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29 March 2024

Guptill's record score puts NZ into semis

Published
By Cricket Correspondent and Agencies

Martin Guptill's record score of 237 not out and Trent Boult's four-wicket haul propelled New Zealand into their third successive cricket World Cup semi-final with a 143-run victory over West Indies on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Guptill, who scored 105 in New Zealand's last pool match against Bangladesh, rewrote several records as he helped New Zealand to an imposing 393 for six at Wellington Regional Stadium in the fourth and last quarter-final.

Guptill became the highest individual scorer in a World Cup match, surpassing Chris Gayle's 215 from earlier in the tournament, and the first New Zealand batsman to score a ODI double century.

Boult then took four wickets as West Indies were forced to chase almost eight runs an over and while they went about hitting numerous boundaries they also lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 250 in 30.3 overs.
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Record

New Zealand's Martin Guptill smashed 237 not out to record the highest individual World Cup score in the co-hosts' quarter-final against West Indies on Saturday.

The 28-year-old hit 24 boundaries and 11 sixes before being roared off the ground by a sell-out crowd at Wellington Regional Stadium and greeted with a guard of honour by his team mates.

His innings, also the first double century by a New Zealand batsman, helped take his side to an imposing 393 for six.

West Indies Chris Gayle had scored 215 against Zimbabwe in Canberra earlier in the tournament to record the first World Cup double century, a mark Guptill passed with a four in the 48th over.

Gayle was one of the first players to congratulate the right-hander after he walked off.

Guptill's mark was also the second highest score in an ODI, behind only India's Rohit Sharma, who belted 264 against Sri Lanka last November.

Sharma is the only player to have two double centuries.

Guptill's innings was also the highest World Cup score by a New Zealander, surpassing the 171 not out by Glenn Turner against East Africa in 1975.

He now has the two highest scores by a New Zealand batsman in ODIs after belting 189 not out against England in 2013.

Guptill scored 105 against Bangladesh in New Zealand's final pool game in Hamilton on March 13.

Fitness test


West Indies opener Chris Gayle has passed a fitness test on his back and was included in the side for their World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand on Saturday.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and chose to bat in sunny conditions at Wellington Regional Stadium.

"The wicket looks good," McCullum said at the toss. "It looks a bit different from the wicket we played England on.

"Runs on the board can be quite valuable in this sort of situation and hopefully we can get a few on the board."

New Zealand went back to their first-choice line-up, with fast bowler Adam Milne returning from a minor shoulder injury that forced him out of the co-hosts' final pool game against Bangladesh in Hamilton.

Gayle has replaced the out-of-form Dwayne Smith at the top of the order, with Johnson Charles, who scored a half century in their last match against United Arab Emirates, to open with the Jamaican left hander.

Tall left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn has also been recalled in place of Kemar Roach.

West Indies captain Jason Holder may be tempted to open the bowling with Benn in an effort to clamp down on McCullum's likely assault in the opening power-play overs, a tactic Bangladesh successfully used in Hamilton.

"We're very confident coming into this game," Holder said.

"There's a lot of pressure on New Zealand in their home town."

The winner of the match will face South Africa in the first semi-final at Auckland's Eden Park on Tuesday.

New Zealand - Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (captain), Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Daniel Vettori, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.

West Indies - Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Marlon Samuels, Jonathan Carter, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Sulieman Benn

Preview

New Zealand's Brendon McCullum expects favouritism, underdog status and the possibility of choking under the weight of expectation to have little influence on Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against West Indies.

A rampant New Zealand went through pool phase unbeaten, while inconsistent West Indies lurched into the last eight clash at Wellington Regional Stadium with a six-wicket victory over United Arab Emirates.

To McCullum, though, that meant nothing.

 

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"I've said right throughout the tournament, whether you're favourites or whether you're underdogs, once the coin goes up, the contest between bat and ball starts," the New Zealand skipper told reporters on Friday.

"All of that talk and all of that pre-match favouritism goes out the window. Tomorrow's no different, just because it's a quarter-final."

The co-hosts have arguably the most balanced side in the World Cup, all of whom have stepped up at one stage or another during the tournament.

That has particularly pleased McCullum.

"In horse racing parlance ... I think the horse has never been better and we've got every chance in this game to be able to go out there and win, even if things aren't a hundred per cent," McCullum said.

"That's something you probably can't say about too many New Zealand teams in the past. That's encouraging."

McCullum has indicated that New Zealand will revert to their top lineup, with fast bowler Adam Milne returning from shoulder injury to join new ball duo Trent Boult and Tim Southee in place of Mitchell McClenaghan.

Southee somehow managed to exploit a clear blue sky and little wind to produce a captivating spell of late-swing bowling to take career-best figures of 7-33 against England at Wellington Regional Stadium a month ago.

Boult was imperious in their match against Australia with 5-27 the following week in Auckland, while left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has complemented the opening pair with 13 wickets at 13.29, and an economy rate of 3.69.

West Indies, by contrast, have struggled in the top-order batting with most of the runs from top-scorers Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels coming in one big partnership against Zimbabwe in Canberra.

Gayle, who is struggling with a back injury, has scored 279 runs with 215 coming from that one innings, while Samuels' 133 not out has accounted for 66 percent of his total runs of 203.

West Indies captain Jason Holder said the key to the game could be to take early wickets when McCullum comes out firing and then get stuck into the middle order.

"Obviously Brendon McCullum's carrying some form ... we will be our normal self in the power play, we just have to be disciplined," Holder said.

"I think aggression is also key. Brendon is a pretty aggressive batsman so I can probably try to fight fire with fire and try to get the better of him.

"New Zealand's middle order (also) hasn't been tested in this tournament and so it's important that we get early wickets and test them."