The Black Caps continued their recent dominance over the men in maroon with a straightforward win in the first T20I – and can seal a series victory in Mount Maunganui before targeting another whitewash at the same venue 48 hours later.
The West Indians are nearing the end of a torrid tour, which has been littered with Test and ODI series defeats, and would dearly appreciate a promising start to the new year.
New Zealand v West Indies
Monday, 1 January
Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
08:00
To Win Match
New Zealand 9/20 | Tie 35/1 | West Indies 7/4
New Zealand
Plenty of experimentation served the Kiwis well in Nelson, where Tim Southee captained the side and newer faces in Glenn Phillips and Seth Rance came to the party with bat and ball, respectively.
Phillips will get another chance to push for an ODI call-up in the absence of Tom Latham, while Rance would again like to hold his own in a country flush with talented seamers.
Kane Williamson will return to captain the team, while Ross Taylor has been rested for the remainder of the series. If Martin Guptill doesn’t come off at the top of the knock, a relatively inexperienced middle order could come under considerable pressure.
The decision to rest Trent Boult will continue to test a bowling attack pretty reliant on him over a prolonged period, while Southee can happily relinquish the leadership to concentrate on his primary role with the ball.
New Zealand have never lost a T20I at Monday’s venue, where they’ve batted first on each and every occasion. In terms of ongoing experimentation and preparation for various scenarios, Williamson would do well to bowl if triumphant at the toss.
West Indies
Minus the services of Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo, the Windies evidently aren’t half the team they should be – and are struggling to justify their status as two-time World Twenty20 champions.
An under-firing Chris Gayle, who promised so much more on the back of a prolific Bangladesh Premier League campaign, and the exit of Ronsford Beaton due to a suspect bowling action, certainly hasn’t helped.
Despite the glaring deficiencies, the tourists have to find a way to turn things around in New Zealand – and hopefully start the new year off a hang of a lot stronger than they finished 2017.
Aside from the potential inclusion of 36-year-old seamer Rayad Emrit, the visitors don’t really have other resources to turn to – and must trust the current XI to get the job done.
As always, an improved performance in the field will be in high demand, while a couple of batsmen need to bat for 50 deliveries or more each for the rest to bat around. This, surely, will ensure a solid total.
Verdict: West Indies 7/4
While they’ve done so in the Caribbean and the USA, the Windies have yet to beat New Zealand in a T20I in New Zealand, but are tipped to break this poor streak on Monday.
