James Neesham
Jimmy Neesham (Credits: Twitter)

With no cricket on the surface, for the time being, there is no better time to rehash some of the most thrilling and shocking moments from the sport. Sky Sports’ New Zealand edition did precisely that. The sports broadcasting channel took to Twitter and demanded from the fans their favourite matches across all games, which they would look to broadcast for their viewing pleasure. New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham, who is quite active on social media, revealed his picks in this regard.

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The southpaw, who made his debut for the national side in 2013, named his first choice as the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup against South Africa. New Zealand won the match by 49 runs, putting an end to Proteas’ campaign, who were one of the favourites. Chasing 222 in the knockout game, South Africa choked from being 108-2 to crash to 172 all out.

Jimmy Neesham
Jimmy Neesham (Credits: Twitter)

Neesham’s second pick was the away ODI series against South Africa, having won the first two ODIs. It was in the first ODI in Paarl that Neesham made his debut along with Mitchell McClenaghan. He didn’t particularly have an eventful one, having bowled only four overs without a wicket and a duck in two balls.

The next choice of the 29-year old was the victory in the Chappelle-Hadlee series against Australia in 2007, which they won with a 3-0 sweep. The Kiwis pulled off two mammoth chases in Auckland and Hamilton in the second and third ODI respectively. Ross Taylor and Craig McMillan slammed centuries in two matches to gun down 337 and 347 at the Eden Park and Seddon Park respectively.

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James Neesham discloses his next four picks:

His next four picks include some of the greatest victories that the Black Caps may have recorded. The group match against Australia in Auckland in the 2015 World Cup was best known for the bowling heroics of Trent Boult and Mitchell Starc. Boult picked a fifer to skittle Australia for a paltry 151.

In reply, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum got them off to a flyer. Starc rattled the likes of Martin Guptill, Grant Elliot, and Ross Taylor to keep Australia in the hunt. The hosts began losing wickets in clusters in the middle overs. At 146-9, Kane Williamson put an end to the hopes of Australia’s fairytale victory by slamming a straight six off Pat Cummins.

James Neesham had a dream outing in the third Test against New Zealand in Barbados in 2014. The series was at level with one to play. The southpaw rescued his team from a precarious position by adding a stand of 64 for the ninth wicket. He returned in the second innings with a blazing knock of 78 to set the hosts a target of 308. Neesham also picked two wickets to add to his performances.

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kiwis
Jimmy Neesham (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

New Zealand’s heartbreaking defeat against Australia in the 2003 World Cup had a silver lining. Their neighbours had no answers that day to Kiwi’s spearhead Shane Bond. Bond tore through their line-up, dismissing their top-four batsmen which included Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, and Damien Martyn. His six-wicket haul kept the opposition to 208.

Nevertheless, New Zealand would go on to lose that game in Port Elizabeth by 96 runs. Brett Lee’s fifer in less than ten overs trumped over Bond’s deadly bowling. The likes of Glenn McGrath, Andy Bichel, and Ian Harvey shared five wickets between them as well.

New Zealand always start as dark horses in the ICC tournaments. The 2019 World Cup was no different. In Manchester against the West Indies, despite losing two wickets early on, they were able to get to 291 in their fifty overs. The men in maroon rode on a blistering partnership between Chris Gayle and Shimron Hetmyer before a flurry of wickets dented their chase.

Around all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, they still kept losing scalps at crucial junctures. However, his calm demeanour seemed like he would get his side over the line. With only six required off seven balls with a wicket in hand, the towering batsman played a pull shot which looked like he had connected well. However, Boult caught the ball just inside the boundary line. Incidentally, it was Neesham, who picked up his wicket to deliver a win by five runs.

India were clear favourites to win the semi-final encounter at the Old Trafford. New Zealand’s batsmen struggled throughout the innings to time the ball. Fifties from Williamson and Taylor apart from cameos from Mitchell Santner and Colin de Grandhomme gave them 240 to defend against a strong batting line-up.

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New Zealand
James Neesham. Credit: Getty Images

And they came out with intent. The new-ball bowling pair of Matt Henry and Boult reduced the men in blue to 5-3 inside five overs. After that, Neesham took a brilliant one-handed catch to see the back of Dinesh Karthik in the tenth over. Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni kept India in the hunt, but the Kiwis held their nerves to record an 18-run victory. Neesham picked up the final wicket of Yuzvendra Chahal to fire the Black Caps into the final.

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