KINGSTON: New Zealand middle-order batter Glenn Phillips impressed with a magnificent 76 before the bowlers decimated the West Indian batting line-up to bolster the touring side to seal a comprehensive 90-run victory in the second T20I.
Phillips-led New Zealand posted a mammoth 215 in the allotted as right-handed batter Daryl Mitchell also chipped in with a quickfire 48. The touring bowlers then displayed dominance over the hosts batters and restricted the latter on 125/9 in 20 overs.
Batting first, New Zealand were off to an unwanted start as the side lost two wickets for a mere 36 runs in four overs.
Devon Conway then anchored the inning with an important 69 runs partnership with Phillips and solidify the team’s position in the match before Obed McCoy struck his second to break the stand.
Conway scored 42 off 34 balls, laced with two boundaries and three sixes.
Following his departure, Phillips then joined hands with Mitchell and the pair added 83 runs for the fourth wicket at an astonishingly quick rate before the former fell after a brilliant knock of 76 runs. He faced 41 balls and smashed 10 boundaries including six sixes.
On the other hand, Mitchell fell two runs short of his well-deserved fifty in the 20th over. He scored 48 runs off a mere 20 deliveries, laced with two boundaries and four sixes.
For West Indies, McCoy led the way with three wickets while Odean Smith and Romario Shepherd made one scalp each.
Set to chase a humongous 216, the West Indian batting line failed entirely and could score 125/9 in the allotted 20 overs, thus losing the match by 90 runs.
The hosts had a forgetful start to their run chase as they lost half of their side at a combined score of 28. McCoy led the way with the bat too as he scored a gritty 23 down the order.
However, the dismal show by the rest of the batters resulted in him a second consecutive defeat for the West Indies.
Following this victory, New Zealand clinched the three-match series 2-0 with one match remaining.
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