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Ryder and McCullum lay platform

Jesse Ryder

Jesse Ryder swings to leg in his typically entertaining 62 off 41 balls at Seddon Park

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A century opening stand between Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum inspired New Zealand to a 36-run win in the final Twenty20 international against West Indies, their first victory under new coach Andy Moles.

The triumph ended New Zealand’s run of eight Twenty20 losses and ensured they tied the series 1-1 after West Indies won the previous match in Auckland in a super over eliminator.

There was no such drama at Seddon Park in Hamilton, although the departure of McCullum for 59 sparked a batting collapse that saw six wickets fall for 34 runs.

New Zealand made 191 for nine, a total West Indies never looked likely to challenge once Chris Gayle was dismissed by debutant Ewen Thompson for one in the second over.

The prized wicket came off Thompson’s second ball to give the Aucklander a wicket maiden in his first over in international cricket.

The 130-run opening stand between Ryder and McCullum was a New Zealand record for any wicket in a Twenty20 match, the pair having set about the West Indies attack from the start.

Sloppy fielding from the tourists was punished by Ryder, who was dropped on 16 and 49 but peppered the boundary on his way to 62 off 41 balls.

At the other end McCullum was equally as expansive, striking six fours and four sixes in his 34-ball 59.

But when McCullum was caught by Shivnarine Chanderpaul off Gayle, New Zealand`s hopes of breaking through the 200-run mark evaporated as wickets tumbled.

Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum helps Ryder add 130 to pave the way for a comfortable New Zealand victory

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Xavier Marshall pulled off an outstanding diving catch on the boundary to account for Ross Taylor, who was followed by Ryder, Daniel Flynn, Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori as New Zealand slumped to 164 for six.

Kyle Mills and James Franklin added another 20 runs before Franklin, who hit two sixes and a four in his 11-ball 20, perished attempting to clear the rope again, while Mills and Tim Southee fell in the final over.

West Indies' reply got off to the worst possible start with Gayle’s dismissal and, despite a welcome half-century for Ramnaresh Sarwan, who hit three fours and three sixes in his first fifty in Twenty20 cricket, the target never seemed within reach as the New Zealand bowlers put on the squeeze.

Vettori was again the star turn with the ball, taking 2-19 from four overs.

Sarwan was eventually dismissed for 53 when he lofted an Oram slower ball to Southee at deep mid-on.

Marshall and Chanderpaul had fallen cheaply in successive overs, and even a 68-run partnership between Denesh Ramdin (30) and Kieron Pollard (38), who had a below-par day in the field, could not get West Indies close.

New Zealand finished with a flourish as Jeetan Patel, bowled a double wicket maiden in the final over to record figures of 2-12.

The teams head to Queenstown for the opening one-day international on New Year’s Eve.

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