Thumping process complete, New Zealand choke again, lose series 1-4

The series was done and dusted but both teams were playing for pride. The Kiwis were desperate for a win to end the series 2-3 while the home side wanted a thumping 4-1 result and take the momentum into the Tests. It was a beautiful day at St. Kitts and West Indian skipper Darren Sammy won the toss yet again and chose to bat once more.

The hosts were unchanged from the previous game while the Kiwis had made three changes. Daniel Flynn, Andrew Ellis and Kyle Mills were picked and Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum and Doug Bracewell were left out. The pitch looked more or less the same, doing a bit in the initial overs, then becoming a good one to bat upon but supporting plenty of turn.

The opening pair of Johnson Charles and Chris Gayle started off well, but then, were quickly sent back to the pavilion. When Dwayne Smith fell in the 9th over, the Kiwis were all over the hosts and at the end of the Quick Start Overs, with the score reading 44/3, it looked a similar story to the previous game.

Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo then got together and stitched together a nice 60-run stand which included 14 runs from Powerplay 2. Samuels’ departure followed by Pollard’s led to some nervy signs in the dressing room of the hosts but Devon Thomas played yet another good innings, adding 53 for the 6th wicket with Bravo. The lower order this time could not do much and the Windies were looking down and out at 180/8 in the 44th over but Andre Russell played a gem of a cameo, scoring an unbeaten 59 from 40 balls, with 6 fours and 3 biggies, to take the home side to 241/9, scoring 77/2 in the Extreme Performance Overs. Andre Russell finished with the best Batting Momentum of 111 while the bowling was good from the Kiwi side, with Kyle Mills and Tim Southee picking up 3 wickets apiece and the latter finishing with a Bowling Efficiency of 254.

Have a look at the scorecard.

Similar to the other games. the Kiwis lost an early wicket, this time in the form of Rob Nicol, in the very first over. Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum then counter-attacked to take New Zealand to 55/1 by the end of the Quick Start Overs, needing 187 from 240 balls for victory. But then, McCullum’s wicket  set the cat free amongst the pigeons.

Sunil Narine produced a beauty to take the outside edge of McCullum and Guptill followed a few overs later. The Kiwis were stifled and this was evident from the fact that just 7 runs came in Powerplay 2 for the loss of a wicket.

Ross Taylor and Daniel Flynn departed in quick succession and the Black Caps were fast sliding towards defeat now with Tom Latham dismissed just towards the start of Powerplay 3. But Kane Williamson and Andrew Ellis put up a brave fight.

They added 29 runs in Powerplay 3 and stretched the partnership to 68 runs before Gayle pulled off a stunner to dismiss Williamson and that effectively was the end of the game for the visitors. 

The Kiwis were eventually bowled out for 221 on the last ball of the 50th over, losing by 20 runs. Williamson top scored with 69 and finished with a Batting Momentum of 84 while Sunil Narine picked up his maiden ODI 5-wicket haul, finishing with a Bowling Efficiency of 415.

West Indies finished with a Castrol Index of 53 while New Zealand finished second best on 46. The Black Caps did well in the Quick Start Overs.

Sunil Narine was named the Man Of The Match and he finished with 90 points on the Castrol Index, easily the best of all. For New Zealand, Tim Southee was the best bet with 65 points.

The teams will now be involved in a 2-match Test series starting on Wednesday, 25th July 2012 at 1400 GMT at Antigua.