New Zealand wrap up ODI series victory over Windies with emphatic victory
Saturday 23 December 2017 09:46, UK
New Zealand sealed a one-day international series win against the Windies in emphatic fashion - with Trent Boult taking seven wickets as Jason Holder's side were skittled for 121.
The Black Caps lost the toss and were put into bat in Christchurch, but openers Colin Munro and George Worker put on early runs, racing to 50 within seven overs.
Munro would fall early for 30 off 25 balls, top-edging a pull shot into the hands of Jason Mohammed, but opening partner Worker brought up his half-century in style, hitting a six from Ronsford Beaton.
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Worker was caught two overs later after playing a loose shot from Beaton straight into the hands of Rovman Powell for 58.
He was one of three New Zealand players to reach 50, with Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls (83no) also making the milestone.
The Black Caps were looking slightly shaky when Taylor was caught on 57, leaving New Zealand on 186-5, but Todd Astle and Nicholls steadied the ship, with the latter hitting two sixes and another two boundaries in the 48th and the final 15 overs adding 129 to the score as they finished on 325-6.
The Windies attack was blown away as they chased a sizeable target - Boult grabbing the wicket of opener Kyle Hope for just four in the second over and taking his partner Evin Lewis for 10 in the fourth.
Boult's third came as Shimron Hetmyer was caught at slip for two leaving the Windies on 2-3 and already struggling, and a fourth victim fell to the 28-year-old in the 10th over with Hope going for 23.
Lockie Ferguson was hoping to share some of Boult's limelight, taking the wickets of Mohammed and Powell in consecutive balls in the 15th over as the visitors still needed more than 250 runs with four wickets in hand.
Boult got his sixth - and 100th ODI wicket - when Ashley Nurse (27) attempted a pull shot which was caught at deep mid-wicket and the Windies were consigned to a 204-run defeat when Shannon Gabriel could only watch on when Boult broke his off stump.
Watch the third and final ODI bewteen New Zealand and Windies, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 9.55pm on Monday.
