ICC T20 Warm-up…
SCOTT Styris failed with the bat, but made up with the ball as New Zealand snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to record a seven- run victory over the West Indies at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence last evening , despite a resilient 53 from left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul.  Scores in the match, New Zealand 124-8 from 20 overs, West Indies 117 all out from 19.4 overs.
Earlier, New Zealand who had a 40- run victory over Ireland the previous day, won the toss and opting to take first strike in front of a vociferous home crowd, slipped to 37-6 in the 10th over of their innings, thanks to the combined efforts of Sulieman Benn (2-12) and Darren Sammy (2-38).
The pugnacious Brandon Mc Cullum (06) and skipper Daniel Vettori (00) were both dismissed by Benn in the third over of the Black Caps’ innings, before two fours by Ross Taylor (50) struck off Nikita Miller (1-24) through point, pushed New Zealand to 16-2 after four overs.
A diving catch by Benn at long off accounted for Aaron Redman (05) who was looking to hit Miller out of the ground and when Sammy trapped Scott Styris (03) lbw with his first ball of the match, West Indies were sitting comfortably in the drivers’ seat as their opponents were 35-5 in the 7th over of their innings.
Gareth Hopkins (01) was next to go , caught by Sammy at point off Dwayne Bravo (1-25) which left New Zealand on 37-6, but a four by Jacob Oram who added 60 for the fifth wicket with Taylor from 8.3 overs, help pushed the score to 50-6 at the end of 12 overs.
Taylor displayed his destructive mode with the bat, when he struck Miller over wide long on for six, followed by a hat trick of sixes over midwicket off successive deliveries from Sammy as New Zealand moved to 87-6 after 15 overs.
A beautiful of a delivery from Ravi Rampaul uprooted the stumps of Taylor for an entertaining 50 which took him 35 deliveries to compile and was decorated with four sixes and two fours, but most importantly for New Zealand would have been his partnership with Oram.
The demise of Taylor and Nathan Mc Cullum (01) who was caught by Bravo at deep backward square leg of Rampaul did not deter Oram who opened his shoulders to hit Bravo for two sixes in the final over, as New Zealand ended on 124-8 from their 20 overs, with Oram being unbeaten on 46 from 40 deliveries with three fours and two sixes.
West Indies got a rousing start from their talismanic skipper and opener Christopher Gayle and the dependable Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who added 68 for the first wicket against the spin/pace combination of Nathan Mc Cullum and Shane Bond.
Gayle opened his shoulders with a huge six back over the head of Nathan Mc Cullum followed by another over wide extra cover off Bond as West Indies raced to 22 without loss after four overs, with Gayle on 17 and Chanderpaul 5.
A four struck off Mills, followed by a reverse pull over backward point for six and back to back fours off Vettori by Chanderpaul pushed the home team to 45 without loss after six overs, following which they posted the 50 from 7.1 overs, following a Gayle’s boundary back over the head of Vettori.
A pulled six over backward square leg by Gayle off Oram, sent the West Indies to 68 without loss, before the bowler rocked back the stumps of Gayle who made 35 off 27 deliveries with four sixes and one four, but his demise saw a destructive looking Chanderpaul dispatching Vettori for a four and six off successive deliveries to move to 45.
The quick demise of Bravo (03) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (01) who were both dismissed by Styris and Narsingh Deonarine (01) left the West Indies on 90-4, but Chanderpaul continued to soldier on for the home team, raising his 50 from 43 deliveries with four fours and two sixes.
Chanderpaul resilient and entertaining innings came to an end, courtesy of a Redmond catch at long on off Bond, after he accumulated 53 runs with four fours and two sixes, at which point West Indies were 98-5 in the 17th over.
But from the comfortable position of 68 without loss, the West Indies who are known for their middle order collapse, slipped to 98-5, before being bowled out for 117 from 19.4 overs, despite an Andre Fletcher six over midwicket off Styris who bowled a tight line and length to claim 4-18 from his four overs.
Styris received support from Bond who took 2-15 and Vettori who conceded 46 runs but managed to claim two vital wickets, as a disappointing crowd which had earlier cheered every dot ball in the victors’ innings and every run scored by the home team, left crest fallen following another dismal batting performance from the Windies.