A Chris Gayle blast in a special "eliminator over" broke the deadlock between the West Indies and New Zealand to give the tourists the honours in the opening Twenty20 cricket match here Friday. After two drawn Tests earlier in the month, the series moved to the limited overs segment with the first Twenty20 clash ending in a 155-all tie, resulting in the first use in a Twenty20 international of a one-over play-off.
Gayle, who had the Midas touch throughout the match, taking two for 16 and top-scoring with 67, belted 25 including three sixes and a four in the eliminator over off New Zealand's star bowler Daniel Vettori.
New Zealand in reply had lost their two wickets for 15 by the fourth ball bowled by Suleiman Benn. "It was a good one-over game," man-of-the-match Gayle joked about the novel end. "It was good, it was my first time experiencing it. "Both teams enjoyed it I'm sure but it was good to come out on top." Vettori said losing in a bowl-off was demoralising.
"I think in the end we should have won the game," he said. In the first four balls Shawn Findlay was caught behind and Fidel Edwards was run out. The second and final Twenty20 game in Hamilton on Sunday will be followed by five one-day internationals.
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Scoreboard New Zealand
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J. Ryder b Edwards 12
B. McCullum c Benn b Baker 14
R. Taylor b J. Taylor 63
S. Styris c & b Pollard 21
J. Oram c Marshall b Benn 13
J. Franklin c & b Gayle 2
D. Flynn c Edwards b Gayle 10
K. Mills not out 10
D. Vettori not out 2
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Extras: (lb 1, w 6, nb 1) 8
Total: (7 wickets) 155
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Fall of wickets: 1-21 (McCullum), 2-37 (Ryder), 3-70 (Styris), 4-104 (Oram), 5-112 (Franklin) 6-142 (Taylor), 7-149 (Flynn).
Bowling: Baker 4-0-32-1 (1nb, 1w), Taylor 4-0-33-1, (4w), Edwards 3-0-28-1, Benn 4-0-20-1, Pollard 2-0-25-1, Gayle 3-0-16-2.
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West Indies
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C. Gayle c Taylor b Patel 67
S. Chanderpaul c & b Mills 6
X. Marshall b Vettori 28
R. Sarwan c Flynn b Vettori 4
S. Findlay C McCullum b Southee 19
K. Pollard c Patel b Vettori 7
C. Baugh c McCullum b Patel 2
J. Taylor not out 11
F. Edwards run out (McCullum) 1
S. Benn not out 5
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Extras: (lb 4, w 1) 5
Total: (8 wickets) 155
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Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Chanderpaul), 2-82 (Marshall), 3-109 (Sarwan), 4-114 (Gayle), 5-124 (Pollard), 6-130 (Baugh), 7-149 (Findlay), 8-150 (Edwards)
Bowling: Mills 4-0-27-1, Southee 4-0-39-1, Oram 4-0-35-0, Patel 4-0-34-2, Vettori 4-0-16-3 (1w)
Eliminator over: West Indies 25, New Zealand 15
Toss: New Zealand
Match: West Indies
Umpires: Brent Bowden (NZL), Tony Hill (NZL)
Television umpire: Evan Watkin (NZL)
Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND).
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