New Zealand vs West Indies 1st T20I: Neesham?s 48 unbeaten outplayed Pollard?s 75 blitz

New Zealand vs West Indies 1st T20I: Neesham?s 48 unbeaten outplayed Pollard?s 75 blitz. Kiwis wins the opening encounter with five wickets. New Zealand vs West Indies 1st T20I: Neesham?s 48 unbeaten outplayed Pollard?s 75 blitz.

Despite a valiant effort from the Carrebian skipper of 75 not out, Neesham?s 48 unbeaten powered New Zealand to a comfortable win over visitors by 5 wickets. New Zealand greeted the comeback of International Cricket with a commendable win over West Indies in the 1st Twenty20 match of the three-match series.

After a bit of interruption in the game by rain, the game was reduced to 16 overs per side. New Zealand won the toss and decided to bowl first, keeping rain and run rate in mind.

West Indies inning:

The West Indies openers Andre Fletcher and Brandon King gave a solid start, both the openers plundered 55 runs in just opening three overs. While Kiwis staged a remarkable comeback after a poor beginning to the game.

Lokie Ferguson and Tim Southee started to damage the Carrebian batting. The visitors were reduced from 58 for no loss to 59-5 in quick succession. 

However, the skipper was determined enough to control the game from one end. Pollard smacked the bowlers all over the ground and added 75 runs in 37 deliveries. The fast innings of pollard include 8 towering sixes and 4 boundaries.

After 16 overs West Indies managed to put a massive total of 180-7. Pollard, Fletcher and Fabian Allen added 75, 34 and 30 respectively to the total.

Lokie Ferguson picked 5 scalps while skipper Southee got two to his bag.

New Zealand:

In response to a mammoth total, New Zealand had a tiring start with openers going back inside 4 overs.

The debutant Devon Conway took the charge along with Gleen Phillips who smashed 22 runs in 7 balls with a strike rate of 314. 

James Neesham and Devon Conway stitched a good partnership of 80 runs to power the Kiwis close to that total. 

However, Devon Conway departed after a memorable inning of 41 runs in 12th overs. Mitchell Santner forged important runs with Neesham guiding them to a five-wicket victory with four balls to spare.

Lokie Ferguson(4 overs- 21 runs- 5 wickets) got the Man of the Match for his five-wicket haul.

?It was a topsy-turvy game, a bit of indisciplined shown by us by the bowling side of things. We got off to a very good start, 50-odd in three overs but losing 5 wickets after that set us back,? Kieron Pollard, West Indies Skipper.

New Zealand vs West Indies 1st T20I Playing 11:

New Zealand:?

Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Ross Taylor, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee (c), Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson, Hamish Bennett.

West Indies:

Brandon King, Andre Fletcher, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard (c), Fabian Allen, Keemo Paul, Sheldon Cottrell, Kesrick Williams, Oshane Thomas.

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