WATCH | Kiwis Players Exhibit 'Spirit of Cricket' In ICC U-19 WC, Carry Injured WI Batsman Off Field

The heartwarming gesture on display by the young Black Caps cricketer is yet another prominent example of the Spirit of Cricket being held to the core amid the rivalry between teams to battle hard on the field.

New Zealand vs West Indies ICC Under 19 World Cup (Image ICC Twitter Handle)

New Delhi: Sportsmanship of the highest order came to the fore during the West Indies vs New Zealand ICC Under-19 World Cup quarterfinal played on Thursday as Kiwis players Jesse Tashkoff and Joey Field helped carry injured Windies batsman Kirk McKenzie off the field. The heartwarming gesture on display by the young Black Caps cricketer  is yet another prominent example of the Spirit of Cricket being held to the core amid the rivalry between teams to battle hard on the field. McKenzie suffered severe cramps in his leg and was forced to retire hurt on 99, but made a valiant effort to return to face the final 14 deliveries of the innings after West Indies had lost their ninth wicket. After struggling to get back to the crease to bat, he was dismissed in the first ball he faced and misse out on a well deserved century.

An outstanding show of sportsmanship earlier today in the game between West Indies and New Zealand ???? #U19CWC | #SpiritOfCricket | #FutureStars pic.twitter.com/UAl1G37pKj

— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) January 29, 2020

Cue the intervention of the sportsmanlike Kiwi duo, who carried the badly-cramped McKenzie off the field while being applauded back to the pavilion by the fans at Benoni's Willowmoore Park in South Africa. The gesture was applauded by the cricketing fraternity with India vice-captain Rohit Sharma also praising the New Zealand players. "So good to see this #SpiritOfCricket at its best," Rohit tweeted along with the video of the incident.