Innings New Zealand 325 for 6 (Nicholls 83*, Worker 58, Taylor 57, Cottrell 3-62) v West Indies
A sixth-wicket stand that began as a recovery finished in a hail of boundaries, as clean striking from Henry Nicholls and Todd Astle propelled New Zealand to 325 for 6. The pair’s 130-run stand came off 98 balls – starting slowly, before snowballing into a furious finish. By the time Astle was dismissed in the 49th over, the previous 28 balls had produced 64 runs.
Nicholls remained unbeaten on 83 off 62 balls – his best ODI score. Astle was out for 49 off 45. Their stand had ruined what had promised to be a decent West Indies bowling performance, the visitors having had the hosts at 186 for 5 after 33 overs. In the end, their figures took a beating – Sheldon Cottrell and Jason Holder the only bowlers to emerge with creditable figures of 3 for 62 and 2 for 52 respectively. Earlier, George Worker and Ross Taylor had struck efficient half-centuries.
Though Hagley Oval is usually the domain of swing and seam movement, it was the lift in this surface that defined the New Zealand innings. No fewer than four top-order batsmen were dismissed by balls that bounced more than expected, while West Indies’ quicks put men in the deep and peppered the opposition. But although there was danger for the batsmen, there was also opportunity – 68 per cent of New Zealand’s runs coming square of the wicket. All innings long, only two boundaries were hit in the “V”.
It was a pitch and a bowling plan, in short, that suited Nicholls beautifully. Adept at the cross-batted strokes, he cut and pulled his way into a rhythm early in his innings, and let fly with the innovations later on. Of particular note was the overhead scoop off Ronsford Beaton in the 45th over – the shot that heralded the mayhem. Three overs later, Nicholls was walloping two sixes and two fours in a Shannon Gabriel over that yielded 22. In the first 37 deliveries he faced, Nicholls had hit 27 – overturning an lbw decision against him in that time. Off his last 25 balls, Nicholls plundered 56, even finding a place for the full deliveries beyond the square boundary.
full report to follow…
Source: ESPN Crickinfo