Clean sweep for Caps
NZ head to Oz with series win and excellent batting efforts
ANew Zealand cricket team will head to Australia on a winning streak, with plenty of reasons for optimism.
And this time, they might actually put up a fight when they get there.
The Black Caps ODI squad will look to accomplish what the test team did not, after completing a superb 3-0 series sweep of India, claiming an impressive five-wicket victory at Mt Maunganui’s Bay Oval last night.
Set up by Martin Guptill (66 off 46 balls) and Henry Nicholls (80 off 103) and finished by Colin de Grandhomme’s absurd unbeaten 28-ball 58, the Black Caps’ successful chase of 297 completed a series which has reinforced — if not convincingly enhanced — their status as one of the top ODI sides in the world.
Two tests against India await before next month’s three-match Chappell-Hadlee series, but if Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson and Kane Williamson all head into the series injury-free, then Australia — who just lost to India in their own ODI series — loom as a beatable proposition, and a chance to potentially salvage a summer.
The re-discovered form of Guptill, and his burgeoning opening partnership with Nicholls, is possibly the biggest reason for the Black Caps’ success. After a World Cup in which the Black Caps’ openers went nine games without a stand of more than 35, they’ve now produced partnerships of 85, 93 and 106 against India — the first time in their history that New Zealand’s openers have combined for 85 or more in three consecutive matches.
Last night’s partnership came in rapid time, too, as Guptill and Nicholls put on 106 in 99 balls, to put the Black Caps well ahead of the asking rate in their chase of India’s 296-7. It was a solid effort by the New Zealand bowlers to restrict the visitors to under 300, making a strong start to reduce India to 62-3.
And then they largely bowling well at the death to halt any late destruction after Shreyas Iyer (62 off 63 balls), KL Rahul (112 off 113) and Manish Pandey (42 off 48) had re-built the innings.
However, Hamish Bennett took some handy late wickets to end with 4-64, while Kyle Jamieson (1-53) backed up his first ODI heroics with a solid second showing.
At the other end of the order, Guptill’s horror World Cup run has been flipped, bringing up his 50 from 29 balls and requiring something special — a stunning Yuzvendra Chahal delivery — to dislodge his off-stump and stop his onslaught.
Nicholls was more circumspect, but thanks to Guptill, he was allowed to be as he continues to make a strong case for a long-term spot at the top, and although Williamson (22 off 31) and Ross Taylor (12 off 18) couldn’t convert, Tom Latham (32 off 34) and a belligerent de Grandhomme stepped up in the clutch moments with a rapid 80-run partnership to seal the sweep.