CHRISTCHURCH: Trent Boult took a career-best 7-34 after Henry Nicholls had smashed an unbeaten 83 as New Zealand thrashed the West Indies by 204 runs on Saturday to win the second One-day International and clinch their three-match series with a game still to play.

Lockie Ferguson chipped in with 3-17 as New Zealand’s fast bowlers skittled the West Indies for just 121 after the home side had posted an imposing total of 325-6, with three batsmen posting half-centuries at Hagley Oval.

Already missing star opening batsmen Chris Gayle, who withdrew from the match with an unspecified illness, the West Indies were immediately in trouble when Boult ripped through the top order.

He bowled Kyle Hope (4) with a ball that straightened and hit off stump then removed the other opener Evin Lewis (10), caught at backward square leg. Boult then dismissed Shimron Hetmyer (2), caught at second slip, and then removed Shai Hope (23) with a high top edge to wicket-keeper Tom Latham.

Ferguson got rid of Jason Mohammed (18) and Rovman Powell (0) with consecutive deliveries, and then the West Indies captain Jason Holder (13), the last of the recognized batsmen.

Boult returned after his six over opening spell to quickly polish off the innings, removing Sheldon Cottrell (8), Ashley Nurse (27) and Shannon Gabriel (0).

Nurse was Boult’s 100th wicket in ODIs, enabling him to become just the fifth New Zealander to take 200 wickets in Tests and 100 wickets in ODIs.

“If I could pin it down to anything it was a little bit of movement in the first spell with the new ball,” man-of-the-match Boult said. “But to go out and get seven was something I wasn’t really expecting.

“I just tried to keep it as simple as possible, try to remain aggressive and bowl a few short balls and to get a few wickets was very satisfying.”

Earlier, George Worker, Ross Taylor and Nicholls all scored half-centuries to lift New Zealand to a daunting total after the hosts were sent in to bat.

Worker made a career-high 58, beating his previous best of 57 which he made in the first ODI match at Whangarei on Wednesday, after sharing in a solid 50-run partnership with Colin Munro for the opening wicket.

Taylor held the middle order together with a well-crafted 57 to register his 39th ODI half-century while Nicholls batted through the last 20 overs to register his highest ODI score.

Nicholls also shared a record sixth wicket stand of 130-run with Todd Astle, who was bowled by Cottrell for 49 in the last over.

Nicholls faced just 62 balls and hit seven fours and two sixes as New Zealand blasted 103 runs off the last 10 overs to post more than 300 for the first time in 2017.

Cottrell, playing his first international in almost three years, also took two early wickets to finish with 3-62, while Holder, with whom he shared the new ball, dismissed Taylor and New Zealand captain Latham to finish with 2-52.

The West Indian fast bowlers made good use of the short ball throughout most of the innings, and looked to be in control after reducing New Zealand to 186-5 with 17 overs to go before Nicholls went on a late surge.

He began his innings slowly, and needed the Decision Review System to overturn an lbw decision which had gone against him when he was 22, but finished with a flourish.

“We’re obviously disappointed. We didn’t play good enough cricket in this game,” Holder said. “I thought the bowlers went reasonably well but we let ourselves down in the second half of the game and the last 10 overs.

“I thought it was a reasonable total for us to chase but we lost wickets up front and we couldn’t gather momentum.”

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND:

G.H. Worker c Powell b Beaton 58
C. Munro c Mohammed b Cottrell 30
N.T. Broom c Holder b Cottrell 6
L.R.P.L. Taylor c Hope b Holder 57
T.W.M. Latham c Hope b Holder 20
H.M. Nicholls not out 83
T.D. Astle b Cottrell 49
D.A.J. Bracewell not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-14) 17

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 325

FALL OF WKTS: 1-50, 2-66, 3-124, 4-169, 5-186, 6-316.

DID NOT BAT: M.J. Henry, L.H. Ferguson, T.A. Boult.

BOWLING: Cottrell 10-0-62-3 (2w); Holder 10-0-52-2 (1w); Beaton 8-0-60-1 (3w); Gabriel 10-0-75-0 (3w); Nurse 10-0-45-0 (4w); Powell 2-0-28-0 (1w).

WEST INDIES:

E. Lewis c Bracewell b Boult 10
K.A. Hope b Boult 4
S.D. Hope c Latham b Boult 23
S.O. Hetmyer c Worker b Boult 2
J.N. Mohammed c and b Ferguson 18
J.O. Holder c Munro b Ferguson 13
R. Powell b Ferguson 0
A.R. Nurse c Worker b Boult 27
S.S. Cottrell c Latham b Boult 8
R.R. Beaton not out 12
S.T. Gabriel b Boult 0

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-2, NB-1) 4

TOTAL (all out, 28 overs) 121

FALL OF WKTS: 1-10, 2-15, 3-21, 4-52, 5-70, 6-70, 7-86, 8-100, 9-121.

BOWLING: Henry 7-0-36-0; Boult 10-3-34-7; Bracewell 5-0-19-0 (2w); Ferguson 4-0-17-3 (1nb); Astle 2-0-14-0.

RESULT: New Zealand won by 204 runs to lead three-match series 2-0.

UMPIRES: W.R. Knights (New Zealand) and B.N.J. Oxenford (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: C. Shamshuddin (India).

MATCH REFEREE: A.J. Pycroft (Zimbabwe).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Trent Boult.

FIRST MATCH: Whangarei, New Zealand won by five wickets.

THIRD MATCH: Christchurch, Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2017