KINGSTON: New Zealand pulverised a demoralised West Indies by 90 runs in the second T20 International to take an unbeatable 2-0 in the three-match series here at the Sabina Park on Friday.

“It has been great to come back to Sabina Park and get a good score today,” said Phillips in reflecting on his time playing at the venue for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League.

In a one-sided encounter which magnified the rapid decline of the two-time World T20 winners over the past 12 months, the Black Caps piled up 215 for five.

They then limited the home team to just 125 for nine in reply to hand the Caribbean side a sixth defeat in their last seven matches in the format.

Glen Phillips’ blistering 76 off 41 balls with six sixes and four fours highlighted the tourists’ dominant batting performance and earned him the man of the match award after captain Kane Williamson chose to take first strike.

He received excellent support from Daryl Mitchell (48) in an 83-run fourth-wicket stand while opener Devon Conway again made a useful contribution in getting to 42.

Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell returned identical figures of three for 15. Ish Sodhi made it seven wickets to spin when he removed Rovman Powell for 21.

“Credit to the West Indies bowlers up front because they did well in taking pace off the ball, but we executed our overall plans better this time around.”

Needing victory to keep the series alive going into the final match at the same venue on Sunday, West Indies crumbled to spin for the second time in six days.

However, Obed McCoy, top-scorer with an unbeaten 23, and Hayden Walsh featured in an unbroken last-wicket stand of 38, a record for the team in T20 Internationals.

They had lost all 10 wickets to spin — a first in the entire history of T20 Internationals — in the last fixture of the five-match series against India in Florida last Sunday.

At 87-9 at the start of the 17th over, the West Indies on the verge of defeat by an even wider margin.

McCoy was also the most successful bowler with figures of three for 40 amid the carnage when New Zealand batted.

“We would ideally have liked to play two specialist spinners but Akeal Hosein is being rested so that was a setback,” said beleaguered West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran.

“These are the times we have to stick together as a group. It’s not easy on the guys.”

Summarised scores:

NEW ZEALAND 215-5 (G. Phillips 76, D. Mitchell 48, D. Conway 42; O. McCoy 3-40); WEST INDIES 125-9 (O. McCoy 23 n.o., R. Powell 21; M. Bracewell 3-15, M. Santner 3-15).

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2022