All Over For New Zealand Thanks To Super Narine

All Over For New Zealand Thanks To Super Narine

Sunil Narine celebrates the wicket of Jacob Oram.

©REUTERS/Philip Brown. Picture Supplied by Action Images

West Indies 139 (Southee 3-21) beat
New Zealand 139-7 (Taylor 62no) on a Super Over
ICC World T20, Group 1 Match, Pallekele
Scorecard
Report by Daniel Grummitt

New Zealand went out of the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 in the cruellest of fashions against the West Indies by losing their second super over in three matches in Pallekele. Following their loss in similar circumstances to Sri Lanka on Thursday evening where they managed just seven, they racked up 17 on this occasion as Ross Taylor struck a couple of boundaries. 

However, Tim Southee bowled a low full-toss first ball at Chris Gayle which went for six and was declared a no-ball, with Marlon Samuels hitting the winning boundary off the fifth ball of the over.

The match itself had been a tense affair despite New Zealand dismissing the West Indies for the first time in Twenty20 Internationals for just 139. The Kiwis progressed well, and when Ross Taylor hit 14 off the 16th over bowled by Darren Sammy, they needed just 27 from the final four overs. 

However, Sunil Narine drew on all his experience from the IPL and delivered his final two overs at a cost of only five runs as well as picking up the wickets of Jacob Oram and Nathan McCullum. Narine had the New Zealand batsmen, Taylor aside, completely bamboozled, with Oram not picking the leg-spinner and being trapped plumb in front, and McCullum holing out to Johnson Charles at deep mid-wicket. Earlier, he had had James Franklin brilliantly caught at slip by Chris Gayle to end his and Taylor's fourth-wicket partnership at 33.

This left New Zealand needing 14 off the final over, which West Indies captain Darren Sammy decided would be bowled by Marlon Samuels. With nine needed off three balls, Taylor hit the fourth for six, but he and Doug Bracewell could scramble only one from each of next two to necessitate the super over.

Taylor had played beautifully throughout the innings, hitting shots all around the wicket, to end on 62 not out off only 40 balls. Unfortunately, he found little support from his colleagues, with only Martin Guptill (21 off 27 balls) and Brendon McCullum (22 off 18) getting going as Narine ended with figures of three for 20 and Ravi Rampaul (one for 23) and Samuel Badree (one for 18) also bowling effectively.

Earlier, the West Indies' policy of playing a multitude of all-rounders at the expense of specialist batsmen was exposed as they squandered a Chris Gayle-inspired start that had seen them reach 60 for two after six overs. Gayle made 30 off only 14 balls, but was the first of Tim Southee's three wickets. 

Southee also accounted for Darren Sammy and Sunil Narine later in the innings, but it was the spin of Nathan McCullum (two for 19) and Ronnie Hira (one for 24 and playing instead of the injured Dan Vettori) that strangled the New Zealand middle-order. Doug Bracewell also played his part, with the early scalps of the Johnson Charles and the newly-promoted Andre Russell, as well as that of the dangerous Kieron Pollard when set on 28, to end with figures of three for 31.

Ultimately, though, New Zealand were found wanting at the business end of the game - in their run chase and during the super-over - and are out of the competition. West Indies must now hope that England lose to Sri Lanka, otherwise they too will also be out before the knockout stages.