The two unbeaten teams at the T20 Cricket World Cup 2024, India and South Africa, are set to lock horns at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, for the grand finale of the tournament.
The match will bring the curtain down on the month-long tournament, which has been hosted by the USA and West Indies.
The Sporting News takes a look at the pitch report and previous records at this venue.
MORE: Full schedule and results for T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies
The Kensington Oval has hosted a total of 32 T20Is so far. 19 of these matches have been won by the team batting first, while 11 have been won by the team batting second. Two matches have ended as ‘No Result’.
The Kensington Oval has a seating capacity of about 28,000 spectators.
The pitch at Kensington Oval in Barbados is expected to offer some seam movement to the new ball bowlers at the start of the match. This movement can make it challenging for the batsmen to settle in quickly.
Fast bowlers can also expect to benefit from some extra bounce on this surface. The bounce might trouble the batsmen, especially in the initial overs of the game.
Despite the early challenges, the pitch in Barbados generally offers true pace and bounce once the game progresses. Batsmen who adjust to the conditions can play their shots with confidence.
Spinners may not find much assistance from the pitch in terms of turn. Instead, they will need to rely on accuracy and variations to outsmart the batsmen.
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| Average first innings score in Barbados | 160 |
| Matches won after batting first | 19 |
| Matches won by chasing team | 11 |
England took on the USA in a battle between the reigning champions and the co-hosts at the T20 World Cup 2024. England recorded an easy 10-wicket win over the debutants, while chasing a target of 116 runs in under 10 overs.
Batting first, USA were bundled for 115 in just under 20 overs. Chris Jordan picked four wickets in the 19th over, while wrist spinner, Adil Rashid finished with an impressive 2/13 in his four overs. Nitish Kumar top scored for USA with 30 runs off 24 balls.
In response, it was a cake-walk for the English openers. England captain Jos Buttler smashed a half century and remained unbeaten on 83 off just 38 balls. The USA bowlers were toyed all around the ground, as the opposition scored at 12 runs per over.
During January 2022’s England tour of West Indies, WI recorded the highest score at the Kensington Oval scoring 224/5. West Indies won the match by 20 runs. Rovman Powell hit a century scoring 107 runs off just 53 balls, and Nicholas Pooran’s smashed 70 off 43 balls. In response, England, after putting a tough fight, fell short of the target, managing only 204 for 9 in their innings.
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In a T20 World Cup 2010 match, Afghanistan faced South Africa’s bowling might. Chasing the target of 140 runs, Afghanistan were bundled out for a mere 80 runs. This score from Afghanistan stands as the lowest by any team on this ground.
Rovman Powell’s 107 off 53 balls was the highest individual score ever recorded at Kensington Oval. His explosive innings got West Indies to a total of 224 for 5. Powell hit 10 sixes and led West Indies to a 20-run victory over England.
WI’s Jason Holder has taken most at the Kensington Oval in the 20-over format. He has taken 18 wickets with an average of 11.88 and an economy of 8.33 at this ground.
