TAYLOR AND STYRIS POWER KIWIS TO 200-RUN WIN

Skipper Ross Taylor and Scott Styris overcame an early setback to post a record 190-run stand for the fourth wicket enabling New Zealand to reach 288, following which, the bowlers skittled out India for their lowest ODI score against the Kiwis.

After opting to bat, the Kiwis got off to a poor start, getting reduced to 28/3 in the 7th over and finished the Quick Start Overs on 34/3. Skipper Ross Taylor and Scott Styris resurrected the innings, enabling the Kiwis to score 22 runs in the Bowling Powerplay and then surprised everyone as they took the Batting Powerplay in the 31st over and scored 43 runs in those 5 overs, as they staged a brilliant 190-run stand for the fourth wicket. Styris’ dismissal sparked a collapse as the Kiwis were bowled out for 288 inside the 49th over, losing their last 7 wickets for just 70 runs. Taylor top-scored with 95, earning a Batting Momentum of 118 while Styris made 89but earned a slightly higher Batting Momentum of 119. Ashish Nehra was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 4/47 in 9.5 overs, getting a Bowling Efficiency of 251.

In reply, India started off well, with the openers adding 39 for the opening wicket but that was just about it, as Sehwag’s wicket led to a collapse. They were reduced to 48/3 in the Quick Start Overs, followed by just 6/2 in the Bowling Powerplay. The rest of the batsmen came and went as India went on to score their lowest ever ODI total against New Zealand, bundled out for 88. Daryl Tuffey was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3/34 in 8 overs, finishing with a Bowling Efficiency of 212, while Jacob Oram finished second best, with 2 wickets, earning a Bowling Efficiency of 240.

New Zealand finished on a whopping Castrol Index of 214 as compared to India’s 91, overpowering the Indians in almost every department except the Quick-Start Overs and the second Powerplay. ROSS TAYLOR was named the MAN-OF-THE-MATCH for scoring 95 runs with the bat and taking 4 catches, equalling the record for the most number of catches by a Kiwi player, finishing on an overall Castrol Index of 173. NEW ZEALAND next take on SRI LANKA in the second game of the tri-series on Friday, 13th of August, 2010 at 0900 GMT.