Gayle surpasses Brian Lara

08-Jul-2012

West Indies won comfortably in the second ODI after centuries from Chris Gayle and the in-form Marlon Samuels. Here are stats highlights from a match lit up again by Gayle's remarkable six-hitting spree.

Gayle's century is his 20th in ODIs. It takes him past Brian Lara on the list of West Indian batsmen with the most ODI centuries. While Lara scored 19 centuries in 295 matches, Gayle has surpassed him in 228 matches. The century is only his fourth in home matches. It is his second century at his home ground (Kingston) after the 123 against India in 2006. Gayle now has an equal distribution of centuries in the first and second innings (ten each).
Gayle's 125 is the fifth-highest score by a West Indian batsman against New Zealand. Brian Lara holds the record with 146 in Trinidad in 1996. Gayle's 125 is also the third-highest score in Kingston. Imran Nazir leads the way with 160 against Zimbabwe during the 2007 World Cup.
Gayle hit nine sixes during his knock of 125. It is the third-highest number of sixes hit by a West Indian batsman in an ODI innings after Xavier Marshall (13) and Kieron Pollard (ten). Only Matthew Hayden has hit more sixes in an ODI against New Zealand (ten).

West Indies' score of 315 is their highest total in ODIs against New Zealand. The previous time they had scored over 300 against New Zealand was in Guwahati in 1994. It is also West Indies' third-highest score in ODIs played in Jamaica.

Marlon Samuels' century is his third in ODIs and his first since his century against Pakistan in Multan in 2006. Samuels has now scored three centuries and 22 fifties at an average of 30.62.

For the eighth time in ODIs, two West Indian batsmen scored a century in the same innings. The last time this happened was in the Champions Trophy game against England in 2006. It is also the eighth time two centuries have been scored in a team innings against New Zealand. The previous occasion this happened was against Australia in Perth in 2007.

The number of sixes in the first innings (13) is the joint second-highest on the list of most sixes hit by West Indies in an ODI. The record is 14 against Canada in 2008. However, there have been three other matches when more sixes have been hit in an innings against New Zealand.

The 129-run stand between Gayle and Samuels is the third-highest third-wicket stand for West Indies against New Zealand. It is also the third-highest third-wicket stand for West Indies in Jamaica and the highest such stand since 2000.

Chris Gayle New Zealand West Indies West Indies vs New Zealand New Zealand tour of United States of America and West Indies Sabina Park

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan is a sub-editor (stats) at ESPNcricinfo