West Indies vs New Zealand: Blackcaps Can Make a Couple of Changes to Strengthen Their Side

• West Indies have won only three of their last 12 T20I matches.
• New Zealand have won all of their last eight T20I encounters,
• The Kiwis won the first match of the series by 13 runs.

West Indies vs New Zealand Odds

Odds for this match taken from bet365

West Indies vs New Zealand Prediction and Pick

New Zealand always tends to perform well in T20I cricket against the West Indies. They have beaten the Caribbean boys on ten occasions, while West Indies have got the better of the Blackcaps only five times so far. Given that their current form is also impressive, we have predicted Kane Williamson’s team to win this match.

New Zealand to Win (-175)

Pick made on 08/10/2022 at 10:20 PM EST

West Indies: Kyle Mayers, Shamarh Brooks, Brandon King/Devon Thomas (wk), Nicholas Pooran (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Odean Smith, Jason Holder, Dominic Drakes/Romario Shepherd, Obed McCoy, Hayden Walsh.

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen/Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry/Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

West Indies Face the Do-Or-Die Situation as New Zealand Eye Series Win

West Indies and New Zealand will cross swords in the second of the three-match T20I series on Saturday, 13th August (according to IST). The match will be played at the Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.

The two sides came into this series on the back of contrasting outcomes in recent times. West Indies had recently been beaten by India, whereas New Zealand did well against the likes of Ireland and the Netherlands. The Kiwis were always the favorites to start the series with a win, and they indeed did, securing a 13-run victory on Thursday.

Batting first, the Blackcaps scored 185 runs, courtesy of two 40+ runs knocks from Devon Conway and Kane Williamson, while James Neesham also deserves praise for a 15-ball 33 cameo. In the run chase, West Indies got off to a poor start and at one stage, they were struggling at 49/4. However, the likes of Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith did bring the hosts back into the game with a few shots, but it ultimately did not result in something significant as all the Caribbean boys could score was 172.

Team News

West Indies could make a couple of changes to their playing XI for this clash – one each in their bowling and batting department. As for their bowling contingent, Romario Shepherd failed to impress yet again, as he conceded 35 runs in the three overs that he bowled in the last match, without picking up any wickets. Hence, he could be replaced by Dominic Drakes, who will also add the option of another left-arm pacer in a line-up that also features Obed McCoy. As for their batting department, West Indies gave Devon Thomas a chance in the last match, but he could not utilize the opportunity as he was dismissed for only one run. He might have to make way for Brandon King, who did a fairly decent job against India.

New Zealand could opt to not change their winning combination, but if they want to, the Blackcaps can make a couple of changes to strengthen their side. Tim Southee picked up Kyle Mayers’ wicket in the last match, but he also was very expensive, conceding 46 runs in his four overs. Hence, he could be replaced by Matt Henry. As for their batting contingent, Glenn Phillips could only score 17 runs in the last match, and he might have to make way for a promising youngster in Finn Allen.

Key Players

Odean Smith: Odean Smith is not among the most consistent players in the West Indies team, but when he does get going, he is a treat to watch. The first T20I was one such instance of Smith being at his best, as he performed well with both the bat and the ball. He first scalped three crucial wickets – that of Devon Conway, Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill, and then went on to score unbeaten 27 runs from 12 deliveries.

Kane Williamson: A common misconception in cricket is that Kane Williamson is not as good a T20I batter as he is in Test or ODI cricket. However, the New Zealand skipper proved his class yet again in the last game by scoring 47 runs from 33 deliveries, hitting four fours and a couple of sixes in the process. Williamson now has 2068 runs to his name in this format, which has come at an average of 32.82 and a strike rate of 124.35.

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