<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>West Indies get washed out of the ICC Champions Trophy – Cricket News</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">West Indies were washed out of the ICC Champions Trophy after their match against South Africa ended in a tie when rain halted the game, putting the Duckworth-Lewis system into play on Friday, 14 June, at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">West Indies needed a win in this match to stay alive in the tournament and they were almost there before Kieron Pollard threw away his wicket with his team requiring 41 runs off 29 deliveries. Darren Sammy then came in the middle,
however, before he could get going rain came pouring down, forcing the umpires to stop the proceedings. This changed the asking target to 191; unfortunately West Indies were on 190 for six at that time, losing the match by a whisker.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">After winning the toss, West Indies chose to field first as they wanted to halt the South Africans from piling a huge total on the board. Their plans, however, went awry when South African openers Colin Ingram and Hashim Amla forged
a stand of 80 runs. This partnership was broken by Marlon Samuels, who nabbed the wicket of Amla for 23.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">With the match already reduced to 31 overs due to rain, the South Africans could not afford to slow down the scoring rate, so Ingram and AB de Villiers continued the heavy onslaught in the second-wicket partnership as they took
the score to 124, before the opener was sent home by Pollard after jabbing 73 runs off 63 deliveries.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">This was not Jean-Paul Duminy’s day, as he found his way back to the pavilion after scoring only two runs off five deliveries.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">de Villiers continued the good work with the bat before losing his wicket to Ravi Rampaul for 37 with his side on 153.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Faf du Plessis and David Miller then did not show any weakness as they forged another befitting partnership by leading their side towards 221 runs, before du Plessis lost his wicket on a run out with 35 runs to his name. Miller
was then the final batsman to depart after he fell on 38 runs.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Later, South Africa managed to reach 230 for the loss of six wickets and looked in a strong position to take the match.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">However, to their surprise West Indies gave a brilliant performance as well, with the openers hammering a stand of 35, followed by a commendable second-wicket stand between Chris Gayle and Devon Smith as the two batsmen led their
side towards 75 runs, before the departure of Gayle for 36.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Then with 87 on the board, they lost their third wicket when Smith fell for 30. Marlon Samuels played a brilliant knock as he hammered 48, playing an important role in keeping his side alive in the match. However, he became the
fifth wicket to fall from his side when South African pacer Dale Steyn clean-bowled him with the Windies on 162. Had they not lost Pollard before rain, the outcome of the match would have been different.</p>
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