Manchester, Jun 22 (UNI) Skipper Kane Williamson patient knock of 148 off 154 balls (14 fours, 1 six), Ross Taylor 69 off 95 (7 fours) helped New Zealand take their score to challenging 291/8 in 50 overs against West Indies in the ICC Cricket World Cup on Saturday.
Earlier, West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl put in New Zealand to bat.
New Zealand openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro started with a disaster after Sheldon Cottrell who gave a breakthrough scalping Guptill in the very first ball of the first over for a duck and then in the same over also sent Munro without scoring a run.
With Guptill gone Munro came in and along with skipper Kane Williamson put up just 7 runs before Munro also went out for a duck in the fifth ball of the first over in Cottrell's spell.
With two wickets falling in quick succession, New Zealand were in deep trouble now, but then Ross Taylor and Williamson played cautiously and further shaped the innings with Williamson bringing his fifty in the 24th over and in the next ball Ross Taylor smashed Roach for four racing towards half century.
The duo also went on to add 100 stand partnership in the 25th over. With partnership going strong between Williamson and Taylor went on take score to 160 run for the third wicket, but the stand was broken by Chris Gayle in the 35th over who took wicket of Taylor caught off at mid-off by Jason Holder. Taylor 69 off 95 balls (7 fours).
In the 3rd ball of the 38th over Willamson hit Roach for four scoring his first century against Windies and back to back hundreds in the World Cup. Williamson's scores in this World Cup are 40, 79, 106 and 103 now.
With Taylor's fall, Tom Latham amd Williamson further chipped in 43 runs for fourth wicket, but Cottrell caught and bowled Latham his third wicket in the 42nd over. Latham scored 12 off 16. New Zealand's fourth wicket fell at 210.
Williamson also equalled his highest ODI score of 145 after hitting Nurse for four in the 5th ball of the 45th over.
Another partnership of 41 runs came for fifth wicket between Willamson and James Neesham. Cottrell scalped his fourth victim in form of Williamson caught by wicketkeeper Shai Hope in 47th over. Willamson 148 off 154 balls (14 fours, 1 six).
Grandhomme was run out in 49th over after scoring 16 off 6 (1 four, 1 six).
In the last over Brathwaite took two wickets of Santner (10) and then Neesham 28 off 23 (1 four, 1 six).
Sheldon Cottrell 4/56, Brathwaite 2/58, Chris Gayle 1/8 were the wicket takers for Windies.
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