1st T20I: Mitchell Santner, Jimmy Neesham star as New Zealand beat West Indies to take 1-0 series lead
India Today
A solid inning of 47 by captain Kane Williamson and a dashing 33 from 15 balls by Jimmy Neesham propelled New Zealand to a 13-run win over the West Indies in the first of three T20Is.
Jimmy Neesham, Kane Williamson and Mitchell Santner starred for New Zealand as the tourists registered a 13-run win over West Indies to take a 1-0 lead in the first T20I of the three-match series at Sabina Park on Wednesday.
Neesham struck three fours from the last three balls and 23 runs from the last over of the innings as New Zealand made 185/5. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner took 3/19 as New Zealand restricted the West Indies to 172/7 in 20 overs.
Mitchell Santner's 3/19 helps New Zealand take a 1-0 lead in the T20I series #WIvNZ | Scorecard: https://t.co/df0FW775r9 pic.twitter.com/EkpDcPsFEV
“There was a lot of spins, which was a big surprise,” said Santner, who was voted player of the match. “I think the lengths are key against these guys. They can hit you pretty far, so the back of a length worked today and, as a unit, we were able to pick up wickets, which was pretty key.”
New Zealand’s innings had two parts, separated by a lengthy rain break. Openers Martin Guptill and Devon Conway gave the tourists a strong start, putting on 63 for the first wicket. But the pair fell to consecutive deliveries from Odean Smith, who went on to take career-best T20 figures of 3/32.
Guptill fell to a brilliant one-handed catch by Shimron Hetmeyer, who was backed up against the boundary at a deep point, while Conway’s innings of 43 from 29 ended when he top-edged a catch to wicketkeeper Devon Thomas.
The rain came in the 12th over with New Zealand on 95/2 and Williamson at the crease with Glenn Phillips. Players were off the field for almost two hours and when play resumed New Zealand immediately lost Phillips for 17.
