the Kane Williamson show in the first half but at the end of the match, all the talk was about Carlos Brathwaite.

Remember the name?

Brathwaite hit a stunning century but just fell short of leading the West Indies to a remarkable victory as New Zealand won a World Cup thriller by just five runs on Saturday. The West Indies were all but defeated at 164/7 in the 27th over, chasing 292 to win after New Zealand captain Kane Williamson’s career-best 148 helped take the Black Caps to 291/8.

Advertisement

Inspired by Brathwaite’s remarkable hundred, the West Indies nearly secured an incredible success at Old Trafford.

But with six needed from seven balls, Brathwaite launched Jimmy Neesham for what he hoped would be the winning hit, only for Trent Boult to take a superbly judged catch just inside the long-on boundary.

Brathwaite sank to his knees in despair after falling for 101 off just 82 balls, including five sixes and nine fours, having dominated a last-wicket stand of 41 in which he scored all the runs.

Advertisement

Victory saw New Zealand return to the top of the table and all but secure their place in the semi-finals as a heart-breaking defeat left the West Indies on the verge of elimination.

“Down the ground but FIELDER UNDERNEATH AND TAKEN. New Zealand win. The dream is diminished for Carlos Brathwaite...”

These words will go down as another moment of commentary by Ian Bishop that will go down in cricketing folklore as the match came to a stunning finish in Manchester.

Here’s the video that captures the emotions of the last two overs so perfectly:

You can watch the full highlights of the match here:

With AFP inputs