Liam Napier looks at five key talking points from the Black Caps' five -run win over West Indies.
Who would be a death bowler?
Kane Williamson gambled at the death and almost lost. Going all-out attack with trump cards Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult, in the hope of taking the one final scalp, was the right tactic but it didn't quite come off. Matt Henry and Jimmy Neesham would not be the first choice death bowlers but they were then left to finish the job. When Henry went for three successive sixes, 25 runs, from the 48th over, the game was suddenly the West Indies to lose. Henry, who finished with 1-76 from nine overs, will have nightmares about the Windies, having clocked a century in the warm up match in Bristol against the same opposition. Fortunately, Neesham stepped up with four dot balls to frustrate Carlos Brathwaite into swinging for one final blow to end the match. Trent Boult took a brilliant catch on the boundary, and the rest is history. There will, however, be lingering concerns about New Zealand's ability to cope with power hitting such as this. And would Henry have been trusted to bowl the final over?
It ain't over till it's over:
Carlos Brathwaite, what an innings. At 211-8 and 245-9 chasing 292 for victory, the West Indies were done. Dead and buried. Surely? No one told Brathwaite. With 101 from 82 balls that included five sixes and nine boundaries, it almost deserved to be the match-winning knock. Brathwaite scored all 41 runs of the final wicket partnership. If he had his time again, no doubt he would take more time and pick the right ball to finish the job. He had done all the hard work. Time was on his side. Then again, there were only inches and Trent Boult's hands between him and glory. The ecstasy and agony of sport was there for all to see as Brathwaite collapsed to his knees. Ross Taylor had to help him to his feet, such was the disappointment at falling agonisingly short.
Trent Boult holds it:
Nerves of steel. One of three culprits to drop Chris Gayle earlier, Boult must have been nervous as the final Brathwaite blow flew his way at deep long on. This was all or nothing. Boult never looked like shelling this one, taking a superb catch and keeping his feet just inside the rope. After leading the attack with 4-30 from 10 overs on a flat track, in combination with Lockie Ferguson's 3-59, Boult then summed up the heart-stopping ride from the Black Caps.
"It's been an emotional rollercoaster sitting there with the pads on at times and then being under the pump with the ball. It's what it's all about. I'm sure there will be a lot of proud Kiwis back home diving into their poached eggs watching a result like that. It's nice to be on the right side, and to be put under pressure with both facets of the game. I'm sure that'll give us confidence moving deeper into the tournament."
Chris Gayle, world boss
Made the most of three lives to get the Windies off to a flier with an innings of 87 from 84 balls that featured six sixes, turning back the clock. Also ended New Zealand's 160-run partnership between Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor when he induced the latter to taking him on to fall for 69. Gayle then produced the comical moment of the tournament when he punched the air in jubilation, feeling an immediate twinge in his near 40-year-old right shoulder. Didn't seem to trouble him too much when batting, mind.
Colin Munro:
Must be running out of chances. Sure, Martin Guptill also perished in the same first over but he has much more credit in the bank. Other than the opening match against Sri Lanka, when he made a half century under no scoreboard pressure, Munro has failed to inspire. In fact, he's getting progressively worse with scores of 24, 22, 9 and 0. Henry Nicholls surely deserves a crack to see if he can provide a better alternative ahead of the defining stages of this tournament.