When New Zealand met the West Indies in the fourth and final quarter-final match, many hoped it wouldn’t turn into a one sided-affair. However, thanks to a record breaking innings by opener Martin Guptill (who scored roughly 60% of his team’s final total), that is exactly what it became: a game of breaking records, something that has become synonymous with the Blackcaps.
New Zealand came into their quarter-final match-up on the back of six successive round-robin wins and as legitimate contenders for the ultimate title. There was no denying, however, that the West Indies posed a definite threat to any team if their big hitters had their way, meaning the game could easily go either way.
When New Zealand won the toss, it was clear what the thought process was: go out to bat, set a total and back it up with impressive swing bowling, something that seems to have become redefined by the New Zealanders bowlers thanks to Shane Bond, as well as use the ever-present “scoreboard pressure”.
Despite losing both Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson relatively early, with 27 and then 89 runs on the board respectively, New Zealand proved once again they are not a one-trick pony with opener Martin Guptill playing the innings of his life, making a record breaking 237* and appropriately facing both the first and last ball of the New Zealand innings. Scary to think he was dropped on the second ball he faced when he was on four by Marlon Samuels. If that catch had stuck, who knows what the outcome might have been.
A 110m six flying onto the roof of the Westpac Stadium made him only the second player to achieve such a feat, behind his batting coach Craig McMillan. It was an impressive shot but not the highlight of his day. His 237 not out means he now holds the World Record for the highest score in World Cup history, a record previously held by Chris Gayle himself who made 215 earlier in the tournament. If anyone managed to catch the words exchanged between these two in between overs during the Kiwi’s innings, it consisted of Gayle welcoming Guptill to the 200 club.
Guptill was supported relatively well by his team considering Ross Taylor managed a respectable 42 before being run out and birthday boy Grant Elliott having a delightful cameo of 27 off 20. New Zealand put up a daunting total of 393 for the Caribbean men to chase for their place in the semi-finals.
When Chris Gayle walks out to the crease, there is never any way of predicting what he may or may not do. Although he was suffering from a recurring back injury which has plagued most of his later career, meaning the running between the wickets would be both painful and rare, his incredible ability to find the boundary more than made up for it. Scoring a blistering 61 off just 33 balls, he set the tone for the remaining batsmen who looked to mimic his playing style by scoring at a furious rate.
Being T20 specialists, the West Indians were never going to shy away from getting this total. Coming out, guns blazing was the tone of the innings and it kept the fans from both sides thoroughly entertained. What was not fun to look at was the wicket column. Trent Boult picked up four early wickets, proving his swing bowling can deliver whatever the day and whatever the occasion. Tim Southee and Dan Vettori picked up two each while Corey Anderson and Adam Milne both got one under their belt.
Milne was able to pick up danger man Gayle, who had taken a liking to both Southee and Vettori but would not appreciate the pace Milne could produce, no doubt boosting his own confidence as well as showing his captain he can pick up the slack when needed. Another man who showed that age is simply a number and that he should not be ruled out as someone to rely on was Dan Vettori. Pulling off a ripper of a catch on the boundary that needs to be seen to be believed, he left Marlon Samuels standing at his crease in utter disbelief as his team swarmed him from all sides.
The West Indies captain, Jason Holder, impressed me with his innings of 42 off 33. He came in at a difficult time for his team and clearly needed to step up as captain and attempt to salvage something from this innings. The youngster is slowly becoming a talented and impressive all-rounder who with age and experience has the potential to become one of the greats, an exciting prospect for the West Indies who clearly need the boost to restart their overhaul and return to winning ways.
Due to beating the West Indies by 143 runs, New Zealand will now face the fierce competitors that are South African in Auckland. While South Africa have never reached a semi-final before, New Zealand have never made it past one. What this semi-final match up means is that for the first time, one of these two teams will be in a World Cup final and I am hoping it is New Zealand.
