- New Zealand beat West Indies by 143 runs after Guptill’s 237*
- Guptill becomes only the fifth New Zealander to make two centuries at a World Cup
- New Zealand to play South Africa in semi-final at Auckland on March 24
Holder finds Anderson in the deep and it’s all over folks. The West Indies captain, who had played a fine hand, tried to go out of the ground for six, but found nothing but the chest and arms of Corey.
New Zealand will play South Africa in the semi-final...
30th over: West Indies 250-9 (Holder 42, Benn 9)
Slower bouncer and Holder gives himself room and times the ball through midwicket. A checked bunt almost finds Corey Anderson running in from the leg side boundary, but it falls just in front of him. Benn on strike and nearly edges onto his stumps (four) before he golf swings over mid-on (four).
29th over: West Indies 237-9 (Holder 37, Benn 1)
Holder thumps a pull shot that cannons off the advertising hoardings and more or less back to the pitch. Then he goes over the top for another four to midwicket. Against Adam Milne, no less... Another four over cover this time.
28th over: West Indies 221-9 (Holder 23)
Taylor goes and the last rites are being read...
It looked like a bump ball, but Taylor managed to hit the ball, after its bounce, to Guptill at short midwicket.
27th over: West Indies 221-8 (Holder 23, Taylor 11)
A fairly Vettori over.
26th over: West Indies 217-8 (Holder 21, Taylor 9)
Russell goes first ball of Southee’s new spell before Jerome Taylor comes out and crunches an on drive for four. Glorious shot, which he follows up with a less controlled but equally effective thwack through midwicket. Southee then goes short to holder who rocks back and swivel pulls him into the stand for six!
Top of off stump, as Russell goes to hack. Gone...
25th over: West Indies 201-7 (Russell 20, Holder 14)
Holder skips down and plants Vettori back over his head for six. Fireworks expected of Russell but Vettori keeps him in check.
24th over: West Indies 191-7 (Russell 18, Holder 6)
Holder edges Anderson just wide of second slip for a four. Russell then gets on strike and hits a savage pull for six over midwicket. Anderson bowls wider and Russell just reaches for it and manages to clear the fence on the other side. Absurd.
23rd over: West Indies 173-7 (Russell 6, Holder 1)
Vettori removes Carter, who was looking impressive, before Holder nearly gets Russell run out, after they attempt a run on Vettori’s own misfield.
Great flight and dip from Vettori, who lures Carter forward and gets one under his bat and onto the top of off stump. Carter’s not sure what happened.
22nd over: West Indies 172-6 (Carter 32, Russell 5)
Sammy goes and in comes Russell, who gets of the mark with a short-arm jab to the midwicket fence.
Sammy charges and swipes and skies, high, for Ronchi to take the catch.
21st over: West Indies 165-5 (Carter 31, Sammy 27)
Vettori varying his pace and lines as four singles are taken. Carter finishes the over the wrong way around as he tries and fails to reverse sweeps.
20th over: West Indies 161-5 (Carter 29, Sammy 25)
Boult’s last over. He’s been pretty special. But Sammy cares not for past glories and checks a lovely drive, up over mid off for six. Boult takes a dive under a bouncer.
19th over: West Indies 151-5 (Carter 26, Sammy 18)
Struggling to keep my eyes open. Keep drifting in and out of consciousness thanks to the soothing tones of a well hit six. Carter just hit one and then thumped a four. Darren Sammy also dealing in runs.
18th over: West Indies 134-5 (Carter 15, Sammy 12)
Still a great deal of swing out there for Boult, who’s using it in moderation. Sammy has a play and miss and then keeps out a devilish yorker before scrambling to the other end. Carter somehow keeps out another.
Anyone lost a ball? Found it on our roof. #Guptill#NZvWI@BLACKCAPS#CWC15pic.twitter.com/4IRKDzvbGz
17th over: West Indies 132-5 (Carter 14, Sammy 11)
Milne gets one over on Gayle. He departs for a fine half century, as Sammy starts with two brilliant fours through the covers. He’s still smiling.
Gayle goes for a huge swipe and edges onto his own off stump.
16th over: West Indies 120-4 (Gayle 61, Carter 13)
Great from Boult, who’s into his 8th over on the bounce. Gets Carter forward during the over then cuts him in half with the fifth.
15th over: West Indies 115-4 (Gayle 60, Carter 9)
Gayle taking a liking to Milne as he deposits him into the Grandstand. Carter treats him with a bit more respect, as he plays out the rest of the over in dots.
14th over: West Indies 108-4 (Gayle 53, Carter 9)
Good set by Boult, as he deals a few outswingers and then one that comes back in. Carter reads the situation well; leaving the away swingers and pushing the inswinger down the ground. Finishes with a great yorker that Carter keeps out.
Chris Gayle is the first player to hit 7 sixes in his first 50 runs of an ODI innings.
13th over: West Indies 108-4 (Gayle 53, Carter 9)
Milne into the attack and he’s a bit all over the place. Strays onto Gayle’s pads and one is tickled around the corner for four to bring up his fifty.
12th over: West Indies 101-4 (Gayle 48, Carter 8)
Fine shots from Carter - a lovely cut and then a fine cover drive, both for four. It’s all happening.
11th over: West Indies 92-4 (Gayle 48, Carter 0)
Gayle’s still there and puts one on Southee, pulling him flat into the square leg stand. Then he annihilates him back over his head, high and handsome, into the
Tune into the #CWC15 to see Daniel Vettori do this ... stunning one-handed catch to remove Marlon Samuels pic.twitter.com/1TqxbjEm8k
10th over: West Indies 80-4 (Gayle 36, Carter 0)
“Dad, how did you meet mum?”
Unplayable inswinger from around the wicket.
Shut it down. Vettori’s taken one of the best catches I’ve ever seen. I won’t be able to do it justice here, nor any other canvas - figurative or otherwise. My absolute word. Ridiculous.
9th over: West Indies 80-2 (Gayle 36, Samuels 27)
Gorgeous thump through cover from Samuels greets Southee’s return to the attack. Fuller, at his toes, and Samuels manages to get enough bat on it to bisect midwicket and mid-on for four. Thin edge and that’s another couple. And then six over cover. This is sensational stuff from Samuels. Top edge goes for yet another boundary.
8th over: West Indies 59-2 (Gayle 36, Samuels 6)
Another Gayle six - this time off Boult and straight down the ground. Boult then signs off with a brutal yorker that Gayle just clamps down on. On reflection, it was going down leg.
7th over: West Indies 51-2 (Gayle 30, Samuels 5)
Loose over from Vettori, who drops a couple short before getting carted into the stands for six by Gayle. And again. And again!
6th over: West Indies 30-2 (Gayle 11, Samuels 3)
Simmons charges and hits gloriously over point for six. But he’s done next ball; another full ball that straightened. Samuels is the new man in and is immediately hopping about. Vettori now into the attack...
Right after hitting Boult for six, Simmons has a go at another full ball and it’s edged to Guptill at second slip.
5th over: West Indies 21-1 (Gayle 11, Simmons 6)
Southee pitches it up and Simmons cocks his wrists and thumps him down the ground for four. A single followed by a beastly flat six from Gayle. Another four, this time straight as the Jamaican is onto the length quickly.
4th over: West Indies 6-1 (Gayle 1, Simmons 1)
Simmons doing his best to get in behind these deliveries from Boult, which are arcing in towards him. Off the mark with the last ball as he plays out to point.
3rd over: West Indies 5-1 (Gayle 1, Simmons 0)
Ronchi takes an extraordinary grab as Southee’s full ball shoots out of a footmark. Short to Gayle and he’s prodding down towards third slip. Fourth ball of the over lifts and Gayle, gammy back and all, creaks out of the way. Finishes with a cheeky fend. Southee, for some reason, thinks there’s a nick and McCullum reviews. And fails.
2nd over: West Indies 4-1 (Gayle 1, Simmons 0)
A maiden. Johnson Charles so undone by Boult there that he nearly ended up with his name the right way around.
Tries to give himself room, merely gives Boult a target. Leg stump out of the ground.
1st over: West Indies 4-0 (Gayle 1, Charles 3)
Southee with the newie and Gayle scampers a single off the first ball, nearly running into Johnson Charles and rearranging his name to its proper form. JC is swinging like a mad man. This should be fun.
And we’re back...
I’m off for a lie down. Be back with you for the reply.
West Indies are chasing a target of 394 (gulp).
50th over: New Zealand 393-6 (Guptill 237, Vettori 8)
Christ on a bendybus, Guptill has just put a six on the top of the stand. ONE HUNDRED AND TEN METRES! He then scampers a two before hitting another six down the ground. Opens up and guides a four over point. A yorker is dug out and that’s tour more.
1 - @Martyguptill is the first New Zealand player to carry his bat through a completed ODI innings (10th from any nation). Remarkable.
49th over: New Zealand 373-6 (Guptill 217, Vettori 8)
Two fours to start us off, from the bat of Ronchi - one edged, the other smeared over midwicket. He goes and Vettori comes in smears a four, Chinese cuts another.
Ronchi flicks a Taylor yorker straight to the hands of Benn at square leg.
48th over: New Zealand 357-5 (Guptill 217, Ronchi 1)
Stunning from Guptill, who brings up his double hundred with a straight clout for four, before reaching for one outside off and putting it into the stand over midwicket. The next ball is heaved into the same area, but all along the floor for four. Now inside out over cover for four. Gets a handshake from Gayle at the end of the innings. Glorious batting.
This is ridiculous!!!
A straight four down the ground and Guptill becomes the first New Zealand batsman to score an ODI double hundred. Incredible feat.
47th over: New Zealand 339-5 (Guptill 199, Ronchi 1)
Jerome Taylor back into the attack and it’s a stunning lofted square drive from Elliott for four. He’s off soon enough, but Guptill’s got the strike again and he lofts down the ground for four to take him to 198... A single to 199...
Elliot moves across to work a ball onto the leg side but he misses it and is struck in front. He reviews for the sake of it but it’s just so, so out...
46th over: New Zealand 328-4 (Guptill 193, Elliott 23)
Russell starts with a wide before Guptill times nicely off his hip to go past his previous ODI best. Elliott cashes in now, too - doesn’t look like he gets hold of it but manages to muscle a ball on off stump for six over midwicket. And another, this one straighter. Carnage in the cake tin...
45th over: New Zealand 309-3 (Guptill 188, Elliott 10)
Holder goes around the wicket to Guptill, who simply hits through the line and just beats the man on the deep mid on fielder, who sticks out a token hand. Over extra-cover now but Benn does the fielding. Shambolic fielding from Johnson Charles, who runs in a field a routine pull from Elliott but runs right past the ball and it’s four! Top edge next ball and they managed to scoot three. A repeat of the first ball, only Guptill really gets hold of this one, keeping his head still and action true. Off side - over cover - for another maximum. Incredible stuf.
44th over: New Zealand 282-4 (Guptill 169, Elliott 3)
Anderson goes and Russell has his second wicket of the match. Decent deliveries to finish off, including a yorker that Guptill manages to dig out.
Anderson is undone by a slower ball and swipes across the line. Gayle jumps - seriously, he jumped - and plucks the ball out of the air.
43 over: New Zealand 278-3 (Guptill 168, Anderson 15)
Bit scratchy to start but a fine blast over mid-off sails away for six. Another six - this over midwicket, off a full toss. Shoddy bowling but epic hitting, really.
42nd over: New Zealand 262-3 (Guptill 153, Anderson 14)
Anderson gets involved, thumping Russell over square leg for six. Top-edge, sure, but needless delivery from Dre given the boundary in that direction is about 60m. Classy, next up, as a slower ball is check-drived over mid off’s head, who’s in the ring - four.
41st over: New Zealand 247-3 (Guptill 150, Anderson 3)
Glorious sweep from Gupltill, as his bat flows through, with one knee to the floor, flicking the ball over square leg for FOUR. A single to point brings Guptill his second 150
40th over: New Zealand 240-3 (Guptill 145, Anderson 2)
Short and wide from Holder and Guptill rises into a shot over cover, for a one-bounce for. Anderson searching for the ball a bit, but well bowled from Holder to cramp him for room. He manages to force one through the ring field but it’s cleaned up for the sweeper for just two.
39th over: New Zealand 233-3 (Guptill 140, Anderson 0)
He’s on one, is Guptill. Gives himself space by moving to the legside and smashes Benn over long-on. Taylor’s run out a bit of a surprise but probably not a bad thing as he was struggling and Corey Anderson is in.
Long over due given how bad some of the running has been, but Taylor falls after going half-way and being sent back by Guptill.
38th over: New Zealand 225-2 (Guptill 133, Taylor 41 )
Overdue, but Jerome Taylor is brought back into the attack. A slower ball is picked early by Guptill and deposited over midwicket for four. Superb running creates a two out of nothing. Another six from Guptill in response to another slower ball from Taylor. Beautifully picked up. Next one is checked but still goes for four, down the ground.
37th over: New Zealand 209-2 (Guptill 117, Taylor 41)
Wild swipe across the line by Guptill is good enough for four runs. Benn is the bowler, by the way, and a fine edge is then racing away through third man for yet another four.
36th over: New Zealand 200-2 (Guptill 108, Taylor 41)
Right, Batting Power Play time. Sammy’s staying on and Taylor finds the gap behind point for his second boundary. It brings up the hundred partnership. Guptill then heaved for a 101m six into the leg side. My word.
Credit to Martin Guptill for back-to-back #cwc15 centuries...and credit once again to the #NZ think-tank that persisted with him!
35th over: New Zealand 187-2 (Guptill 100, Taylor 36)
A late dab gets Guptill to 99 before a swipe down the ground takes him to three figures. The helmet’s off, the bat’s waved like a Kiwi bittle ixe. Well batted that man. Taylor then dabs around the corner for four.
34th over: New Zealand 179-2 (Guptill 97, Taylor 31)
Nearly catastrophic as both batsmen at one point during an aborted single find themselves running to the same end. They get over it, exchange the strike and Guptill eeks towards his century.
33rd over: New Zealand 175-2 (Guptill 95, Taylor 29)
Yet another Straight drive from Guptill takes him into the nineties. Smart running from the pair sees them nab a two to the short boundary.
32nd over: New Zealand 166-2 (Guptill 89, Taylor 26)
Scratchy running between these two but they eventually managed to see out the over without sawing one another off.
31st over: New Zealand 163-2 (Guptill 88, Taylor 25)
Guptill loses his rag and tries to launch Samuels down the ground. He doesn’t get enough on it and, thankfully, it drops just short of Jerome Taylor, running in from the boundary. Lucky boy.
30th over: New Zealand 160-2 (Guptill 86, TAylor 24)
Gorgeous shot from Guptill. Sammy’s giving him nothing on the ball, but he plants forward, waits and then works a length ball through mid-on and mid-wicket for the first boundary in 43 deliveries.
29th over: New Zealand 155-2 (Guptill 82, Taylor 24)
Another six from the Samuels over.
28th over: New Zealand 149-2 (Guptill 78, Taylor 22)
Floaty stuff from Sammy and a few singles are taken. Comms speculating about taking the Power Play early, not just to go big early but to stop the Windies sneaking these overs with Sammy and Samuels. Definitely should take it earlier than the 35th. It might ignite something within Taylor.
27th over: New Zealand 146-2 (Guptill 76, Taylor 21)
Singles milked. Samuels is going at six an over without really telling anyone. Holder is going to be livid when he finds out.
26th over: New Zealand 140-2 (Guptill 73, Taylor 18)
Just two from the over as Taylor’s struggles continue. He looks like a cat trying to complete a Rubix cube. I don’t really know what that means or even signifies, but it’s right. So there.
25th over: New Zealand 138-2 (Guptill 72, Taylor 17)
Smart from Taylor, who pulls out the lap sweep for a couple. That’s about it from that one. I mean, it’s Marlon Samuels. What did you expect?
24th over: New Zealand 135-2 (Guptill 71, Taylor 15)
Sammy to Taylor. Slow medium pace to ineffectual flaying. Cricket doesn’t get much better than this. Mercy me, what did we do to deserve this.
23rd over: New Zealand 130-2 (Guptill 69, Taylor 12)
Right arm tripe as Marlon Samuels comes into the attack. This should be where New Zealand take the game away from the West Indies. Just a case about waiting for the bad balls – and there it is, sitting up nicely outside off stump for Guptill to slap to the point boundary.
22nd over: New Zealand 121-1 (Guptill 61, Taylor 11)
Ross Taylor seems to have left his timing in the changing room. Against Sammy’s lack of pace, he won’t be getting too much help, either. Skewed leading edge eventually plugs and runs towards long off. Might be worth just trying to hit himself out of this funk.
21st over: New Zealand 117-2 (Guptill 59, Taylor 9)
Good from Guptill as he gets a juicy ball on leg stump that he can reach around and sweep behind square leg. Benn drifts there again to Taylor and there’s a tickle around the corner for three. Over-correction and four through point.
20th over: New Zealand 105-2 (Guptill 50, Taylor 6)
Guptill brings up his fifty (his 23rd in ODIs) with a smartly timed push through cover point at the end of the over.
19th over: New Zealand 103-2 (Guptill 49, Taylor 5)
Guptill uses his feet against Benn for the first time, but is only able to manufacture a single down the ground. Taylor is a bit edgy but is given the chance to get forward and push into the covers. Benn then finishes with a rank long-hop which Guppy puts away for four and the New Zealand century.
18th over: New Zealand 95-2 (Guptill 43, Taylor 3)
More short stuff from Russell but the final ball is full and wide. Guptill keeps out, before diverting the ball away from the stumps with his bat. The ball is then thrown at the non-striker’s end, where it hits the stumps and the pair sneak a single anyway.
17th over: New Zealand 91-2 (Guptill 41, Taylor 1)
Ross Taylor’s the new man in. All wrists and no feet, Benn ties him down with a couple before Taylor nabs a single into the leg side.
16th over: New Zealand 89-2 (Guptill 40)
Containment seems to be the new tactic. Russell hasn’t bowled a ball in Williamson’s half, but his push has got him over-stepping - that’s a no ball AND a free hit. DOT BALL, as Williamson steps across and tries to whip through midwicket, but Russell gets a yorker in, sharpish. Smart change-up does for Williamson, who doesn’t wait long enough and hits the ball to Gayle at cover, who has two attempts at the catch. Taken.
Soft from Kano as he doesn’t pick Russell’s slower ball and forces the ball into the hands of Gayle at cover.
15th over: New Zealand 86-1 (Guptill 39, Williamson 32)
Guptill misses out on a juicy long-hop, toeing it down the ground for one when it should have gone squarer for much more. There are a couple of appeals and the second, Holder deems, is worth a review. Williamson’s pushing forward and misses the ball but it looks like it’s drifting down. Umpire’s call, in the end.
14th over: New Zealand 82-1 (Guptill 37, Williamson 30)
More short stuff from Williamson and it’s taken on - Simmons does the fielding on the square leg boundary. Guptill’s turn to face that barrage and he’s just about up to it. Good fire from Andre.
13th over: New Zealand 78-1 (Guptill 35, Williamson 28)
Much more control from Benn. Most of the balls in this over have been slower balls. The one loose delivery - the last of the over - is helped around the corner but straight to short fine leg. Maiden.
12th over: New Zealand 78-1 (Guptill 35, Williamson 28)
Pace and questionable direction on now, as Andre Russell comes into the attack. He finds the edge of Williamson’s bat but it would have died on the hypothetical wide first slip. A bouncer is evaded and then another is taken on and hit nicely, square of the wicket, for four. Fifty partnership between these two has come off 47 balls.
11th over: New Zealand 71-1 (Guptill 34, Williamson 22)
Benn tries an arm ball but gets it too full and Guptill can meet it on the full and time it through cover for four. Three dot balls see out the over.
10th over: New Zealand 63-1 (Guptill 29, Williamson 21)
Williamson’s on his tippy toes, punching off the back foot through point, like an absolute dreamboat. God, he’s good to watch. Better running from these two now, exchanging the strike. Curtley’s not happy...
9th over: New Zealand 57-1 (Guptill 28, Williamson 19)
Short and wide first up and it’s punished by Guptill, who flays it through point for four. A few singles into the leg side tick things over.
8th over: New Zealand 49-1 (Guptill 22, Williamson 14)
Not much from there, aside from a firm punch into the ground from Guptill which bounces about short cover and allows the first three of the innings. Benn now into the attack...
7th over: New Zealand 46-1 (Guptill 19 , Williamson 14)
Better from Williamson, but there’s the slightest chance of a return catch for Taylor. Instead, it’s just another four. Then a gorgeous thump through midwicket, all along the carpet, for another boundary. Flashy edge over what would have been second slip means it’s 12 from the over.
6th over: New Zealand 34-1 (Guptill 19, Williamson 2)
Williamson tries to scamper off the mark but is sent back late. Better throw from Simmons and he’s done for. He gets his single a ball later with a timed push to third man, before Guptill gives him back the strike. Some very iffy running and fielding.
5th over: New Zealand 31-1 (Guptill 18, Williamson 0)
After nearly finding mid off with an aerial drive, McCullum goes higher and falls to a good catch from Holder. Fine cut for four from Guptill eases the woes, as Williamson gets set at the non-striker’s end.
Boooo - there goes the fun. But a fine grab from Holder, who runs back from cover to take a high ball, after McCullum fails to connect properly to an inside-out thwack.
4th over: New Zealand 27-0 (Guptill 14, McCullum 12)
Skip to skip, now, as Holder pushes McCullum back first up, who’s clearly looking to free his arms. Second ball McCullum gallops down and fluffs one to mid on, for no run. Holder goes to cramp him for room but McCullum stays put and flicks to square leg for four. Then there’s a pull for six. There he is.
3rd over: New Zealand 16-0 (Guptill 14, McCullum 1)
Brace of punchy punches down the ground the ground for four punches from Martin Punchtill. Taylor then gets an unofficial warning for running on the pitch.
2nd over: New Zealand 8-0 (Guptill 6, McCullum 1)
Holder gets away with a wide one that Guptill can only hit at backward point. A single dropped into the off side sees McCullum finally get the strike. And returns the strike with a streakier single. Ticking...
Sam Court opens up with our first e-mail:
“The main photo on the old OBO has got me thinking about how the West Indies can solve their woes...
1st over: New Zealand 5-0 (Guptill 4, McCullum 0)
Brilliant moment before the West Indies players took the field where the camera pans to Curtley Ambrose giving a rousing reception to his troops before breaking into hysterical laughter and sending them on their way.
The players are making there way onto the pitch with a troop of excessively blonde children. Must be time for the national anthems...
New Zealand have won the toss and decided to bat first.
“The wicket looks really good. It’s a used wicket. Runs on the board will be really valuable in this game,” says Brendon McCullum.
The “Cake Tin” is today’s venue (Wellington).
Of the games we can extrapolate the most from, chasing has been the best bet on this deck. This was the scene of England’s humbling to Southee’s hoopers and then pitiful effort with the ball against Sri Lanka. The other match on this ground saw South Africa thump UAE by 146 runs. It’s, without doubt, a fantastic batting wicket.
The pitch looks like a real belter at the Cake Tin @BLACKCAPS v @westindies from 2pm #BacktheBlackCapspic.twitter.com/OZHJI9G9fS
So here we are...
The final quarter-final. The fourth one - the one that ties it all in. Because, sure, India can play Australia in one semi-final. But who’s playing South Africa in the other one?! Not me. Not you. Definitely not England. Ha, bloody England. Cricket and England. English Cricket. Engricket. Engricketbert HumperAntiquatedODIgameplanDink. What are they like?! But no, not them.
Vithushan is on his way.
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