Windies shine in Florida

Kieron Pollard: needed just 29 balls to make 63 not out, including hitting five sixes

Chris Gayle: hit 85 from 52 deliveries to help the West Indies pile on 209-2

The West Indies thrilled their fans in Florida with a convincing 56-run win over New Zealand in the first of two Twenty20 internationals on American soil.

Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard put on an unbroken 108-run stand in just 43 balls to help the Windies, who had failed to record a victory on their recent tour of England, reach a formidable total of 209-2.

Gayle belted five fours and seven sixes to make an unbeaten 85 from 52 deliveries, while Pollard needed just 29 in a destructive knock of 63 not out.

Dwayne Smith (17) set the tone for the Windies when he hit Nathan McCullum for two sixes in the first over while Johnson Charles (27) was the only other wicket to fall.

Injuries

All-rounder Pollard powered five sixes and the same number of fours, though his delight was then tempered when he suffered a shoulder injury in the field.

The Black Caps also had their problems - captain Ross Taylor retired hurt on 10 and left-arm spinner Ronnie Hura was unable to bat after dislocating a finger trying to take a return catch off Gayle.

In the end the Kiwis mustered 153 in reply, opener Rob Nicol top-scored with 32 while Jacob Oram, despite a knee problem, blasted 27 in a hurry before becoming the eighth and final wicket to fall midway through the 19th over.

Spinner Sunil Narine (3-34) had Tim Southee (23) caught behind and Tom Latham and Dean Brownlie were run out in the next over the match was effectively over as a contest.

The two teams meet again on Sunday in matches that are being staged by Cricket Holdings America - a joint venture between the USA Cricket Association and New Zealand Cricket.

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