Twitter Reactions: Bizzare hitting from Maxwell overshadows Smith’s hundred

Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway power New Zealand to series win over West Indies

New Zealand won the second T20 of the series and have secured an unassailable lead of the touring West Indies side in Mount Maunganui. Chasing a mountainous target of 239 runs, West Indies batsman failed to go big and none of them could produce individual brilliant performances that could have won them the game as the Kieron Pollard -led side fell well short of the target. The win by 66 runs was achieved on the back of some outrageous hitting of the cricket ball, especially by the young duo of Devo Conway and Glenn Phillips who stitched a marathon partnership of 184 runs that powered New Zealand to a score the Windies needed some magic to chase. Earlier in the day, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat first. The Opening pair of Martin Guptill and Tim Seifert provided Kiwis a strong start before they were separated in the last over of the power play. Seifert was the first one to go and was quickly followed by Guptill in the very next over that brought the pair of Conway and Phillips together at the crease. None of the Windies bowlers could leave any positive impact on the match as all of them conceded runs in excess of 9 runs per over as the Kiwis took them to cleaners. In their effort to chase down 239, Windies were off to a horrible start as Kyle Jamieson nipped one through to beat Brendon Kings to shatter his stumps. The matter turned bad to worse as Shimron Hetmyer was caught short of the crease by Glenn Phillips who could do no wrong on the day when he notched the fastest T20 century by a New Zealander in the International T20S. Kiwi bowlers kept chipping away with the wickets and when Nicholas Pooran and the captain Kieron Pollard were dismissed in the 1oth and 13th over, it was curtains for the tourist in Mount Maunganui. New Zealand captain Tim Southee spoke highly of Glen Phillips and said that he has always been a player with X-factor and has done well in the Caribbean Premier League against many of the players in the West Indies lineup. Southee will now not take part in theT20 series and will prepare for the Test series that will follow while Mitchell Santner will take the mettle of leadership from him in the final T20 of the series. New Zealand won the second T20 of the series and have secured an unassailable lead of the touring West Indies side in Mount Maunganui. Chasing a mountainous target of 239 runs, West Indies batsman failed to go big and none of them could produce individual brilliant performances that could have won them the game as the Kieron Pollard -led side fell well short of the target. The win by 66 runs was achieved on the back of some outrageous hitting of the cricket ball, especially by the young duo of Devo Conway and Glenn Phillips who stitched a marathon partnership of 184 runs that powered New Zealand to a score the Windies needed some magic to chase. Earlier in the day, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat first. The Opening pair of Martin Guptill and Tim Seifert provided Kiwis a strong start before they were separated in the last over of the power play. Seifert was the first one to go and was quickly followed by Guptill in the very next over that brought the pair of Conway and Phillips together at the crease. None of the Windies bowlers could leave any positive impact on the match as all of them conceded runs in excess of 9 runs per over as the Kiwis took them to cleaners. In their effort to chase down 239, Windies were off to a horrible start as Kyle Jamieson nipped one through to beat Brendon Kings to shatter his stumps. The matter turned bad to worse as Shimron Hetmyer was caught short of the crease by Glenn Phillips who could do no wrong on the day when he notched the fastest T20 century by a New Zealander in the International T20S. Kiwi bowlers kept chipping away with the wickets and when Nicholas Pooran and the captain Kieron Pollard were dismissed in the 1oth and 13th over, it was curtains for the tourist in Mount Maunganui. New Zealand captain Tim Southee spoke highly of Glen Phillips and said that he has always been a player with X-factor and has done well in the Caribbean Premier League against many of the players in the West Indies lineup. Southee will now not take part in theT20 series and will prepare for the Test series that will follow while Mitchell Santner will take the mettle of leadership from him in the final T20 of the series.

NZ vs WI: Glenn Phillips smashes fastest T20I century for New Zealand

Glenn Phillips smashed the record of fastest T20 hundred by a New Zealander by achieving the feat in only 45 balls. He came to bat at the number four position in the second T20I between New Zealand and West Indies and blasted a 51-ball-108 as his debut century and bettered the previous record of the fastest century by Colin Munro against the same opposition two years back. Another rookie, Devon Conway was at the top of the game as the duo put on a show of blistering strokes and an extended period onslaught that powered the Kiwis to a mammoth total of 238/3 at the end of 20 overs. Phillips had walked out to bat just after the completion of the mandatory power play after the fall of Martin Guptill and was dismissed after taking the life out of the West Indies bowling attack on the penultimate ball of the New Zealand innings. In the end, the West Indies could not match the firepower of the New Zealand team and were defeated by a big margin of 72 runs. Windies could manage only 166 runs at the end of their innings and none of their batsmen could make a big score to even come closer to the target set by the Kiwis. With this win, the hosts have won the 3-match long T20 series with a match remaining to be played on November 30 at the same venue in Mount Maunganui.

South Africa vs England | 2nd T20I: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream11 Fantasy Picks

After England's impressive victory over South Africa in the first T20I of the series, the second game of the three-match series between the two teams, set to take place at Paarl, becomes a do-or-die affair for the hosts. While the two teams didn't have a vast difference in terms of their performance, England managed to get past the line thanks to Bairstow's fireworks. England captain Eoin Morgan candidly accepted in the post-match presentation ceremony that his team is far from their best. He credited the victory to individual brilliance of a few players. South African skipper Quinton de Kock, on the other hand, remained optimistic and felt it would just take a little bit of improvement to turn the tables. Positives for South Africa The Proteas have been looking for a replacement for Imran Tahir since his retirement. George Linde, the left-arm spinner, gave South Africa some hope in this department. His good bowling performance suprised England and benefitted the hosts. But now, England may try to target him in the next game. His performance would be worth seeing. Faf du Plessis' innings was a big boost for South Africa. Him and de Kock are the two most important batsmen in the line-up due to their proven quality and experience. Both showed good form, an ominous sign for England. Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen showed a glimpse of their ability. With many spots in the middle order up for grabs, these two will be watched closely. England's Approach Sam Curran once again showed his uncanny ability to make an impact in the game. He can be a perfect foil for the sheer pace of Jofra Archer. Adil Rashid again showed what a key player for his the English side. The decision to shift Bairstow down the order was a gamble. His success at the top of the order makes him a prime contender for opening. However, his shift to and success at no. 4 adds strength to the middle order. England's line-up looked powerful anyway and has depth due to the presence of two capable seam-bowling all-rounders. With Archer and Rashid in good form, even the bowling is pretty solid. South Africa vs England 2nd T20I: Match Details Venue: Boland Park, Paarl Live Coverage: Star Sports network, Hotstar Date and Timing: November 29, 18:00 IST, 14:30 Local, 12:30 GMT Pitch Report Pitch at this venue tends to be flat and high-scoring. However, the hot conditions also mean that the track could dry up and assist spinners. The likes of Rashid and Linde may play a key role in the match. Pacers may have another tough contest. Weather and Toss Temperature is set to be around 30 degree celsius in the day time. While batting first is the conventional wisdom on generally flat pitches, this ground has a history of favouring chasing teams. It is likely that the team winning the toss chooses to chase. England did the same thing in the first T20I. They may continue with this formula. Team News South Africa South Africa went into first game with two spinners in their ranks. Linde's performance makes him a certainty for the second game. However, the spot of Tabraiz Shamsi may be in danger due to his under-par performance in the last game. His good record in domestic T20 league on this ground may just earn him another go. The pasting that Beuran Hendricks got may get him replaced by Anrich Nortje. Possible XI: Quinton de Kock (C, wk), Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, Pite van Biljon, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi England Despite the failure of the Jos Buttler-Jason Roy combination in the first game, England would like to give another go to it. The interesting position is of Dawid Malan. He couldn't make use of his opportunity in the last match but deserves another go. Tom Curran and Chris Jordan will have to watch their backs. Mark Wood might come in to provide more pace while Moeen Ali could be a good option on a flat and dry wicket. Possible XI: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan (C), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood South Africa vs England 2nd T20I: Dream11 Fantasy Team Suggestions Quinton de Kock, Jonny Bairstow, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Kagiso Rabada

These five players could answer captain Kohli’s call for the sixth bowler

In the post-match presentation, after India’s 66-run humiliating defeat at the hands of hosts Australia in the first ODI at Sydney, Virat rued the lack of an all-rounder who could act as the sixth bowler for the Indian team. He compared India's situation to that of Australia saying that the hosts have the luxury of having Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell in their side who could always turn up for 5-6 overs on any of the main bowler’s off day. India’s problems have been magnified mainly because the well-groomed all-rounder, Hardik Pandya could not bowl and Kohli acknowledged that too. “We'll have to find out ways of getting a few overs from a few part-timers in the side. Unfortunately, Hardik is not ready to bowl yet so we have to accept that and work around it. That is an area we have looked at, which is a very big part of any team balance. Stoinis and Glenn (Maxwell) do it for Australia,” he said. Even Pandya himself said that India needs to groom all-rounders to further strengthen the bench strength and give skipper Kohli, options, till the time he has not gained full fitness to bowl. "Even when I came into the circuit, I was not always the all-rounder which I wanted to be. But with time I groomed myself and became that bowling option. I worked on my bowling,” Pandya said in a post-match press conference. The 27-year-old even suggested some names, one that of his brother Krunal itself. “…maybe you can name it who all are there… maybe we should look in the Pandya family only," he said. But Krunal Pandya is not the only option and everyone is aware of it. There are many in the Indian domestic circuit, who could bat good enough and can also bowl those 5-7 overs in the middle of an ODI game or 1-2 overs in T20Is. Here is a list. Hanuma Vihari For a few people, Hanuma Vihar could be an unusual choice given the sense we are looking for all-rounders, but we are essentially looking for a batsman who can bat in the middle order or even for that matter top order and can give us 4-6 overs. Ever since the departure of Suresh Raina from the squad and Kedar Jadhav not being considered for his age, there hasn’t been anyone apart from Pandya who could be a genuine batsman and give you those quick overs in the middle. In the teams of the previous generation, led by MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly, there were always, the Yuvraj Singhs, the Sachin Tendulkars, Virender Sehwags, and Suresh Rainas who would turn up and give you those important overs in the middle, even get you a wicket or two. But they did not get there overnight, it was through net practices only. Vihari, 29, has potential and everybody has seen it. You don’t always need somebody to strike at more than 100 in the ODIs, sometimes inning builders like Vihari could also be the guy who can bat at four and can still give you those good overs in the middle of the innings. Vihari so far has played 74 List A games and an equal number of T20s in the domestic circuit. In those games, while he has picked up 42 wickets and bowled around 234 overs, his batting has been as scintillating as it gets. In List A, he has an average of more than 45 and the strike rate is also above 80. Thus Vihari is the ideal candidate for that middle order birth, or the number four that India has been searching for, quite some time. Vijay Shankar Vijay Shankar is a tried and tested product. He has the numbers behind his back to argue his case. The only problem is his big match temperament. He has not had the success that was expected from him when he was given the chance at first. With an average of more than 38 in List A and in higher 20s in T20s, Shankar would be the right man to play number six, if Pandya plays as a pure batsman at five and KL Rahul pushed to number four in place of Iyer. Shankar is the genuine all-rounder who could very easily give the team 5-7 overs, in the middle as he has done for his state team Tamil Nadu. In List A he has 54 wickets in 74 games with an average of around 35, in T20s too, he has a good enough profile to fill the all-rounder’s column with 30 wickets in 53 innings that he has bowled in. Axar Patel The Gujarati guy (economical in his bowling) is another one who could solve the puzzle of the sixth bowler for team India. He is not someone who can just handle the willow, rather he has the power to win you crunch games with the bat in hand. Surely he can’t give you a spell-like 4/40 in 10, but for that, the team has five specialist bowlers. Axar would be the buffer or the transition bowler, which the captain could use on off days for some bowlers or purely in the middle overs to tighten the noose. He can surely bat at six, as he does for his domestic team and the Indian team can play both Rahul and Iyer by making Rahul open the innings, and if Rohit comes, then choose between the two. With Axar coming in, Jadeja could also be asked to work more on his batting and deliver at times of emergency. He further comes off a successful IPL exploit, hitting 117 runs at a strike rate of over 135 and picking 9 wickets at a miserly economy of 6.4. Washington Sundar Washington Sundar is yet another player who could be entrusted to bat in the middle and give those 5-7 tight overs in the middle of the innings. He showed his capabilities with the ball in the recently concluded IPL, and his bat has done all the talking in domestic cricket. True that he couldn’t do well in the limited opportunities that he got with the bat in IPL, but players, especially all-rounders are not made in a day, you got to give them time and back them up real nice, to be able to unleash their full potential. Sundar, right from his U-19 days has been a potential lower-order batsman. He has hit a hundred in the first-class showing that he has the caliber and the potential to play long hauls, so in case Pandya plays at five, Sundar can always get on with the bat at six and play the cameos. His tight bowling has always worked wonders for him and the team. Harshal Patel The Haryana all-rounder is another prospect, who is similar to Shankar. But Harshal is more of a bowling all-rounder, although he has off late batted as high as an opener in domestic cricket. In last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the 30-year-old Patel was the fourth-highest run-getter with 374 runs at an average of 31 and at a strike rate of more than 165. In the same tournament, he was also the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps from 12 innings, averaging near about 16. In his overall career, Harshal has stood out in the limited opportunities that he has got. The Sanand born has 11 fifties to his kitty and is a more than good enough batter to bat at seven, after Jadeja, if Pandya plays as a pure batsman. He would also open a way to play Kuldeep because he can give you the full 10 overs as well, thanks to the 400 domestic wickets that he boasts of. The Other Options The likes of Krunal Pandya that the junior Pandya mentioned are also similar to an Axar Patel or Washington Sundar. But, his out of form touch, as was evident in the recently concluded IPL, means that senior Pandya is not part of the top of contestants. But as and when he finds his touch with both bat and bowl, he surely can be an option. Similar is the case with Shivam Dube. Deepak Hooda though is another option who could be tried but for his on and off performances. While Someone like Kamlesh Nagarkoti or Shivam Mavi are pure bowling all-rounders and they need to prove their mettle with the bat. They have the time in their favour and can work on their skills in the meantime.