ICC T20 World Cup 2016: Carlos Brathwaite's Four Sixes off Stokes — West Indies Win in Kolkata
The ICC World Twenty20 2016 was held in India from 8 March to 3 April 2016. West Indies, captained by Darren Sammy, won their second T20 title by defeating England by 4 wickets in the final at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on 3 April 2016. England set 156/6; West Indies needed 19 off the last over (bowled by Ben Stokes). Carlos Brathwaite hit four consecutive sixes off the first four balls to win the match with 2 balls to spare. Marlon Samuels scored 85* from 66 balls.
The ICC World Twenty20 2016 was held in India from 8 March to 3 April 2016. West Indies, captained by Darren Sammy, reached the final after defeating India in the semi-final. West Indies won their second T20 title at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Four Sixes Off Four Balls: The Last Over
In the final on 3 April 2016, England batted first and scored 155/9 (20 overs); Stokes took 0 wickets but bowled the last over. West Indies needed 19 off the final over. Marlon Samuels (85* from 66 balls) was at the crease with Carlos Brathwaite. Stokes bowled the first ball: Brathwaite hit a full delivery over long-on for six. Second ball: six over long-on. Third ball: six over fine leg. Fourth ball: six over deep square leg. West Indies won by 4 wickets with 2 balls to spare. Brathwaite finished with 34* from 10 balls. Sammy's team were the first to win two T20 WC titles.
The Tournament Context
The 2016 T20 WC was hosted by India at various venues — Eden Gardens (Kolkata), Wankhede (Mumbai), Chinnaswamy (Bangalore), Feroz Shah Kotla (Delhi), and others. India had beaten West Indies in the Super 10 stage and were beaten by West Indies in the semi-final. Virat Kohli scored 89* in the semi-final vs West Indies in a losing cause. The tournament drew record T20 attendances in India.
Frequently asked questions
How did Ben Stokes's bowling in the last over of the 2016 T20 WC final create the conditions for Brathwaite's four sixes, and what tactical adjustments could England have made?
The Stokes last over analysis: England captain Eoin Morgan's decision to give the last over to Stokes (rather than David Willey or Liam Plunkett) was made because Stokes was England's most reliable death bowler and the field was set for a Samuels-on-strike scenario. The tactical breakdown: Stokes bowled balls 1–4 full (yorker-length), hoping Brathwaite would hit into the long boundary from the large Eden Gardens outfield. The problem: Eden Gardens' boundary dimensions (roughly 65–70m on the leg side) were more favourable for the on-side hitting that Brathwaite used on all four deliveries — a full ball on leg stump hit with a flat bat over fine leg covers approximately 72m. The York length was ineffective because Brathwaite's technique for full deliveries on or outside leg stump is a flat-bat swing that does not require height — it stays low and clears the boundary on carry rather than parabolic flight. England's tactical alternatives: (1) Yorker outside off stump: a wide yorker (outside off) forces a harder shot — Brathwaite's natural hitting line is leg/straight. A delivery outside off requires an angular adjustment that reduces bat speed. (2) Slower ball: a disguised slower ball at full length disrupts the timing of the flat swing. Stokes did not employ either variation. The analytical conclusion: Stokes bowled the correct tactical length (full) but the wrong line (on/outside leg stump, into Brathwaite's strongest zone); the failure was not the format of the delivery but the inability to execute a wide-of-off or slower-ball variation under match pressure.