BLUNDELL TON IN VAIN AS WI SECURE EASY WIN
Tom Blundell hit a sparkling century for New Zealand but the West Indies cruised to a convincing 91-run win in their ICC Cricket World Cup warm-up match played at Bristol yesterday.
Blundell hammered 106 from just 89 balls with the help of five sixes and eight boundaries as New Zealand finished on 330 while chasing West Indies’ massive total of 421.
Earlier, the West Indies hammered 421, 33 more than their highest ODI score of 389 runs after they were put into bat.
The attack began in the third over of the innings when Chris Gayle stroked two fours and two sixes off four consecutive deliveries to begin West Indies’ charge.
Evin Lewis smashed a fifty, while Shai Hope carried on for longer and building on his good form, notched up a century.
Hope was involved in
a couple of good stands even after a half century partnership with Lewis that set the stage of West Indies’ late surge - in company of Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer.
With Hope and Nicholas Pooran falling in quick succession the West Indies were reduced to 367 for seven in the 45th over.
But that was just as perfect a setting as Andre Russell would have liked to give his big-hitting reputation some massage.
He joined in the carnage, striking seven boundaries and three sixes in his 25-ball knock of 54.
West Indies: 421 in 49.2 overs (Chris Gayle 36, Shai Hope 101, Andre Russell 54, Trent Boult 4/50, Matt Henry 2/107) New Zealand: 330 in 47.2 overs (Kane Williamson 85, Tom Blundell 106, Ish Sodhi 39, Carlos Brathwaite 3/75, Fabian Allen 2/47). Agencies