NZ clinch ODI series after close win

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

West Indies produced a heroic bowling performance but were defied by a captain’s knock by Mitchell Santner to fall to a heartbreaking one-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the fourth one- day international yesterday.

Santner scored a crucial, unbeaten 34 to marshal the lower order and lead his side to 189 for nine in 44.1 overs in response to the home side’s below par score of 188 at Kensington Oval.

The win gave New Zealand an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, with the final game to be played tomorrow at the same venue.

Before the match – the 50th ODI at Kensington Oval – tributes were made in honour of the late Sir Garfield Sobers, who passed away on Friday.

Having spoken of wanting to win the series in honour of a man widely regarded as the best cricketer of all time, Shai Hope’s troops were one catch away from pulling off a memorable victory and levelling the series following a spectacular spell of spin bowling by Gudakesh Motie, who grabbed a maiden ODI five-wicket haul.

Needing wickets after posting another disappointing total, pacer Matthew Forde had Henry Nicholls caught behind off the fourth ball of the innings without a run on the board.

Forde was back in the thick of things in his next over, holding on to a superb return catch to dismiss Nick Kelly for three to leave the Kiwis six for two.

Will Young and Mark Chapman put on 40 runs for the third wicket before the former was undone by a beautiful delivery from Jayden Seales that he could only edge behind to the wicketkeeper.

Motie’s first wicket was that of Tom Latham’s, who pulled a full toss straight to Justin Greaves at midwicket to leave the game in the balance at 77 for four.

Chapman and Michael Bracewell looked to have put the game out of reach of the West Indies during a 65-run partnership that carried the visitors within sight of a comfortable win at 142 for five.

Motie made the breakthrough by having Chapman spectacularly taken at deep backward square by a diving Sherfane Rutherford for 80 off 82 balls, and after a brief 25-minute stoppage due to rain, he bowled Bracewell for 32 to leave the game interestingly poised at 149 for six in the 30th over.

Nathan Smith was then bowled by Alzarri Joseph, and Motie shattered the stumps of Jacob Duffy and Matthew Fisher in quick succession, to put the Windies on the brink of a remarkable victory with New Zealand wobbling on 180 for nine.

However, Santner, who was named Player-of-the-Match, defied them by expertly shielding last man Jayden Lennox, to score the nine runs required for victory.

Motie was the Windies’ best bowler with 5-47, while Forde took 2-44.

Earlier, after being sent in to bat for the third straight match, the West Indies suffered a middle order collapse that saw them crumble from 54 for one to 81 for six.

It took the efforts of Amir Jangoo (51) and Motie (41) to get them up to a respectable total, with the two adding 81 runs for the seventh wicket.