Gayle, Samuels shine at Sabina

Jermaine Lannaman, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels scored hundreds as the West Indies romped to a comfortable 55-run win over New Zealand at Sabina Park in the second game of their five-match Digicel one-day international (ODI) series.

The win gave the West Indies a 2-0 victory in the five-match series.

The prolific Gayle, who was scoring his first century since making a return to the West Indies team last month, slammed nine sixes and eight fours in a 107-ball 125.

Samuels, who shared in a 129-run third- wicket partnership with Gayle, was later named Man of the Match for his unbeaten 101 and two for 46.

New Zealand, who won the toss and sent the West Indies in, had early success when Lendl Simmons, with just 10 runs on the board, tentatively pushed at a delivery outside his off stump and was caught behind off the bowling of Tim Southee for three.

mistimed a full toss

The West Indies took charge soon after, however, as the in-form Dwayne Smith and Gayle put on 88 for the second wicket before Smith, looking to go over the top, offered up a leading edge to Nathan McCallum at long off for a 36-ball 24.

This then brought in Samuels, who along with Gayle pummelled the New Zealand attack to all parts of the ground in their century stand. Gayle was eventually out when he mistimed a full toss from the otherwise outstanding Kyle Mills and was caught at midwicket.

Samuels then took over the show after Gayle's departure and shared in a 26-run fourth-wicket partnership with Kieron Pollard (8) and an unbroken 43-run sixth-wicket stand with captain Darren Sammy (31 not out). Samuels' 100, his third in ODIs and first international century in the Caribbean, came off 102 balls.

Southee finished with three for 55 off his 10 overs to emerge as the Kiwis top bowler.

The New Zealanders fought hard but found the task of scoring more than six runs per over difficult.

Middle order batsman Bradley-John Watling, who made 60 in the first match, was again the pick of the Black Caps batsmen with an unbeaten 72 off 62 balls, while stand-in captain Kane Williamson made 58 off 65 balls.

valuable partnerships

Opener Martin Guptill, who shared in three valuable partnerships which gave his team an outside chance towards the end, also got among the runs with 51 off 81 balls.

Ravi Rampaul, three for 50 off nine, Sunil Narine, two for 45 off 10, and Samuels, who claimed his wickets off 10 overs, led the way for the West Indies.

Sammy praised the outstanding batting of Gayle and Samuels after the match.

"He (Gayle) and Marlon (Samuels) both played brilliant innings, and it is the sort of display that we hope will become commonplace in the team as we go forward in trying to rebuild West Indies cricket," he said.

Williamson, in the meantime, put the defeat down to loss of wickets at crucial stages of the run chase.

"Chasing 300 is always tough and in the end we were in with a chance, but we lost too many wickets at different intervals and this affected our rhythm," said Williamson.

"But what this match shows is that we have players who can step up and make a difference, and heading into the remaining games the hope is that we will be able to put things together."

SCOREBOARD

West Indies

Did not bat: +D Ramdin, S Narine, R Rampaul, A Russell.

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Simmons, 3.5 overs), 2-98 (Smith, 18.1), 3-227 (Gayle, 37.3), 4-253 (Pollard, 41), 5-272 (Bravo, 44)

Bowling: Mills 10-0-55-1 (w1), Southee 10-1-55-3 (w2), McCullum 6-0-35-0, Oram 10-0-68-0 (w3), Nethula 10-1-66-1 (w3), Nicol 2-0-14-0 (w1), Flynn 1-0-9-0, Williamson 1-0-8-0.

New Zealand

Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Nicol, 6 overs), 2-62 (Flynn, 11.5), 3-121 (Guptill, 25.5), 4-125 (Latham, 27.5), 5-195 (Williamson, 36.5), 6-200 (Southee, 38), 7-214 (McCullum, 39.5), 8-242 (Oram, 44.1), 9-253 (Mills, 46.1), 10-260 (Nethula, 47)

Bowling: Russell 9-0-51-1 (nb1), Rampaul 9-0-50-3 (w2, nb1), Bravo 3-0-20-0, Narine 10-0-44-2 (w2, nb1), Sammy 8-0-43-0 (w1), Samuels 8-0-46-2 (w1).

Result: West Indies won by 55 runs.

Series: West Indies lead five-match series 2-0.

Man of the Match: Marlon Samuels.

Toss: New Zealand.

Umpires: Gregory Brathwaite, Richard Illingworth.

TV: Richard Kettleborough.