Live Blogging: West Indies vs New Zealand T20, Florida – 2nd Game

2PM EDT: A warm welcome to my friends and fellow CWer’s. This is Ganesh Venkat providing you live updates of the second T20 game between WI and NZL from the central broward regional park, Lauderhill, FL. The weather is absolutely steaming, although there are some rain clouds behind me and the crowd is building up slowly. The music is blaring and we are minutes away from the game.I hope the rain stays away and the predictions are for isolated thundershowers. fingers crossed.

2.30PM EDT: Gayle did not bat for two overs played a maiden when he batted, Dwayne Smith hit two sixes in the first over and WI were off and running in the 2nd T20 international. Injuries to the Kiwis forced two of their best players to sit out. Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram. WI had to rest Pollard because of a shoulder niggle. However Johnson Charles played some attacking shots to keep the scoreboard ticking. There was calm before the storm from Chris Gayle and there was a calm before storm off the field too. There were some lightening sirens going off. Meanwhile we have a small matter of the Euro 2012 final going on. At the end of the 7th over WI are 45/1.

3EDT: Gayle warmed himself up to play a significant innings, He took some time to get off the mark but opened up with some audacious strokes of Bracewell and McCullum when be launched both of them in to the stands for sixes. If he stays there for any length of time, We could be in for some serious powerhitting. The ten sports cameraman is coming to our section not sure if he captured me though. Meanwhile Johnson Charles was out caught smartly by Tim Southee in the fine leg and Gayle is just waiting to do the final assault. Gayle just launched a ball straight at me Just missed catching it and the flood gates are open 6,6 and 4 now. What clean hitting. at the end of the 14th over WI are 113/2.

3.30EDT : Some inspired bowling from the black caps, kept the WI to a manageable score, although Sammy and Bravo launched a late assault that took them to 177/5 in 20 overs. Sammy and Bravo bludgeoned some big hits that prevented a mini collapse. Gayle was bowled swiping across to Nathan McCullum and Simmons followed suit quickly. However Bravo was severe on the bowers and cleared the fence on more than one occasion Both him and Sammy ran hard to keep the scoreboard moving and put up a competitive total. This is not a score that is out of reach for the blackcaps but with the absence of Ross Taylor and Oram it would be a great chase if they manage to do it.

4.10EDT : NZL started off in decent fashion in pursuit of their 178 run target with Guptill showing intent and Nicol giving him good support. However they have difficulty picking Narine. Guptill after playing a couple of clean hits tried to hit Narine out of the park and in the process was dismissed caught by Fidel Edwards. In the same over Narine bowled a beauty to dismiss Nicol to a smart stumping from Ramdhin. NZL persisted with their tactic of promoting Southee up the order, With not much firepower left it’s hard to see how the blackcaps can extricate themselves out of this hole. Kane Williamson ran himself out after going for a non existent single as I publish this. kiwis are 36/3 in 7 overs.

4.20EDT: Newzealand had no answer to the mystery from Narine and they were utterly buried by the avalanche of wickets that he took. In 9 overs they were staring down the barrel to go two down in the series having lost half the side for just 43 runs. Some Intent shown by Flynn, But I reckon it’s too little too late. The black caps look really ordinary and have to improve by leaps and bounds if they are to have any chance in the ODI’s and Tests.

4.31EDT: This is an abject display by Newzealand, Worse than yesterday. They are missing some key players big time. Cannot imagine what the results would have been with the likes of Styris, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, James franklin etc. They were all so very successful in the IPL.

4.39: Mystery man Narine and Marlon Samuels spinning a web around the blackcaps. This is over all bar the shouting.

4.51: NZL need 69 in 3 overs.. Ridiculously funny. Unless Chris Gayle and Pollard bat for them it is not possible.