New Zealand beats West Indies by 143 runs in second quarter final. Thus, it’s time to wave goodbye to the quarter-finals and to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and West Indies. Four titans remain: New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and India.
With this auspicious victory New Zealand reach the World Cup semifinals for the seventh time and will face South Africa in Auckland. The West Indies won the first two World Cups but haven’t reached the semifinals since 1996.
New Zealand’s Martin Guptill made the highest score in World Cup history with 237 not out against West Indies to send his team into the semi-finals.
His 163-ball innings in Wellington featured 11 sixes and 24 fours and beat the 215 made by West Indies’ Chris Gayle earlier in the tournament.
Guptill, 28, hit 137 from his last 52 balls to help his side post 393-6.
Trent Boult then took four early wickets as New Zealand bowled out the Windies for 250 to seal a 143-run win.
Gayle’s 33-ball 61, featuring eight sixes, entertained the crowd as the Caribbean side scored at a furious pace.
But they continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out in 30.3 overs to spark jubilant scenes in the capital.
New Zealand will now face South Africa in Auckland on Tuesday, with both seeking a first World Cup final appearance.
