Neesham to open in T20s

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Having won the three-Test series 2-1 last week, New Zealand can now turn their attention to the tour-ending T20Is that will take place at Windsor Park in Roseau, Dominica on Sunday and Monday.

And the Black Caps are expected to make at least one change with Neesham set to be elevated up the order against the ICC World Twenty20 semi-finalists, who lost to Sri Lanka in April.

The 23-year-old has consolidated himself as a reliable middle-order batsman and he further demonstrated his credentials with knocks of 78 and 51 in the final Test as New Zealand defeated the West Indies by 53 runs to win the three-match series.

But coach Mike Hesson has confirmed he will test Neesham - a player with just seven games of experience in the shortest format of cricket - in the opening position as his team looks to improve, having managed to score just 60 runs against Sri Lanka in their most recent T20I in March.

''In short form cricket he's batted as high as three and opened before in domestic cricket when he was with Auckland so we know he's got the capabilities," Hesson told Fairfax NZ ahead of a repeat of January's two-game T20 series in New Zealand that saw the All Blacks win 2-0.

"We also know that in our one-day side we've struggled to get both Corey [Anderson] and James into our line-up. We want to see James at the top of the order and see how he goes.

''In a squad of 15 we need a number of guys that can cover that position and we certainly see that he can do that. This is a really good opportunity to see how he goes and there could be some other opportunities leading up to the World Cup."

New Zealand will be significantly boosted by the news that the West Indies will rest big-hitting opener Chris Gayle.

The West Indies will also be without injured all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, though Kieron Pollard returns to a squad that has won three of its past four T20 games.

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