Mumbai: New Zealand found some much-needed momentum heading into the ODI series against India, as they beat Board President’s XI by 33 runs after Ross Taylor and Tom Latham struck breezy centuries in a warm-up match here on Thursday.
Owing to Taylor’s 102 and Latham’s 108 (both retired out) on a flat Brabourne Stadium track, New Zealand notched up a mammoth 343 for nine in the allotted 50 overs.
The visitors then bowled out Board President’s XI for 310 in 47.1 overs for a nice comeback win, two days after losing the opening practice game.
Electing to bat, Taylor (102 off 83 balls) and Latham (108 off 97 balls) struck magnificent tons, to set it up for New Zealand.
Mitchell Santner (3-44), Tim Southee (2-22) and Colin Munro (2-25) were the chief wicket-takers, boosting their confidence ahead of the three-match series, which will be followed by as many T20 Internationals.
A 71-run seventh-wicket partnership between Gurkeerat Maan (65 off 46 balls) and Karn Sharma (19 off 25 balls) and a 64-run ninth-wicket stand, off 46 balls, between Jaydev Unadkat (44 off 24 balls) and Dhawal Kulkarni (24) only delayed the inevitable.
Unadkat hit Santner for two fours and a six in the 44th over, before being caught by Glenn Phillis off Matt Henry, while Mann struck seven fours and three sixes.
Earlier, Taylor and the left-handed Latham, steered the visitors out of trouble with a 167-run fourth-wicket stand, which came off 137 deliveries.
Latham, too, retired out after racing to his ton with a towering six over deep-square leg. Taylor, who made 34 in the first warm-up game, was the cynosure of all eyes. While he brought up his fifty in 38 balls, he reached the three-figure mark in 81, by taking a cheeky single in the 38th over.
The seasoned Taylor played some eloquent cover-drives, cuts and pull-shots, lacing his knock with 14 fours and a six. The right-handed batsman who got a life on 77, when BPXI skipper Shreyas Iyer dropped a sitter at point, made most of it. Taylor kept the spin duo of Karn Sharma and Shahbaz Nadeem at bay and so did Latham, whose knock comprised seven fours and a six. Latham, who initially played a sheet anchor’s role and aided Taylor, took the opposition bowlers to task with his sweeps and pulls.
