Rain ends a beautifully balanced game by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Event:

West Indies in New Zealand 2008/09

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DateLine: 10th January 2009

 

The rain-factor once again came to play in the series and it was the second time that a game was forced to be called off due to heavy rain. West Indies were supposed to chase a huge score of 276 in their stipulated 50 overs which was reduced during the first rain interruption. Just when it seemed that the game would continue without much interference rain lashed out again and this time it brought curtains to the game.

 

An unbeaten century from debutant Martin Guptill had helped New Zealand set a formidable target in the fourth ODI against West Indies in Auckland. The visitors had to chase 276, set up largely due to Guptill's 122, which is the highest score by a New Zealand batsman on debut, beating Stephen Fleming's 90. Guptill faced 135 deliveries and hit eight fours and two sixes. In the process he became the fifth batsman to begin his ODI career with a century and his unbeaten 122 was the second highest score for a debutant in ODIs. He also joined another list of batsman who have carried their bat through the innings.

 

The opening stand of 68 between Brendon McCullum and Guptill and the run-rate of close to five an over was reduced to less than four at the 25-over mark. That was largely thanks to the bowling of Lionel Baker who finished with the figures of 2 for 29 from 10 overs. He was helped by Brendon Nash whose first five overs cost only 13 but he came in for some punishment later in the innings, finishing with no wicket for 43 after 10 overs. The rest of the bowlers were expensive, although Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards were unlucky not to make a breakthrough early on. Both swung the ball and Edwards got his pace up to 150 kmph.

 

After the halfway point in the innings, Guptill and Ross Taylor began to dominate the bowling. They put on 144 for the third wicket. Taylor punished anything over-pitched on his way to 74, made off 87 balls. Guptill was then joined by Daniel Flynn with the score on 218 and he did not last long being dismissed for a three ball duck. He was replaced by Neil Broom, another debutant who began to attack from ball one. He made an impressive unbeaten 24 off 17 deliveries which included two sixes.

 

Facing a huge target of 276 to win and a bowling attack that can use the swinging conditions better, Gayle after playing out the initial overs went into overdrive. Chattergoon played the second fiddle where as Gayle just went berserk. The opening pair put together a partnership of 64 runs in around 11 overs before the second interruption came. The game was brought to stop in the ninth over and then the overs and the target were reduced. But then the rains refused to go away and came again in the twelfth over and this time it brought curtains on a game that was becoming very interesting.