After topping the tests and drawing the one-dayers, the Black Caps sealed a 2-0 Twenty20 series victory over the West Indies as they took the second hit-and-giggle match at Westpac Stadium in Wellington tonight by four wickets.
It was made a lot tougher than it needed to be as New Zealand went in search of 160 to win and after their 81-run triumph in the first Twenty20 at in Auckland on Saturday, the series was sealed on the back of 39 runs from Ross Taylor and Luke Ronchi's fireworks.
New Zealand made a rapid start in their chase as left-hander Jesse Ryder hit his first ball for six and enjoyed a decent run of luck during his cameo of 23 from only nine balls.
But he didn't hang around long enough, like his opening partner Martin Guptill who was dismissed in the first over for only one, and when Brendon McCullum was trapped in front by Sunil Narine for 17 shortly after, the home side were in trouble at 50-3.
Taylor took the scoring load on though and as Colin Munro came and went for an uneventful five, the former New Zealand captain found himself in the middle with young all-rounder Corey Anderson.
But Anderson didn't last long as he only succeeded in spooning a simple catch to Johnson Charles at cover from the bowling of Andre Russell as he went for six.
Anderson's departure brought Ronchi to the crease and the wicketkeeper proved a useful foil to Taylor as they looked to run down the reigning world champions of Twenty20 cricket.
With 54 required from the final 36 balls and Taylor and Ronchi both set, the game was poised for an entertaining finish.
When Ronchi took to Dwayne Bravo in the 15th over, the crowd of more than 12,000 began to sense a win for New Zealand.
Ronchi then followed up his unbeaten 48 from game one on Saturday with a magnificent 51 not out from 28 balls as the New Zealanders got home with an over to spare.
Earlier, the visitors started slowly after winning the toss and deciding to bat first and when they only accumulated 37 runs from the opening six overs, it was always going to be tough to muster a large total.
During their powerplay, the West Indies lost both openers, including the enterprising Lendl Simmons who made 29 from 19 balls but was eventually undone by Mitchell McClenaghan.
Following the departure of their opening pair, No 3 Andre Fletcher went about anchoring the innings as he pressed along at a run-a-ball and held things together as he crafted 40, while Denesh Ramdin added a valuable 55 not out from 31 balls.
Nathan McCullum finished with 1-17 from his four overs for New Zealand and his miserly off-spin proved crucial in helping suffocate the West Indies, while speedster Adam Milne claimed career-best figures of 2-22.
Despite usually being so effective in the shorter forms of the game, left-arm seamer McClenaghan was slightly off his lines as his four overs disappeared for 29, although he did take the scalp of Simmons earlier in the innings.
McClenaghan was included in the New Zealand side tonight over Tim Southee, who was given a rest ahead of the impending series against India.
- Daniel Richardson of APNZ
