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Bravo brings New Zealand down to earth

Auckland: Jesse Ryder made a fruitless return to the global stage Thursday, as a new look West Indies attack carved through New Zealand in the opening one-day international Thursday.

Ryder's return after a 22-month exile was the focal point before the match but the swashbuckling opener only lasted five balls to start a New Zealand collapse that ended in the 43rd over for 156.

With the introduction of one-day specialists both sides bear little resemblance to the squads that featured in the just completed Test series comprehensively won by New Zealand.

Any confidence New Zealand took from the Tests quickly evaporated when they faced new arrivals Ravi Rampaul, Dwayne Bravo and Jason Holder.

Only the McCullum brothers Brendon and Nathan offered any serious resistance, contributing 98 of the New Zealand total with the remaining nine scoring a total of just 49 runs with nine extras.

Bravo returned figures of four for 44 while Rampaul and Holder took two wickets apiece.

Ryder was the first to fall, slashing at a wide delivery from Rampaul to be caught by Darren Bravo at cover point without scoring.

Rampaul then captured Martin Guptill (two) leg before wicket with a ball that cut back and Holder ran out dangerman Ross Taylor (three) to have New Zealand in a hole at three for 10 from which they never recovered.

Taylor, New Zealand's anchor man in the Tests, attempted a leg bye after being rapped on the pads by Holder and by the time he realised the run was not on and turned around, the bowler had snapped up the ball and thrown down the stumps.

Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum tried to bat New Zealand out of trouble and added 22 before Holder found the edge of Williamson's bat and he was caught behind for eight.

Bravo, in his first over, lured Corey Anderson (13) into an attempt to clear the boundary but it went high rather than long for Lendl Simmons to take the catch at long-off.

Luke Ronchi fell to Sunil Narine for seven and Jimmy Neesham (10) was undone by the Bravo family act with Darren Bravo taking the catch at cover from the bowling of Dwayne.

Brendon McCullum, who was dropped by Darren Sammy on 29, read the pace of the drop-in wicket well as he compiled 51 off 57 balls, and brought up 5,000 ODI runs, before he was caught lbw by Bravo.

He appealed the decision but although he had stepped well down the wicket the umpire's decision held.

Nathan McCullum (47) and Mitchell McClenaghan (three not out) held off the demise as long as they could, featuring in a nine-over stand worth 44 runs for the last wicket.

( Source : AFP )
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