AUCKLAND, New Zealand

(CMC):

Chris Gayle's tremendous power-hitting lifted West Indies to a momentous win yesterday when the first-ever 'super over' was used as a tie-breaker for the first Twenty20 International.

After the two sides battled astonishingly to their second consecutive tie in a Twenty20 fixture, Gayle lashed three massive sixes in the decisive super over and left the field to a standing ovation as more than 20,000 fans at Eden Park witnessed the first 'super over' elimination in cricket history.

New Zealand had scored 155 for seven off their 20 overs and West Indies replied with 155 for eight in a dramatic finish, that sent the game into the first ever super over tie-breaker that would see each team facing a single over to score as many runs as possible.

Shouldered responsibility

Gayle, who had already factored considerably in the game as top-scorer with a half-century and leading West Indies bowler, shouldered the responsibility again in the tie-breaker and smashed all 25 runs in the West Indies' super over.

New Zealand's reply against the left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn only amounted to 15, handing the West Indies a famous win.

After choosing to bat, the Black Caps made a fair, but unspectacular start. Brendon McCullum smashed three boundaries off Lionel Baker, but was the first to fall - at 21 for one - when he went at the Montserratian medium pacer again and was caught at mid-on by Benn off the last ball of the third over.

McCullum made 14 off 10 balls. Fidel Edwards used his first ball of the match to bowl Jesse Ryder for 12, breaching the left-hander's defence as he pushed forward at 37 for two in the sixth over. It became 70 for three in the 10th over when Scott Styris (21) gave an easy return catch to slow medium pacer Kieron Pollard.

Potentially dangerous Jacob Oram went next for 13 off 14 balls at 104 for four in the 15th over.

Four balls later, Gayle clutched a sharp return catch when the left-handed James Franklin (2) stroked a firm knee-height drive back at him.

Ross Taylor was the engine of the New Zealand innings with a shot-filled 63 off 50 balls, laced with four fours and four sixes.

But Taylor soon missed his trademark cracking shot through the on-side and had his leg stump knocked over by a quick delivery from Jerome Taylor at 142 for six in the 19th over.

Gayle dislodged Daniel Flynn (10) caught at cover by Edwards in the last over and did well to restrict the Black Caps to just six runs in that final over. The spinners were easily the best for the Caribbean side, Gayle finishing with two for 16 off three overs and Benn, one for 20 off four.

Set 156 to win, West Indies opted to promote batting ace Shivnarine Chanderpaul to open with Gayle and the pair started positively.

They marched to 19 in the first two overs with Gayle thumping three boundaries off young pacer Tim Southee.

But pacer Kyle Mills struck with the first ball of the third over to remove Chanderpaul (6) via a return catch. Mills reacted very quickly and snared a sharp falling catch to his left.

New batsman Xavier Marshall got into stride quickly and before the wicket-taking third over had ended, the 22-year-old right-hander had taken a four and a six off Mills.

End wicket stand

Aggressive Gayle then banged Southee for a four and consecutive sixes in the next over as the Windies rushed to 47 for one off just four overs.

Daniel Vettori's first ball of the match removed Marshall (28 off 24 balls) to end the 63-run second-wicket stand.

Ramnaresh Sarwan's struggling form continued. He made only four before lofting an easy catch to Daniel Flynn at point off Vettori and Gayle fell for 67 in the next over trying to attack the off-spinner Patel.

Pollard, one of the new players arriving from the Caribbean for the limited overs phase of the series, struck Patel for six over midwicket the first ball he received but soon fell for seven to Vettori, caught by Patel on the long-on boundary.

Carlton Baugh (2) perished cheaply in the next over to a loose shot against Patel and the West Indies began sliding toward defeat in a game they had looked perfectly on course to win.

With 16 runs to win from two overs, West Indies gained some momentum when number eight batsman Taylor played a very cheeky shot to the boundary over the fine leg fielder and they entered the last over needing seven to win.

It looked grim for West Indies with six runs to get a victory from the last two balls, but Benn collected a boundary when he edged a wide full toss to the third-man boundary and then stroked the last ball to point and grabbed a single to tie the game.

NEW ZEALAND INNINGS

J Ryder b Edwards 12 +B McCullum c Benn b Baker 14 R Taylor b Taylor 63 S Styris c&b Pollard 21 J Oram c Marshall b Benn 13 J Franklin c&b Gayle 2 D Flynn c Edwards b Gayle 10 K Mills not out 10 *D Vettori not out 2 Extras: (lb1, w6, nb1) 8 TOTAL: (for 7 wickets - 20 overs) 155

Did not bat: T Southee, J Patel

Fall of wickets: 1-21 (McCullum), 2-37 (Ryder), 3-70 (Styris), 4-104 (Oram), 5-112 (Franklin); 6-142 (Taylor), 7-149 (Flynn).

Bowling: Baker 4-0-32-1 (1nb, 1w); Taylor 4-0-33-1 (4w); Edwards 3-0-28-1; Benn 4-0-20-1; Pollard 2-0-25-1; Gayle 3-0-16-2 (1w).

WEST INDIES INNINGS

*C Gayle c Taylor b Patel 67 S Chanderpaul c&b Mills 6 X Marshall b Vettori 28 R Sarwan c Flynn b Vettori 4 S Findlay c wkp McCullum b Southee 19 K Pollard c Patel b Vettori 7 +C Baugh c wkp McCullum b Patel 2 J Taylor not out 11 F Edwards run out (wkp McCullum) 1 S Benn not out 5 Extras: (lb4, w1) 5 TOTAL (for 8 wickets - 20 overs) 155

Did not bat: L Baker Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Chanderpaul), 2-82 (Marshall), 3-109 (Sarwan), 4-114 (Gayle), 5-124 (Pollard), 6-130 (Baugh), 7-149 (Findlay), 8-150 (Edwards).

Bowling: Mills 4-0-27-1; Southee 4-0-39-1; Oram 4-0-35-0; Patel 4-0-34-2; Vettori 4-0-16-3.

Super Overs (tie-breaker): West Indies 25-1/ New Zealand 15-2

Result: West Indies win on super over after match was tied. Series: West Indies lead two-match series 1-0. Man of the Match: Chris Gayle (West Indies)