Windies caught out again
World champions, eh? Not even a return to the comforts of Twenty20 cricket could ignite the West Indies in what is becoming an increasingly calamitous summer in New Zealand.
Swept aside in the test and oneday series, the West Indies are now trailing 1-0 in the shortest form of the game after failing with the bat in a 47-run loss to the Black Caps, in the first men’s T20 international to be played at the Saxton Oval in Nelson.
The West Indies did well to restrict the Black Caps batsmen for much of their innings. Well, that was until Kesrick Williams horribly lost his way in the final over, conceding 25 runs and three no balls as the Black Caps eventually chalked up a competitive score of 187-7.
Seth Rance then applied immediate pressure with the ball, taking two wickets in successive deliveries, including the key scalp of superstar Chris Gayle as momentum swung right back in New Zealand’s favour.
The 30-year-old finished with
3-30 in a tidy T20 debut, as the West Indies stuttered their way through to 140.
Sand-in captain Tim Southee
(3-36) and Doug Bracewell (2-10) also took regular wickets to ensure none of the West Indies batsmen could post a score of any significance. Andre Fletcher was their top scorer with 27 from 25.
New Zealand, sent in to bat first, were slow to start, but eventually settled into their rhythm on Friday afternoon with Glenn Phillips and Colin Munro, who shared a game-high partnership of 86.
Phillips playing his fourth T20 international, scored a game-high
55 from 40 to reach a milestone maiden half century, the 21-yearold wicket-keeper easily surpassing his previous high score of 11. He capped off the game by taking stunning, sprawling catch to dismiss Gayle for 12.
After getting a reprieve when he was dropped by West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite on 21, Munro was able pace the Black Caps innings with a brisk 53 from
37.
Outside of Munro and Phillips, the Black Caps batsmen struggled to stamp their mark though. Mitchell Santner added 23 not out as he capitalised during Williams’ comical final over, while Ross Taylor, playing his first T20 since March 2016, was the next highest just 21 from his four overs, 11 of which came after three overs, and took the key wicket of Phillips.