New Zealand is one such team that has recently been very successful in whatever they have attempted. Yes, they were eliminated from the World Cups in 2015 and 2019, respectively, after losing to Australia and England, but the brand of cricket they played was appealing to many fans around the world. After defeating the West Indies in the second T20I of the series, skipper Kane Williamson stated that the clarity in the dressing room is the key. Many modern-day cricketers believe they have distinct roles in the team. In T20Is, for example, India’s team management has given Dinesh Karthik complete freedom. When it comes to the IPL, the players are well aware of the types of roles they will be required to play in order to secure their spots. Cricket in New Zealand is no exception. The clarity in the locker room is regarded as one of the most important factors in achieving success.
“We know that T20 cricket can be very fickle in its nature. We are just trying to improve and bring guys into the side and give them clear roles. It’s not trying too hard just to try and make contributions to your team and the style of cricket that we are trying to play,” Williamson said after defeating West Indies in the 2nd T20I. The skipper added, “Just trying to keep things nice and simple. The personnel keeps changing, so for a side like us, we are sort of just working towards it, but it is nice to see a couple of good performances. We got another one in a couple of days’ time and a few more after that as well. It is just about taking the small steps forward.” West Indies have lost another T20I series after losing the previous one against India. The Caribbean team was defeated by 13 runs in the first match and by 90 runs in the second.
Glenn Phillips was the night’s star, scoring 76 off 41 balls, while Daryl Mitchell scored 48 off just 20 balls. After 20 overs, the team had 215 on the board thanks to their brilliant batting. Obed McCoy took three wickets but couldn’t inspire his teammates to match his efforts. West Indies batted second and continued to lose wickets, losing nine wickets for 125 runs in their 20 overs. West Indies’ leading run-scorer was Obed McCoy, who scored 23 runs. Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell each chose three players to break the West Indies’ backbone. With one game remaining, the Kiwis won the T20I series. The series’ third and final match is scheduled for August 15th (Monday) in Jamaica.
