Guptill double ton helps NZ crush West Indies

Daniel Gilhooly
Mar 21, 2015, updated Mar 21, 2015

Martin Guptill unleashed one of the great one-day international innings on Saturday to send New Zealand thundering into the Cricket World Cup semi-finals.

Guptill’s unbeaten 237 off 163 balls, the second-highest score in ODI history, dominated a 143-run thrashing of the hapless West Indies in their quarter-final in Wellington.

It sets up the unbeaten Black Caps for a semi-final showdown with South Africa on Tuesday in Auckland.

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Batting through New Zealand’s 6-393, Guptill thrashed 137 off his last 52 balls, having reached his seventh ODI ton off a comparatively sedate 111 deliveries.

The West Indies threw caution to the wind in response, dismissed for 250 off 30.3 overs in their last act of an erratic tournament.

Hobbling opener Chris Gayle, recalled despite obvious pain in his back, top-scored with 61 off 33 balls, highlighted by 48 of his runs coming in sixes.

Trent Boult was comfortably the game’s best bowler.

Unchanged with the new ball, he took 4-44 to go top of the tournament wicket-taking list on 19, one ahead of another left-arm seamer, Australian Mitchell Starc (18).

The other highlight in the field belonged to 36-year-old Daniel Vettori, who turned back the clock with a nonchalant leaping one-handed catch on the third-man boundary to remove Marlon Samuels.

However, the day belonged to the remarkable Guptill, who surpassed Gayle’s 215 against Zimbabwe last month in Canberra as the highest at a World Cup.

The 28-year-old also bettered his own previous New Zealand record of 189 not out against England in Southampton two years ago.

Only India’s Rohit Sharma has scored more, plundering 264 against Sri Lanka in Kolkata last year.

In front of a raucous, sold-out crowd of 30,268, Guptill’s clean striking helped the Black Caps compile 206 from their last 15 overs.

Most of his 24 fours and 11 sixes came during that period, including a memorable clearing of the stadium roof in the final over bowled by Andre Russell.

Justifying captain Brendon McCullum’s decision to bat, Guptill displayed the free-hitting power which had eluded him for much of the summer but flickered into life with 105 against Bangladesh last week.

It could have been so different if Marlon Samuels had held a low chance offered by Guptill on the third ball of the innings bowled by Jerome Taylor.

That summed up a shoddy West Indies fielding effort which deteriorated, along with their bowling.

Taylor took 3-71 off seven overs while allrounder Russell claimed 2-96 off 10.

McCullum (12) and Kane Williamson (33) were caught in the outfield playing loose shots before Guptill and Ross Taylor put on 143 for the third wicket.

Taylor again struggled for fluency, scoring 42 off 61 balls, meaning his 151 tournament runs have come at a modest strike rate of 60.9.

Grant Elliott celebrated his 36th birthday with a late cameo of 27 off 11 balls.

The West Indies at least won the battle of the sixes, clearing the boundary rope 16 times to New Zealand’s 15.