Daryl Mitchell struck a match-winning century as New Zealand defeated the West Indies by seven runs in an exciting match on the opening One-Day International at the Hagley Oval in New Zealand.
Player-of-the-Match Mitchell smashed 119 off 118 balls to help the home side post a competitive 269 for seven, after being sent into bat.
A slow start to their run chase damaged their innings as the West Indies ended just short on 262 for six from their allotted overs, despite a valiant effort by Sherfane Rutherford and the lower-order batsmen.
The visitors were disappointed that they allowed New Zealand to reach their eventual total, having restricted them to 141 for four at the end of 34 overs.
Matthew Forde dismissed Rachin Ravindra and Will Young off consecutive balls in the seventh over to leave them 24 for two.
Following a 67-run partnership between Mitchell and opener Devon Conway, who made 49 off 58 balls, Justin Greaves had Conway caught behind, and Jayden Seales dismissed Tom Latham in a similar fashion for 18.
Mitchell and Michael Bracewell then set out to repair the damage, but the latter was dismissed for 35 to make the score 192 for five.
Captain Mitchell Santner only made 11 before he was dismissed by Seales. Mitchell eventually reached his seventh ODI century off 107 balls by belting Seales to the boundary.
He was dismissed by Seales in the last over of the innings, but it was a bit too late; he struck 12 fours and two sixes, with New Zealand gathering 128 runs from the last 16 overs.
Seales was the Windies’ best bowler with 3-41, while Forde took 2-55.
The West Indies didn’t have the best start and lostJohn Campbell with only 10 runs on the board.
Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty added 60 runs for the second wicket, but needed 18 overs to do so.
Both fell in quick succession. Santner had Athanaze caught for 29, and Kyle Jamieson accounted for Carty for 32. This saw the Windies slip to 87 for three in the 26th over.
Hope and Rutherford rebuilt the innings in a 51-run partnership for the fourth wicket. The run rate was still too slow.
Hope fell for 37. When Roston Chase pulled to fine leg, the West Indies were struggling at 169 for five in the 40th over.
Needing 98 runs from the last 10 overs, Rutherford began to accelerate, and he reached his half-century by hitting Santner for six.
Jamieson claimed Rutherford’s wicket in the next over. Rutherford scored 55 off 61 balls, including three sixes and three fours.
Justin Greaves and Romario Shepherd tried their best, and it came down to the Windies requiring 20 runs off the last over bowled by Jacob Duffy.He conceded 11 runs off his first four balls, but when Shepherd failed to hit the penultimate delivery, it signalled the end of the contest.
