Hosts New Zealand hold their nerves to eke out a nervy 7-run win over West Indies at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. New Zealand played the key moments better and in the end deserved the win in the end. Put into bat first, New Zealand rode on a superlative ton from Daryl Mitchell and contributions from the other batters to take the score to 269/7 in 50 overs.
In reply, West Indies tried hard through Sherfane Rutherford’s 55 and others making meaningful contributions. But Kyle Jamieson’s 3-wicket haul was the difference as New Zealand held their nerves and staged off a spirited fightback by the West Indies as the visitors ended up with 262/6 in 50 overs as New Zealand won the contest by 7 runs.
Daryl Mitchell’s superlative ton powers New Zealand to a competitive 269/7.Â
Put into bat first, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra came out to bat for New Zealand while Matthew Forde had ball in hand for West Indies. Conway got things underway with a boundary with a drive through the covers. Jayden Seales had ball in hand from the other end. He started with a maiden over. Forde continued and bowled a miserly over. Seales also kept things under check. Forde bowled another decent over.
Conway broke the shackles by nailing the cover drive off Seales for a boundary. Conway got another boundary in the over as he punched the ball through the covers. Forde then provided the breakthrough for the West Indies removing Ravindra for 4 off 15 balls. Forde bowled a fuller ball outside off-stump from around the wicket. Ravindra pushed at it and got an outside edge to Shai Hope behind the stumps. Will Young walked out to bat in his 50th ODI.
Young fell first ball to Forde for a golden duck as Forde had 2 in 2 balls. Forde from over the wicket bowled a fuller ball outside the off-stump that came in with the angle and nipped away and forced Young to poke at it and got the outside edge to Hope who took the catch easily. Daryl Mitchell came out to bat and negotiated the hat-trick ball easily.
Seales continued as Conway leaned into the drive through the covers for a boundary. Forde continued as Mitchell got into the act as he walked at the ball and made it a half volley before lofting it over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Romario Shepherd came into the attack to bowl the last over of powerplay and he bowled a decent first over despite overstepping. At the end of the first powerplay after 10 overs, New Zealand were 39/2.
Forde continued and bowled a tight over. Shepherd continued and bowled a decent over. Forde continued again as Mitchell broke the shackles by clearing his front leg and heaving it away over deep midwicket for the maximum. Shepherd continued as Conway took on the short ball and pulled it away through square leg for a boundary. He got another boundary away by pulling the short ball to backward square leg. At the end of 14 overs, New Zealand were 62/2 as we paused for the first Drinks Break of the day.
Justin Greaves came into the attack after the break. Mitchell took on the short ball as he rode the bounce and pulled it to forward square leg for a boundary. Chase put down a tough chance as Mitchell got a life off Greaves. Shepherd continued as Mitchell cleared his front leg and lofted it over Shepherd’s head for a boundary. Greaves continued as Conway smacked him over deep cover for the maximum as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Conway hit another boundary with a drive through covers along the ground.
Shamar Springer came into the attack next on debut. Mitchell took him on by leaning forward and clipped it past short fine leg for a boundary. Greaves continued and he got rid of the well set Conway for 49 off 58 balls with 7 fours and one six to his name. Greaves bowled a good length delivery outside the off-stump. Conway drove and got the outside edge to Hope who made no mistake. Tom Latham came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Springer bowled a tight over as New Zealand’s score read 94/3 in 20 overs. Greaves continued as Latham drove the full ball past the bowler for a boundary as the 100 came up for New Zealand in 21 overs. Springer continued and bowled a miserly over. Greaves also bowled a tight over. Springer followed it up with a decent over. Mitchell broke the shackles as he pulled Greaves’ short ball past midwicket for a boundary. At the completion of 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, New Zealand were going steady at 114/3.
Spin was introduced next as Roston Chase came into the attack. Chase bowled a decent first over. Seales came back as Latham pulled the short ball past midwicket for a boundary. But the bowler hit back getting rid of Latham for 18 off 30 balls with 2 fours to his name. Seales bowled a length ball outside the off-stump. Latham looked to guide it very fine to third man and opened the bat face to edge it to the keeper Hope. Michael Bracewell came out to bat next.
Chase continued and felt he had gotten rid of Bracewell as the finger was raised. But the batter reviewed as he had got bat to the ball and replays confirmed the same. The decision was overturned to NOT OUT. Seales continued as Mitchell brought up his 12th ODI fifty in 61 balls and held the innings together. New Zealand reached 129/4 in 29 overs when we again paused for the second and final drinks break of this innings.
Chase continued after the break and bowled a decent over as New Zealand were 133/4 in 30 overs. Shepherd walked off the field with hamstring issues. Seales continued and bowled a miserly over. Chase too kept things under check. Springer came back to bowl. He thought he had Bracewell LBW as the umpire gave him OUT. Another review from the batter and the decision was overturned to NOT OUT. Chase continued and delivered yet another tight over.
Bracewell broke the shackles as he danced down the track and launched Springer down the ground for the maximum. Chase continued and kept things tight. Greaves returned as Mitchell welcomed him back with a boundary by standing tall and smacking it back past the bowler for a boundary. Mitchell hit another boundary off Greaves by swiping it away to the midwicket region for a boundary. Chase continued and bowled a decent over as Mitchell was given a life once again as Jayden Seales dropped the catch.
Greaves continued as Bracewell pulled the short ball through backward square leg for a boundary. Mitchell got a boundary away as well as he played a snap shot through forward square leg for a boundary. Chase continued as Bracewell now survived a scare as a stumping chance went begging by Hope. At the completion of 40 overs, New Zealand were 185/4 and were set for a competitive score from this position.
Forde came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Bracewell then got another life as Campbell put down a dolly at covers off Roston Chase. But Chase hit back and finally got rid of Bracewell for 35 off 52 balls with one four and one six to his name. Chase bowled a length ball on the stumps. Bracewell swung hard without any timing and got the height and not the desired distance. Springer at long-on ran 10 spaces to his left to take it easily. Mitchell Santner the captain came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Forde continued as Mitchell nailed it down the ground for a boundary as the 200 came up for New Zealand in 42.2 overs. Mitchell survived a close caught behind shout as the ball just landed or did not carry to Hope off Forde. Chase came to bowl his final over as Mitchell swung across the line and pushed it away through midwicket region for a boundary. Chase finished his decent spell. Springer continued as Mitchell greeted him with a boundary through long-off. After 45 overs, New Zealand were now at 220/5.
Seales returned and got rid of Santner for 11 off 10 balls. Seales from around the wicket bowled a length delivery on the off-stump. Santner went for a big club down the ground and failed to get the distance as Forde grabbed a simple catch at long-on. Zak Foulkes came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Mitchell then got to his hundred in style with a boundary off Seales as he hooked the short over over backward square leg to complete his 7th ODI ton.
Springer continued and bowled a tight over. Forde came for his final over as Mitchell took him on and executed a powerful lofted shot over long-on for the maximum. Springer came to bowl the 49th over as Foulkes played the reverse scoop off the ball over third man for a boundary. Foulkes played the reverse scoop again over short third man for another boundary. Foulkes did it again as he this time lifted the ball back over the bowler’s head for the third boundary of the over.
Seales came to bowl the final over of the innings as he got rid of Mitchell for 119 off 118 balls with 12 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Seales returned from over the wicket bowled a slower bouncer on the off-stump. Mitchell failed to get the distance on his pull and it went straight to deep midwicket for an easy catch as a magnificent innings came to an end. Kyle Jamieson came out to bat next.
He got off the mark soon. Runs came in ones and twos towards the end as New Zealand ended with 269/7 in 50 overs with Foulkes remained unbeaten on 22 off 16 balls with 3 fours to his name while Jamieson remained unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball. 10 extras given by the fielding side.
West Indies bowled decently out there. Jayden Seales was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/41 in 9 overs. Matthew Forde finished with 2/55 in 10 overs. Roston Chase finished with 1/37 in 10 overs. Justin Greaves finished with 1/54 in 8 overs. Shamar Springer finished with 0/59 in 9 overs. Romario Shepherd finished with 0/23 in 4 overs. This meant the target for West Indies was 270 off 50 overs.
Kyle Jamieson’s 3-wicket haul restricts West Indies to 262/6 and gives New Zealand a 7-run win.Â
Chasing 270 for the win, John Campbell and Alick Athanaze came out to open the batting for West Indies while Kyle Jamieson had ball in hand for New Zealand. Jamieson gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side. Matt Henry had ball in hand from the other end. He started with a maiden over. Jamieson continued as Campbell swung the bat and drove him through the covers for a boundary. Jamieson then hit back and got rid of Campbell for 4 off 9 balls with one boundary to his name.
Jamieson bowled a length delivery at the leg and middle stump line. Campbell got back to defend as he expected an away swinging ball that held its line and deceived him on the inside edge and it cut him into half and took the thin feather through to the keeper as Tom Latham dived to his right to take the catch. Keacy Carty came out to bat next. Henry continued and bowled a decent over. Jamieson bowled a maiden over. Henry kept things under check.
Jamieson continued as Athanaze broke the shackles by playing a cover drive for a boundary. Henry continued as Athanaze got closer to the line and drove it past mid-off for a boundary. Zak Foulkes came into the attack next. He started his spell with a decent over. Henry came to bowl the final over of powerplay and bowled another tight over. At the end of the powerplay, West Indies were off to a steady start at 32/1 in 10 overs.
Foulkes continued after the powerplay and kept things under check. Henry continued as Carty broke the shackles by punching the ball through cover point for a boundary. Carty got another boundary away through long leg for a boundary. Foulkes bowled another decent over. Jacob Duffy came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over as the 50 came up for West Indies in 14 overs. Foulkes continued and bowled another decent over. Duffy bowled a maiden over. West Indies were 52/1 in 16 overs as we paused for the first Drinks Break of the run chase.
Foulkes continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Duffy bowled another maiden over. Captain Mitchell Santner came onto bowl next. He too started with a tight over. Duffy continued as the 50-run stand came up between the two batters. Athanaze broke the shackles as he snapped it over deep midwicket for the maximum. West Indies reached 70/1 in 20 overs.
Santner continued and broke through for New Zealand as he dismissed Athanaze for 29 off 58 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name. Santner bowled a length delivery on the stumps as Athanaze swept it with power but it flew straight to Young at square leg who took a good catch to send him backing. Captain Shai Hope came out to bat next. Hope got off the mark with a boundary by cutting it late past gully for a boundary.
Duffy thought he had gotten rid of Hope but the captain reviewed and got the decision overturned in his favour. Santner bowled another good over. Duffy bowled a decent over. Santner kept things tight as West Indies at the halfway stage of the chase were 87/2. Jamieson came back into the attack and removed Carty for 32 off 67 balls with 2 fours to his name.
Jamieson from over the wicket bowled a full length delivery outside the off-stump as Carty looked to use the pace but sliced it straight into the hands of the fielder at backward point. Young took another sharp catch. Sherfane Rutherford came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Santner continued and bowled a maiden over. Jamieson continued as Rutherford broke the shackles as he swivelled it to pull it over deep forward square leg for the maximum. The 100 came up for West Indies in 28 overs.
Santner continued and bowled tight over. Jamieson continued and kept things under check as West Indies were 104/3 in 30 overs and needed 166 runs from 20 overs with 7 wickets in hand. Santner continued and bowled another tight over. Drinks was taken after 31 overs with the score at 107/3. Michael Bracewell came into the attack after the Break. Hope broke the shackles by playing a lofted off-drive over long-off for the maximum.
Foulkes came back into the attack as Hope pounced on the width offered and flat batted it past mid-on for a boundary. Bracewell continued as Rutherford took it on by dancing down the track and got it down the ground into the sight screen for the maximum. Foulkes returned and got the prized scalp of West Indies captain Shai Hope for 37 off 45 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name.
Foulkes bowled a hard length delivery at the middle stump and was not at an ideal height for the pull but Hope went fort it and mistimed it up in the air as the ball flew towards the deep square leg where Ravindra took the catch. Roston Chase came out to bat next. Bracewell continued as Rutherford cut it hard past backward point for a boundary. Foulkes continued as Rutherford hooked it over the keeper’s head for a boundary. Henry returned and bowled a quiet over.
Santner returned as Chase took him on by getting down on one knee and slog swept it over fine leg for the maximum. Henry continued and got rid of Chase for 16 off 17 balls with a maximum to his name. Henry bowled short of the wicket on the stumps and the ploy worked. Hope played a false hook shot high in the air as Foulkes took the catch. Justin Greaves came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. West Indies were 172/5 in 40 overs and needed 98 runs off the last 60 balls.
Santner continued and bowled a decent over. Jamieson continued as Rutherford hit him for a boundary