Bristol: Talented youngster Shai Hope smashed his way to a blistering 101 while Andre Russell scored a quickfire 54 down the order to set up a 91-run win for World Cup dark horses West Indies in their warm-up game against New Zealand here on Tuesday.
Sent into bat, West Indies posted a massive 421 all out with wicketkeeper-batsman Hope toying with the Kiwi bowlers in his 86-ball innings which had nine fours and four sixes.
Opener Evin Lewis contributed a 54-ball 50 but it was Russell who accelerated the West Indies innings towards the end with a 25-ball 54 to take his side past 400. ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle chipped in with a 22-ball 36 at the top of the order. Chasing 422 for an improbable win, New Zealand suffered a top-order collapse and, despite a hundred from wicketkeeper Tom Blunde (106) and a 64-ball 85 from captain Kane Williamson, they were bundled out for 330 in 47.2 overs. It was West Indies’ only win from their two warm-up matches, the first one against South Africa being washed out due to rain.
New Zealand lost openers Martin Guptill (5), Henry Nicholls (15) and Ross Taylor (2) cheaply as they were reduced to 33 for 3 in the 10th over. Williamson and Blunde kept New Zealand in the hunt with a 120-run partnership for the fourth wicket in 16.1 overs before the Kiwi captain was out in the 26th over when the team score was 153. Blunde continued for a while but he did not stay for long after completing his century as he was out in the 41st over at the team score of 261 for 6. (PTI)
