NZ vs WI 2017/18: Trent Boult's Seven-Fer Leads New Zealand to 204-Run Win

There would be no end to the sombre form of the Windies on this tour, as it looks, as the visitors lost the second ODI of the series to New Zealand by a margin of 204 runs, to lose the series by 2-0.

Already depleted by non-availability of Chris Gayle for this game, Windies themselves opted to bowl first after winning the toss against a side without Kane Williamson and Tim Southee.

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Till the seventh over of the game, the openers, George Worker and Colin Munro, had steered team’s total to a score of 50. Though they suffered two quick jitters, this had no impact on the run-rate of the home side.

Worker was well accompanied by the senior batsman, Ross Taylor, who played an innings of 57 off 66. Worker and Taylor shared 58 runs for the third wicket in 8.2 overs and kept New Zealand active in the race to a big score. Skipper Tom Latham could not do much with the bat and could just manage 20.

The wicket of Tayor soon followed the wicket of Latham and Kiwis were left in all sorts of worry when they were five down for 186. The late blitz from Henry Nicholls (83* off 62) and Todd Astle (49 off 45) lifted the side to a huge total of 325 at the end of the game.

New Zealand accumulated a total of 103 runs in last ten overs. Shelton Cotrell spent 62 runs for is three wickets while skipper Jason Holder went for 52 for his two scalps. Shanon Gabriel went wicketless and leaked 75 runs.

In the race to this huge total, Windies lost its first wicket on just ten on the last ball of the second over in the form of Kyle Hope (4) who was bowled by Trent Boult.

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The left-arm pacer continued to wreak havoc and soon sent back Evin Lewis as well. Before Shimron Hetmyer could adjust himself on the crease, Boult got him out, and another wicket in the 10th over of Shai Hope flattened Windies’ top and middle-order. It was Boult who had scalped all the four-wickets in the first powerplay.

Now, it was the turn of Lockie Ferguson to push away Windies from the game, and his three wickets in next eight overs were enough to be bend Windies down to seven for 86.

Boult was reintroduced in the 22nd over, and he marked his comeback with another wicket. There was a bit of delay in last two wickets when the Windies’ batsmen were looking to play more overs, but in the 28th over, Bout removed both the remaining batsmen and became the 16th New Zealand bowler to scalp 100 wickets in ODI cricket.

He was bestowed with Man of the Match award for his career-best figures of 10-3-34-7. With this win, New Zealand has achieved a lead of 2-0 in the three-match ODI series and would be going in the next game with an aim to whitewash Windies. The last ODI of the series will be played at the same venue on December 26.

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