Munro’s record T20 century sends West Indies winless from NZ tour

AFP Published January 4, 2018

MOUNT MAUNGANUI: New Zealand opener Colin Munro hits out as West Indies wicket-keeper Chadwick Walton looks on during the third Twenty20 International at Bay Oval on Wednesday.—AFP

MOUNT MAUNGANUI: Colin Munro smashed his way into the record books as New Zealand crushed the West Indies by 119 runs in the final Twenty20 International at Mount Maunganui on Wednesday to sweep the series.

Munro, with a rollicking 104 off 53 deliveries, became the first player to hit three centuries in international Twenty20 cricket as New Zealand posted an imposing 243 for five, their highest Twenty20 total.

The West Indies reply began disastrously with openers Chadwick Walton and Chris Gayle out without scoring in Tim Southee’s opening over.

Their innings folded at 124 for nine in 16.3 overs with Shai Hope unable to bat after being injured while fielding.

It ended a disappointing tour for the West Indies with New Zealand winning both Tests, the three One-day Internationals and two Twenty20s with one match washed out.

With the West Indies two down for one run after five balls, Andre Fletcher did his best to rebuild the innings and ensured the tourists kept up with New Zealand’s run rate for the first eight overs.

But the introduction of spin saw Fletcher’s innings come to an end. He was bowled by Ish Sodhi for 46, and the momentum fizzled.

From 80 for four after eight overs, the last five West Indies wickets fell for 44 runs in 51 balls.

Munro was in majestic form as he blasted away at the top of the New Zealand innings.

He faced 53 balls, smacking 10 sixes and three fours.

With previous centuries against India and Bangladesh, he moved ahead of a group of four players, including Gayle, who have two international T20 centuries.

Munro and Martin Guptill gave New Zealand a flying start to their innings with a century partnership.

It was a timely return to form for Guptill with 63 off 38 balls after struggling against the West Indies earlier in the series.

Rayad Emrit, selected to make his T20 debut two months short of his 37th birthday, celebrated by breaking the New Zealand opening stand when he had Guptill caught behind.

Munro lasted until the first ball of the last over when he drove a Carlos Brathwaite full toss straight to Shimron Hetmyer at long on.

The 30-year-old Munro attributed his record-setting hundred to a hit-and-hope philosophy.

“I try and go out there and swing from ball one and see what happens,” he said after being declared both man of the match and the series. “If I’m lucky enough to get a good start, I try and carry that momentum and if it’s my night, it’s my night and if not then back to the drawing board.”

The West Indies, desperate to get at least one win on the tour, tried every trick in their playbook but Brathwaite admitted Munro was too good.

“He took the game away from us,” Brathwaite said. “Some of [our] plans we executed and he got past them. Some of them we didn’t execute as well as we wanted to and he capitalised.

“What was good with his knock was that he always capitalised on our mistakes and we presented a few too many to him.”

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND:

M.J. Guptill c Walton b Emrit 63
C. Munro c Hetmyer b Brathwaite 104
T.C. Bruce b Brathwaite 23
A.K. Kitchen run out 9
K.S. Williamson b Taylor 19
G.D. Phillips not out 7
M.J. Santner not out 6

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-7, NB-1) 12

TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs) 243

FALL OF WKTS: 1-136, 2-191, 3-204, 4-226, 5-226.

DID NOT BAT: D.A.J. Bracewell, T.G. Southee, I.S. Sodhi, T.A. Boult.

BOWLING: Taylor 4-0-53-1 (1nb); Badree 4-0-51-0 (1w); Nurse 4-0-43-0; Brathwaite 4-0-50-2 (2w); Emrit 4-0-42-1.

WEST INDIES:

C.A.K. Walton c Munro b Southee 0
C.H. Gayle c Phillips b Southee 0
A.D.S. Fletcher b Sodhi 46
R. Powell c Williamson b Kitchen 16
S.O. Hetmyer run out 7
C.R. Brathwaite c Bruce b Boult 15
A.R. Nurse not out 14
R.R. Emrit lbw b Sodhi 5
J.E. Taylor c Santner b Boult 13
S. Badree c Bruce b Southee 2
S.D. Hope absent injured -

EXTRAS (W-4, NB-2) 6

TOTAL (all out, 16.3 overs) 124

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-1, 3-42, 4-49, 5-80, 6-92, 7-99, 8-114, 9-124.

BOWLING: Southee 2.3-0-21-3; Boult 4-0-29-2 (2nb, 3w); Kitchen 4-0-33-1 (1w); Santner 2-0-16-0; Sodhi 4-0-25-2.

RESULT: New Zealand won by 119 runs to win three-match series 2-0.

UMPIRES: W.R. Knights (New Zealand) and S.B. Haig (New Zealand).

TV UMPIRE: C.M. Brown (New Zealand).

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

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Colin Munro.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Colin Munro.

FIRST MATCH: Nelson, New Zealand won by 47 runs.

SECOND MATCH: Mount Maunganui, no result.