RS Sport

The man in maroon, number 26, on his knees in the middle. You’d struggle to write a more exciting finish to a game of cricket.

Carlos Brathwaite, century maker, almost history maker, at one of the most famous grounds in the country.

The images broadcast worldwide yesterday were of Ross Taylor consoling Carlos Brathwaite, a man who had almost single-handedly dragged West Indies out of the rubble of World Cup elimination.

The first comparison that comes to mind is of Andrew Flintoff putting his arm around Brett Lee immediately after Kasprowicz gloved one to Jones in 2005.

One side jubilant, the other in despair.

And on Saturday, Brathwaite’s 82-ball 102 deserved so much more, especially given the context in how he had made it.

Yet in a strange way, the end result meant it wasn’t even the contribution of the match, in numerical terms.

Kane Williamson’s 146 won the man of the match plaudits, the difference in the end between New Zealand and one of cricket’s greatest batting assaults.

But if you asked any fan at the ground what the defining innings of the match was, they would give it to Brathwaite, the 30-year-old Barbadian all rounder.

And before he laid waste to all in front of him, he walked out to bat in scenes of chaos.

Windies had built steadily early on, 142/2 after 22 overs perhaps suggesting New Zealand’s 291 was a tad under par.

Chris Gayle was in typical Gayle form, on 81 not out, before Shimron Hetmyer’s breezy 54 was put to an end with his stumps splattered by the in form Lockie Ferguson.

It’s often said that momentum can shift completely in the space of one ball, and New Zealand sensed something.

They sensed the fact that middle order collapses have been a recurring theme of this World Cup – get runs on the board first, they all say.

Out strode captain Jason Holder, who lasted one ball as another Ferguson beauty took the edge of his bat and into the gloves of the excellent Tom Latham.

Brathwaite’s record for West Indies isn’t as consistently good as he would’ve liked since THAT Ben Stokes over, but he’s always up for the challenge.

His fielding backed it up in the first innings, saving runs from his usual mid off position on several occasions.

Brathwaite is a key member of this West Indies side, not just for his hard hitting with the bat, or his death over bowling, but his leadership skills.

His first port of call was to lead his country away from falling victim to a hat trick, and one that would almost certainly end their World Cup hopes.

Ferguson banged it in short, as he has done successfully so many times this World Cup, but Brathwaite got behind it and defended it below his grille. Ball one survived.

He then had to watch from the other end as Gayle, then Ashley Nurse perished.

Then came Evin Lewis, barely able to walk to the middle because of a hamstring injury suffered in the field.

He lasted a three-ball duck and limped back to the dressing room, perhaps summing up the state of West Indies’ World Cup hopes.

From the moment Brathwaite set foot at the crease, though, he was a man on a mission.

Just six runs came from the first five overs of the eighth wicket partnership between him and Kemar Roach, as Brathwaite looked to take as much of the strike as he could whilst making sure his wicket remained intact.

Then he released the shackles, hitting Santner for six in the first ball of the 31st over before watching Roach do the same from the other end.

Ball by ball, the two whittled down the target, until 81 runs were needed from 72 balls. Game on then.

Matt Henry, the bowler chewed up and spat out again by Gayle earlier on in the innings, before promptly dropping him later on, took Roach’s edge and Latham took another fine catch.

With the domineering Sheldon Cottrell now in, however, the West Indies just carried on from where they had left off.

When Brathwaite was joined by Roach, the chase looked all but over, as it so often does when a team needs nearly 150 with just three wickets in hand.

But with 10 overs to go, that target sat at 70.

And after Cottrell hit two consecutive fours off Jimmy Neesham, that stood at just 49 off 44.

Cottrell then departed, a huge blow for the Windies, Ferguson once again to the fore as he took out his off and middle stump.

But the 6′ 4″ Brathwaite still stood mightily at the crease, a road block between New Zealand and victory.

It was a throwback to ODI innings of old for the first 70 balls, and a tutorial of how to bat with the tail.

But now Brathwaite knew it was time to play his shots, and play them he did.

For Brathwaite unleashed a brutal assault on New Zealand’s bowlers, carting Matt Henry for three consecutive sixes in the 48th over.

Strangely, the game never felt over whilst Brathwaite was at the crease – it so often does when teams are seven down needing plenty.

His first real false shot came when he tried to pull Henry for yet another six.

He mistimed it, the ball shooting over the head of wicket keeper Latham and straight to the boundary. Four more.

There were groups of West Indies fans gathering around the big screen near the Old Trafford exits, some barely able to watch what was happening.

From a position of relative security, New Zealand were now beginning to panic.

Captain Williamson and keeper Latham surround Matt Henry, trying to give him some advice, any sort of advice, to deal with this onslaught.

Williamson knew Brathwaite’s feelings all too well.

He’d been at the middle in the game of the 2015 World Cup, when Australia’s Mitchell Starc tore through New Zealand’s lower order.

The Black Caps needed six to win with just Williamson and number 11 Trent Boult at the other end.

Williamson took on the first ball of Pat Cummins’s over, skipped down the ground and slapped it over the bowler’s head for six.

Now he was in loose control of the proceedings, electing to give the final over to Jimmy Neesham over Colin de Grandhomme.

De Grandhomme had already taken the crucial wicket of Gayle, but the decision would prove to be key.

For Brathwaite took on the short ball, the sixth delivery of the 49th over, and the ball hung in the air agonisingly towards Boult at deep midwicket.

He’d celebrated his century earlier in the over, and now the target was six. In other words, one hit.

For a fleeting moment, it looks as if the 28-year-old has done it.

With Ian Bishop on commentary as well, the headlines were already written.

But Boult holds on, on one leg to avoid touching the boundary.

And given the events of two weeks later – Stokes’s hit, Boult’s foot touching the rope – it adds extra meaning.

They check for the no ball, but Neesham is safe. New Zealand win.

Brathwaite sinks to his knees, holds his head on his bat and looks straight ahead of him. The impossible has almost been made possible. The unthinkable made thinkable.

And there’s Taylor, first over to console him, followed by the rest of the New Zealand team.

Brathwaite may not have carried his team to victory, but it was a remarkable innings nonetheless. As many have said since the game, it really was a ‘where you there?’ moment.