28 Jul 2015

Black Caps open tour with win

6:26 am on 28 July 2015

The New Zealand cricketers have opened their tour of Southern Africa with a convincing Twenty/20 win over a club side in South Africa.

The Black Caps batsman Tom Latham.

The Black Caps batsman Tom Latham. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The Black Caps beat the North West Club in Potchefstroom by 73 runs.

New Zealand made 201 for 4 with Tom Latham hitting 60, Jimmy Neesham 54 and Kane Williamson 44.

Neesham took 2 for 22 as the locals finished on 128 for 5.

It was a good outing for all-rounder Neesham, who had not played for the Black Caps since the tour of the United Arab Emirates last year against Pakistan, as he returned from a stress fracture in his back.

Neesham, who has played 15 One Day Internationals for New Zealand, starred with the bat hitting an unbeaten 54 from only 29 balls and then picked up two wickets with the ball in a complete performance.

Tom Latham hit an unbeaten 60 from 39 balls, Kane Williamson hit 44 from 35 balls and debutant George Worker and unbeaten 26 from 11 balls.

The Black Caps total could have been 201-1 with three batsmen Latham, Neesham and Worker all retired by coach Mike Hesson to rotate the time in the middle.

Latham, who is likely to join Martin Guptill in the opening pair for the upcoming ODI series, delivered at the top with six fours and a six.

Skipper Williamson at the other end was at his effortless best as he hit eight fours around the full wagon wheel of the Potch ground.

When the Black Caps reached 123 in the 14th over, Latham was retired and Neesham made his way out to the middle for New Zealand for the first time in almost nine months.

Neesham was straight into his work and produced a powerful innings of shot making that included five fours and two sixes to continue the momentum.

With the ball he took 2 wickets for 22 runs from 3 overs, while Worker had 1 for 13, Ben Wheeler 1 for 14 and leg spinner Ish Sodhi 1 for 20.

The bowling effort was also a success for Adam Milne (4 overs, none for 37), who returned for the Black Caps for the first time since being ruled out of the Cricket World Cup with a heel injury.

The Black Caps will play a 35 over match against North West Cricket Club tomorrow at Potchefstroom in their final warm up game ahead of the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare this weekend.