Wagner inflicts pain on WI, New Zealand sweep series

Hamilton, December 12 

A brutal spell from Neil Wagner, including three wickets and a broken arm, led New Zealand to a comprehensive victory over West Indies today.

The tourists, set a target of 444, folded at 203/9 at tea on Day Four with Sunil Ambris retired hurt and unable to continue batting.

The 240-run victory saw a dominant New Zealand wrap up the series 2-0 after winning the first Test by an innings.

The hostile Wagner accounted for most of the damage in the second innings with his short-ball barrage targeting the body. Ambris was taken to hospital after a vicious blow to the forearm. He tried to struggle on and reached five before trudging from the field. It ended a tough Test baptism for Ambris who was twice dismissed in his first three innings by treading on his stumps.

Shai Hope, on 23, also required on-field medical attention after being hit on the forearm by a rising Wagner delivery. When play resumed he attempted an ambitious hook at another short delivery and was caught by Colin de Grandhomme at long leg.

Brief Scores: New Zealand: 373 and 291/8 dec; West Indies: 221 (Brathwaite 66; Boult 4/73) and 203 (Chase 64; Wagner 3/42). — AFP

Gayle breaks sixes record in BPL final 

Mirpur: Chris Gayle hit 18 sixes on his way to an unbeaten 146 off 69 balls for Rangpur Riders against Dhaka Dynamites to create T20 cricket history in the Bangladesh Premier League final. Gayle, who was dropped by Shakib Al Hasan on 22, broke his own record which he had set when he smashed 17 sixes in an unbeaten 175 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League’s 2013 final. The 38-year-old Jamaican’s knock also took him past 11,000 runs in the shortest format of the game and made him the first player to score 20 centuries in T20 cricket. Gayle, who has now struck 819 sixes in T20s, last played a T20I for West Indies in September and his last Test was against Bangladesh in 2014. — Reuters

Brief Scores: Rangpur Riders: 206/1 (Gayle 146*, McCullum 51*) bt Dhaka Dynamites: 149/9 (Jahurul 50; Nazmul 2/8).