New Zealand Cricket

New Zealand completed an emphatic 4-0 one-day international series win with an 87-run victory in the fifth and final ODI in Wellington.

After winning the toss and electing to field, India could do little to prevent the hosts making 303-5 in their 50 overs at the Basin Reserve.

	Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Guptill	c Shami	b Aaron	16	54	35
Ryder	c Rahane	b B Kumar	17	32	26
Williamson	c Rahane	b Aaron	88	117	91
Taylor	c Dhawan	b Shami	102	148	106
B McCullum	c Ro Sharma	b Kohli	23	26	18
Neesham	not out		34	31	19
Ronchi	not out		11	8	5
Extras		0nb 5w 1b 6lb	12
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Shami		10	3	61	1
B Kumar		8	0	48	1
Aaron		10	0	60	2
Ashwin		6	0	37	0
Jadeja		9	0	54	0
Kohli		7	0	36	1

In reply, the tourists were dismissed for 216 in 49.4 overs.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Ro Sharma	c Taylor	b Mills	4	19	13
Dhawan	c N McCullum	b Henry	9	43	28
Kohli	c Sub	b N McCullum	82	127	78
Rahane	lbw	b Henry	2	14	10
Rayudu	c Williamson	b Henry	20	42	40
Dhoni	c Neesham	b Williamson	47	78	72
Ashwin		b Williamson	7	14	11
Jadeja	c Guptill	b Mills	5	6	6
B Kumar	c Ronchi	b Henry	20	29	25
Shami	not out		14	24	15
Aaron		b Neesham	0	3	1
Extras		1nb 4w 0b 1lb	6
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Mills		10	1	35	2
McClenaghan		10	0	45	0
Henry		10	1	38	4
Neesham		5.4	0	45	1
N McCullum		10	1	33	1
Williamson		4	0	19	2

Once again Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor were the stars with the bat for the Black Caps.

Williamson made 88, his fifth consecutive half-century, while Taylor scored his second century in a row as he made 102 from 106 balls.

New Zealand lost openers Jesse Ryder and Martin Guptill inside the opening 13 overs as they fell to 41-2 before Williamson and Taylor put on 152 for the third wicket.

Williamson, who had already made 71, 77, 65 and 60 in the series, eventually went in the 38th over after stroking eight boundaries and a six in his 91-ball innings.

He was caught at point to become Varun Aaron's second victim before Brendon McCullum fell for 23.

However, Taylor followed on from scores of 55, 57, 17 and 112 not out, with a 10th limited overs international century. He reached the milestone off 105 balls before being caught at deep-wicket off Mohammed Shami with 12 balls of the innings remaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_vTUYlUopg

James Neesham thrashed an unbeaten 34 to take the Black Caps past 300 and India were in immediate trouble in their reply as debutant seamer Matt Henry picked up two wickets to leave India floundering at 30-3 in the 14th over.

Ambati Rayudu became Henry's third victim after making 20 and the tourists were in deep trouble when key man Virat Kohli holed out at long-on off Nathan McCullum in the 37th over after making 82 from 78 balls.

MS Dhoni has shown consistency in scoring 40, 56, 50 and 79 not out in the series and went past 8,000 ODI runs.

However, wickets fell at the other end as India continued to slip further behind the required run rate and when Dhoni went for 47 in the 45th over, the game was over as a contest.

India relinquished top spot in the limited overs rankings to Australia after defeats in Napier and two in Hamilton. The third match of the series finished tied.

The Test series starts on Thursday in Auckland.

India have just pride to play for heading into the fifth and final one-day international after being thoroughly outclassed by hosts New Zealand in the first four games of the series.

What: New Zealand vs. India, fifth ODI

Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington

When: Friday, 31 January

Start time: 1am GMT / 2pm local

Live on: Sky Sports NZ / Sky Sports 1 / Sony Six

Weather: According to Accuweather, it should be fine in Wellington, if a little chilly in the evening. Temperatures will range from 14c to 19C.

Overview

It may be a year away, but New Zealand have used this series against India to put down a serious marker for their 2015 World Cup ambitions.

The Kiwis look a serious proposition on home turf and have now beaten England, South Africa and India in one-day series in the past year.

A combination of explosive batting combined with solid, if unspectacular, bowling has given the the Black Caps a 3-0 lead against MS Dhoni's men, and they'll be hopeful that the same recipe will cook up another win in Wellington.

Top-order runs have been the key ingredient for New Zealand with the third wicket not falling until the total had passed 150 in all four ODIs. The runs have been spread around too with Jessie Ryder the only top-order batsman yet to pass fifty in the series.

Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill, Corey Anderson and Brendon McCullum have all shown just how dangerous they can be, especially against an attack lacking genuine pace or big spin. Despite Anderson's absence the New Zealander's had plenty in hand en route to their latest seven-wicket triumph in Hamilton.

It will be a case of more of the same for the men in black. 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the Indian selectors have much more to think about. Despite flashes of excellence from a potentially exciting batting line-up, worries remain at the top of the order. Shikhar Dhawan's struggles resulted in him being rested for the last match. Only once during this series has the opening pair conjoured up a fifty partnership.

Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja both looked in fine touch in the latter stages of the Indian innings in Hamilton, and runs really shouldn't be a problem for the Indians, provided they can get a half decent start.

Of far more concern for the tourists is an anaemic bowling attack. The age-old problem of a lack of real pace has been evident again with the Kiwis feasting on a diet of largely unthreatening military-medium bowling.

With 10 wickets in the series, Mohammed Shami has been India's most dangerous bowler, but he's not been cheap, with his overs going at 7.5 runs per over. Fellow seamers Varun Aaron and Ishant Sharma have been even more expensive, providing Dhoni with a major headache at the start of the innings.

The spin pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have provided a modicum of control but haven't looked particularly threatening.

It looks like the onus will be on India's batsmen if the visitors are to rescue anything from what has been a highly disappointing tour to date.

Key Players

New Zealand

The big hitting quartet of Guptill, McCullum, Anderson and Taylor have hogged the headlines, but Kane Williams' more understated role shouldn't be overlooked.

The 23-year-old has passed fifty in all four matches this series, providing a solid platform for his more explosive teammates.

If he does it again, New Zealand's dangerous strikers could again post a big score.

India

The Indians need some runs at the top of the order, but whether they persevere with the Kohli experiment remains to be seen. Wherever he bats, they'll be hoping that the 25-year-old can recapture the form that saw him score 201 runs in the first two matches of the series.

If not, it will be left to Dhoni and a procession of all-rounders to build the innings.

Squads

New Zealand

BB McCullum*, CJ Anderson, HK Bennett, MJ Guptill, MJ McClenaghan, NL McCullum, KD Mills, JDS Neesham, L Ronchi†, JD Ryder, TG Southee, LRPL Taylor, KS Williamson

India

MS Dhoni*†, VR Aaron, R Ashwin, STR Binny, S Dhawan, RA Jadeja, V Kohli, B Kumar, A Mishra, Mohammed Shami, IC Pandey, AM Rahane, SK Raina, AT Rayudu, I Sharma, RG Sharma

Stats and squads from ESPNCricinfo.com.

New Zealand still hold the edge with a 2-0 lead over India in their one-day international series. The second ODI ended in a tie, and the two teams will slog it out in Hamilton on Tuesday in a must-win clash for India.

What: New Zealand vs. India, fourth ODI

Venue:  Seddon Park, Hamilton

When: Tuesday , Jan. 28

Start time: 1 a.m. GMT/2 p.m. local time

Live on: Sky Sport NZ, Sky Sports 3 UK

Weather: As it stands, AccuWeather has given Hamilton the all-clear for Tuesday. It will be relatively mild with temperatures of around 23 degrees Celsius but no rain to ruin the party.

Overview

As far as one-day series go, this one has been one of the most exciting in recent memory. The series has been well contested with New Zealand pushing India to the edge at every opportunity. India fought back and very nearly managed to come out on top in the last game, but once again, their stuttering top order let them down.

It was the usual suspects of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni who helped India out of trouble in the third ODI, but this time, they had a third musketeer join them in their quest. Ravi Jadeja proved with his lower order prowess that he is a handy all-rounder to have on the team.

Meanwhile, New Zealand continue to impress as a unit, and Corey Anderson and other relatively new faces turn up and play their part almost every single time. The balance of the side is good, and the morale appears to be booming. If the Black Caps can harness some of that adrenaline and translate it into big match temperament, they should wrap up the series in Hamilton. They also need to find some calmness and serenity; their bursts toward the latter part of the innings have often resulted in punnets of wickets falling instead of turning strong platforms into insurmountable ones.

The sides have already played in Hamilton, and the pitch is likely to be quite sluggish. Batting first will be the best approach, and with no rain to worry about, teams can relax and focus on simply getting ahead in the game.

India's added motivation is that if they manage to square the series, they will regain their No. 1 ranking in ODIs. Rankings in the shortest format of the game might not matter all that much, but for the 2011 World Cup winners, it certainly carries some weight.

Key players

New Zealand

Brendon McCullum's captaincy has been solid in this series, but his batting efforts have been poor. He's scored two ducks in a row now and will not want a dip in form to become a trough. If his top order batsmen can all chip in, he'll have the freedom to play without needing to panic-score.

India

Ravi Jadeja plays best when his confidence is up, and it has slowly grown since the first ODI. His effort of an unbeaten 66 with the bat and two for 47 with the ball in the third ODI will almost certainly motivate him to do more of the same.

Squads

New Zealand

Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (c), Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi (w), Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Mitchell McClenaghan, James Neesham, Hamish Bennett

India

Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (w/c), Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Stuart Binny, Ishwar Pandey, Varun Aaron, Ambati Rayudu, Amit Mishra

Squads and statistics via CricInfo.

New Zealand took a 2-0 lead in the five-match one-day international series with India after a 15-run victory in Hamilton.

The home side posted 271-7 in 42 overs after their innings was interrupted by rain.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Guptill	c Shami	b Raina	44	85	65
Ryder	c Dhoni	b Shami	20	21	11
Williamson	st Dhoni	b Jadeja	77	107	87
Taylor	c Dhoni	b Shami	57	76	56
Anderson	c Dhawan	b I Sharma	44	24	17
B McCullum	c and b Shami		0	2	1
Ronchi	not out		18	13	10
N McCullum		b B Kumar	1	2	3
Mills	not out		2	6	2
Extras		0nb 7w 0b 1lb	8
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
B Kumar		7	1	43	1
Shami		7	0	55	3
I Sharma		6	0	46	1
Jadeja		8	0	46	1
Kohli		2	0	12	0
Ashwin		8	0	50	0
Raina		4	0	18	1

That left the tourists needing a Duckworth-Lewis adjusted total of 297 for victory but they were restricted to 277-9 when the rain returned three balls before the end of their reply.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Dhawan		b Southee	12	31	22
Ro Sharma	c Ronchi	b Southee	20	41	34
Kohli	c Sub	b Southee	78	87	65
Rahane	c Ronchi	b McClenaghan	36	51	42
Dhoni	c Williamson	b Anderson	56	80	44
Raina	c Southee	b Mills	35	34	22
Jadeja		b Anderson	12	19	8
Ashwin	c Guptill	b Southee	5	7	4
B Kumar	c N McCullum	b Anderson	11	8	6
Shami	not out		1	5	1
I Sharma	not out		1		1
Extras		0nb 7w 0b 3lb	10
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Mills		9	1	50	1
McClenaghan		8	1	45	1
Southee		9	0	72	4
N McCullum		8	0	40	0
Anderson		7.3	0	67	3

MS Dhoni won the toss and India opted to bowl first as they did in Sunday's 24-run loss in Napier.

The Kiwis lost Jesse Ryder early, after he blasted four boundaries in an 11-ball 20, but Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson put on 89 for the second wicket.

Guptill departed for 44 in the 21st over but the Black Caps were 114-2 at that point and scoring at in excess of five runs per over.

Two hours were lost to rain and Williamson was stumped off Ravindra Jadeja shortly after the resumption for 77.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiBov7KVVhA

However Ross Taylor scored at better than a run-a-ball in making 57 and watched Corey Anderson blast five sixes in a whirlwind 44 off 17 balls to take NZ to a formidable total.

The visitors needed to score in excess of seven runs per over but Tim Southee removed openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma inside the opening 10 overs to leave India 37-2.

Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane put on 90 for the third wicket before the latter was caught behind off Mitchell McClenaghan for 36.

Kohli, who made 123 in the first ODI, underlined his status as the second ranked one-day international batsman in the world before he became Southee's third victim after making 78.

India required 131 runs off the final 12 overs and although Suresh Raina hit six boundaries in making 35 off 22 balls and Dhoni brought up his 52nd ODI fifty, the task was too tough.

Anderson removed Dhoni for 56 and Jadeja, who hit his first ball for six, in the 40th over and Southee picked up his fourth scalp, dismissing Ravichandran Ashwin in the penultimate over.

India needed 22 off Anderson's final over but Bhuvneshwar Kumar was caught at deep point off the first ball before rain fell two balls later to end the game.

New Zealand secured a narrow 24-run victory over India in the first one-day international between the two sides in Napier. Kane Williamson hit 71 to top score for New Zealand before Mitchell McClenaghan took four wickets to put the Kiwis 1-0 up in the series.

Batsman	Dismissal	Runs	Balls	4's	6's
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Batsman	Dismissal	Runs	Balls	4's	6's
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
New Zealand Innings: 292-7 (50 Overs
MJ Guptill	c Ashwin b Mohammed Shami	8	23	1	0
JD Ryder	b Mohammed Shami	18	16	3	1
KS Williamson	c Rahane b Jadeja	71	88	7	0
LRPL Taylor	c †Dhoni b Mohammed Shami	55	82	1	0
BB McCullum*	c †Dhoni b Kumar	30	25	4	0
CJ Anderson	not out	68	40	3	4
L Ronchi†	c Kumar b I Sharma	30	18	2	2
NL McCullum	c & b Mohammed Shami	2	5	0	0
TG Southee	not out	3	3	0	0
Extras	(lb 1, w 6)	7
Total	(7 wickets; 50 overs; 212 mins)	292
B Kumar	10	0	38	1
Mohammed Shami	9	0	55	4
I Sharma	9	0	72	1
RA Jadeja	9	0	61	1
R Ashwin	10	0	52	0
V Kohli	3	0	13	0
India Innings: 228 (48.4 Overs)
RG Sharma	c Southee b McClenaghan	3	23	0	0
S Dhawan	c Taylor b Anderson	32	46	3	0
V Kohli	c Ryder b McClenaghan	123	111	11	2
AM Rahane	c NL McCullum b Anderson	7	13	0	0
SK Raina	c Southee b Milne	18	22	2	0
MS Dhoni*†	c †Ronchi b McClenaghan	40	46	2	2
RA Jadeja	c †Ronchi b McClenaghan	0	3	0	0
R Ashwin	c Southee b Williamson	12	10	0	1
B Kumar	run out (†Ronchi/Williamson)	6	4	1	0
I Sharma	b Southee	5	10	0	0
Mohammed Shami	not out	7	4	1	0
Extras	(lb 3, w 12)	15
Total	(all out; 48.4 overs; 224 mins)	268
TG Southee	9.4	2	43	1
MJ McClenaghan	10	0	68	4
AF Milne	7.3	0	40	1
CJ Anderson	10	0	51	2
NL McCullum	10	0	54	0
KS Williamson	1.3	0	9	1

The hosts batted first and Jesse Ryder looked to set the tone early; smashing a six in the first over from the bowling Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But the tourists always seemed to take key wickets at crucial moments in the game and in doing so, they sucked any real momentum out of the New Zealand innings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70j009WHq_w

Mohammed Shami splayed Ryder’s stumps not long after that enormous hit, and he was back in the hutch for just 18. His fellow opener Martin Guptill looked to play in a much more conservative fashion, but he went for eight off the same bowler.

At 32-2 and with both openers gone, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor did an excellent job rebuilding the innings. They knuckled down in the infancy of their partnership before looking to accelerate from around about the 16th over.

Williamson played well for his 71 from 88 deliveries, but he would have been frustrated by the manner in which he got out after lofting to Ajinkya Rahane off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja.

Taylor followed in the 37th over for 55 but by that point with the score at 171/4 the New Zealand big-hitters had an excellent platform to come in and take the game away from the tourists.

Brendon McCullum hit 30 from his 25 deliveries before Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi looked to really accelerate the scoring rate in the final 10 overs. Ronchi bludgeoned 30 from just 18 balls, but the star of the show was undoubtedly Anderson. 

He finished 68 not out from 40 balls after hauling the Indian bowling attack for four sixes and helped his side to a final score of 292-7.

A difficult total to chase down, no doubt. But with India’s batting firepower you always have to give them a chance.

However, the New Zealand bowlers restricted them to very little early on. The frustration eventually told for Indian opener Rohit Sharma, who notched just three from 23 deliveries, as he was caught trying to hook McClenaghan.

The dangerous Shikhar Dhawan followed not long after leaving the tourists in a spot of bother at 73-2. At this point, Virat Kohli took it upon himself to give India a major chance in this contest. He played with class and poise whilst the rest of the Indian innings seemed to fall apart around him.

Rahane and Suresh Raina went for lowly scores before M.S. Dhoni joined Kohli at the crease with the score at 129-4 in the 29th over. Dhoni looked to counter-attack and played a thrilling innings including one enormous six smashed back over the bowler's head.

He departed for 40 off the bowling of McClenagahan, but at 224-5 with the best part of seven overs remaining, India had a decent chance. But Jadeja lasted just three deliveries before he was caught behind off the same bowler before Kohli, who made a remarkable 123, fell in the 45th over with the score on 237-7.

The Indian innings had lost any sort of momentum and New Zealand capitalised. Ravichandran Ashwin threatened to salvage something for the hosts, but they were eventually skittled out for 268; 24 runs short of the New Zealand total.

Luke Ronchi blasted a half-century as New Zealand beat West Indies by four wickets in Hamilton to complete a 2-0 T20 series victory.

Chasing 160 to win, the Kiwis made their target with six balls to spare as Ronchi hit an unbeaten 51 off 28 balls.

The West Indies made 159-5 in their 20 overs with wicket keeper Denesh Ramdin top scoring with an unbeaten 55.

After the loss of Johnson Charles in the fourth over for just seven runs, fellow opener Lendl Simmons gave the innings some impetus with 29 off 19 balls before falling in the sixth over with the score on 37.

Captain Dwayne Bravo (12) and Chadwick Walton (third-ball duck) went in quick succession, but Andre Fletcher and Ramdin put on 70 for the fifth wicket.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiRleX1dEgY

Fletcher made 40 from 36 balls before being run out in the 18th over, while Ramdin struck three fours and three maximums in his maiden T20 International half-century.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Simmons	c Neesham	b McClenaghan	29	25	19
Charles	c Guptill	b Milne	7	16	12
Fletcher	run out (Milne)		40	59	36
Dwayne Bravo		b N McCullum	12	15	12
Walton	c Ronchi	b Milne	0	2	3
Ramdin	not out		55	38	31
Russell	not out		10	8	7
Extras		0nb 4w 0b 2lb	6
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
McClenaghan		4	0	29	1
Milne		4	0	22	2
Neesham		4	0	39	0
Anderson		4	0	50	0
N McCullum		4	0	17	1

Ramdin then caught Martin Guptill off Jason Holder in the opening over of the Black Caps' reply, with the seamer removing fellow opener Jesse Ryder in his next over after a whirlwind 23 off nine balls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gEmJxCHtwk

Sunil Narine had Brendon McCullum trapped lbw for 17, and Andre Russell then accounted for Colin Munro and Corey Anderson to leave the hosts five down in the 11th over.

Ross Taylor was anchoring the innings and was happy to watch former Australian international Ronchi tee off at the other end.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Guptill	c Ramdin	b Holder	1	3	4
Ryder	c Simmons	b Holder	23	14	9
B McCullum	lbw	b Narine	17	21	11
Taylor	c Walton	b Narine	39	66	41
Munro	c Miller	b Russell	5	13	6
Anderson	c Charles	b Russell	6	9	9
Ronchi	not out		51	36	28
Neesham	not out		14	5	6
Extras		0nb 4w 0b 3lb	7
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Holder		3	0	34	2
Best		3	0	37	0
Dwayne Bravo		3	0	31	0
Narine		4	0	18	2
Miller		3	0	24	0
Russell		3	0	16	2

The target had been reduced from 54 off six overs to 15 off three before Taylor was caught at mid-wicket by Walton off Narine after a 41-ball 39.

Ronchi had hit four boundaries and two sixes and was happy to watch James Neesham hit Tino Best for two fours and a six in the penultimate over to clinch the victory on a ground where the hosts have suffered before.

New Zealand won the Test series 2-0 with the one-day international series level at 2-2. 

After sharing the honours in the recent ODI series, New Zealand and the West Indies turn their attention to the shortest form of the game. The two-match T20 series starts in Auckland on Saturday.

What: New Zealand vs. West Indies, 1st T20

Venue: Eden Park, Auckland

When: Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014

Start time: 6 a.m. GMT/7 p.m. local time

Weather: AccuWeather forecasts decent conditions with largely clear skies and temperatures of around 19 C.

Live on: Sky Sport NZ

Overview

A tour of New Zealand that has been plagued by bad weather and injury sparked into life for the West Indies in Hamilton, where a spectacular batting performance helped tie the series at 2-2.

With 106 from just 81 balls in the last ODI, Dwayne Bravo will go into the T20s in excellent touch, as will opener Kieran Powell, whose 73 from just 44 balls paved the way for the visitor's record-breaking 203-run triumph. Kirk Edwards, the other centurion from Seddon Park, isn't in the T20 squad.

Bravo will captain the side in Auckland after regular T20 skipper Darren Sammy was ruled out with a hamstring injury. The all-rounder joins a lengthy casualty list that already includes Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Darren Bravo and Ravi Rampaul. Left-arm spinner Nikita Miller replaces Sammy. Leg-spinner Samuel Badree, all-rounder Andre Russell and wicket-keeper batsman Andre Fletcher have also been added to the West Indies squad.

The Black Caps go into the series without veteran seamer Kyle Mills and batsman Kane Williamson, who have been left out of the 12-man squad. Corey Anderson, fresh from his world-record 36-ball century, will be looking to improve on a T20-best score of just 18.

With eight wickets, Mitchell McClenaghan was the pick of the bowlers in the recent ODI series, and the left-arm seamer is set to lead an inexperienced pace attack at Eden Park.

The two teams have virtually identical T20 records—New Zealand have won 46 percent of their matches, the West Indies 47 percent. In six previous T20 matches between the sides, the scores have ended up level on no fewer than three occasions, including the last two matches played at Eden Park.

It promises to be another close encounter.

Key Players

New Zealand – While Corey Anderson deservedly took the plaudits for his heroics in Queenstown, Jesse Ryder's performance wasn't too shabby either. On any other day, a batsman smashing 104 from just 51 balls would be headline news. Opening the innings gives the burly Wellingtonian a great chance to set the tempo and get the Kiwis on track for a big score.

West Indies – Dwayne Bravo was the West Indies' leading run scorer and joint-leading wicket taker in the recent ODI series, and the captain will once again have to lead from the front if the tourists are to come out on top. A quick-fire start from Kieran Powell, who is likely to make his T20 debut, would help too.

Squads

New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (capt), Corey Anderson, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor

West Indies: Dwayne Bravo (capt), Samuel Badree, Tino Best, Johnson Charles, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Jason Holder, Nikita Miller, Sunil Narine, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Chadwick Walton

New Zealand cruised to victory over West Indies in a rain-affected ODI in Nelson.

The win sees New Zealand take a 2-1 lead in the series with one game remaining, at Hamilton on January 8.

West Indies came into the game without a number of key players, and it showed as their bowlers were put to the sword by the Black Caps.

Batsman	Dismissal	Runs	Balls	Fours	Sixes
Guptill	c Bravo b Holder	81	119	2	2
Ryder	c †Ramdin b Bravo	47	49	7	0
Williamson	c †Ramdin b Best	47	55	3	0
Taylor	Run Out	49	44	5	0
B McCullum	c Bravo b Narine	14	9	1	1
Anderson	Not Out	17	13	1	1
Ronchi	b Bravo	9	8	1	0
N McCullum	Not Out	9	4	0	1
Extras	12
Total	285 for 6	50 Overs

Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Holder	10	2	58	1
Best	9	0	70	1
Bravo	7	0	35	2
Miller	10	0	47	0
Narine	10	0	47	1
Deonarine	4	0	23	0

Jesse Ryder (47), Kane Williamson (47) and Ross Taylor (49) scored on or around a run a ball.

The trio provided able support to Martin Guptill who crafted a composed 81 to propel the home side to what looked a hugely competitive 285 for 6 from their 50 overs.

Batsman	Dismissal	Runs	Balls	Fours	Sixes
Walton	Run Out	0	4	0	0
Charles	c Southee b McClenaghan	0	14	0	0
Edwards	Run Out	24	40	2	0
Simmonds	c Guptill b Williamson	43	48	6	0
Bravo	Not Out	43	55	3	0
Deonarine	c Mills b N McCullum	3	13	0	0
Ramdin	Not Out	17	28	0	0
Extras	4
Total	134 for 5	33.4 Overs

Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Southee	5	1	21	0
McClenaghan	6.4	1	30	1
Mills	2	0	10	0
Anderson	2	0	10	0
N McCullum	10	0	30	1
Williamson	8	0	30	1

Chadwick Walton and Johnson Charles were charged with leading West Indies’ chase. They made a truly shocking start.

Walton is a little-known player, and he did little to increase his profile after being run out for a duck in he first over. Walton was followed back in the shed shortly afterwards by Charles, also without scoring, as West Indies were left reeling.

Cricket: Guptill key in NZ victory: Martin Guptill made a battling 81 as New Zealand beat the West Indies by 5... http://t.co/MbcsVuqssd

— Berita Update (@BeritaUpdate4) January 4, 2014

Kirk Edwards and Lendl Simmons attempted to rebuild and put on 60 for the third wicket, before the former became the second player to be run out in the innings.

Dwayne Bravo came in and played with authority, but they were well behind the rate when a steady drizzle turned decidedly heavy and brought a premature end to the game.

The match was comfortably in New Zealand’s grasp, and they claimed a 58-run win on the Duckworth Lewis method to take a 2-1 lead with one match remaining.

New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum was always confident of victory, once they had posted their score of 285.

Per a report from TV NZ, McCullum said:

I think, today, the wicket was a bit two-paced and it was probably a 250 wicket.

I thought the way we played through Martin's innings and the way guys batted around him allowed us to get 30 runs over par, which we were very confident with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hdVbbRwwnI

Corey Anderson broke the first record of 2014 when he blasted a 36-ball 100 for New Zealand against West Indies in a one-day international in Queenstown.

He went on to compile an unbeaten 131 from 47 balls in just 51 minutes of batting.

It eclipsed the previous best—set by a young Shahid Afridi in 1996 from 37 balls—by just one delivery, and it was part of an astonishing assault from NZ on their opposition.

Corey Anderson highlights in GIF form - 100 in 36 balls, an ODI record http://t.co/jvqKMHiYLw

— B/R Cricket (@br_cricket) January 1, 2014

Anderson, 23, impressed as an all-rounder in 2013 for the Black Caps and appears to be cementing a position in the middle order across all formats.

Corey Anderson 131 off 47 balls: 1 . 4 1 . 1 6 1 . 2 1 4 6 1 4 6 1 6 6 . 6 . 6 1 . . 6 6 6 6 6 1 . 1 4 4 1 1 6 6 4 1 2 4 1 6 1 2 2 1

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 1, 2014

Reduced to just 21 overs a side because of rain, the match had more in common in some respects with a Twenty20 match than a one-day game, but it didn't stop New Zealand from producing two centuries batting first.

Jesse Ryder also scored a century, his 46-ball effort the seventh quickest in history and yet sluggish in comparison.

New Zealand posted 283 for four wickets in their 20 overs and unsurprisingly went on to win the game.

A shell-shocked West Indies, by comparison, were restricted to 124 for five in their innings.