Shimron Hetmyer produced a composed unbeaten 69 as West Indies defeated New Zealand by two wickets in a tense final ODI at Bridgetown.
Chasing 269, West Indies overcame a major slowdown against New Zealand’s spinners before Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford changed the direction of the match. The hosts reached 269/8 to claim a consolation victory, although New Zealand had already secured the five-match series.
Rutherford and Hetmyer Revive the Chase
West Indies began brightly through Ackeem Auguste and Justin Greaves, who added 57 runs from only 36 balls for the opening wicket.
The momentum disappeared once New Zealand introduced spin. Mitchell Santner and Jayden Lennox restricted the scoring through the middle overs, while Keacy Carty struggled to rotate the strike.
Carty made 20 from 54 balls, the slowest innings of at least 20 runs by a West Indies batter since Marlon Samuels scored 25 from 65 deliveries against Pakistan in 2013.
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Captain Shai Hope also fell while trying to break the pressure, dismissed by a short delivery from Lennox with West Indies still requiring another 151 runs.
Rutherford and Hetmyer then launched the recovery. They added 95 from 90 balls for the fifth wicket, using aggressive footwork and powerful sweeping to disrupt New Zealand’s spinners.
Rutherford survived an important chance on seven when Will Young dropped him at deep square leg. He took advantage of the reprieve, reaching 61 and recording only his second score above fifty in his previous 15 ODI innings.
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Hetmyer Finishes the Job
New Zealand fought back when Jacob Duffy claimed two wickets in consecutive deliveries during the 45th over, exposing the West Indies lower order.
Hetmyer was receiving fluids treatment on the pitch but stepped in at the right time as the equation tightened to 21 runs from 32 balls with only two wickets remaining.
The left-hander refused to panic. He struck Duffy for two sixes, punishing a low full toss before launching a slower delivery into the stadium roof.
Hetmyer finished unbeaten on 69 from 64 balls, ensuring West Indies completed the chase with two wickets in hand. It was only the third time he had remained not out in a successful ODI chase and comfortably his most influential finishing performance.
Three Half-Centuries Lift New Zealand
Earlier, New Zealand posted 268/9, the highest first-innings total of the series. Will Young scored 56 from 63 balls despite dealing with extra bounce, while Nick Kelly contributed 64 from 80 deliveries. Tom Latham top-scored with an efficient 69 as the visitors built their total through several useful partnerships.
However, West Indies’ pace attack prevented any of the three half-centurions from converting their starts into a major score.
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Alzarri Joseph bowled with pace and control, particularly during a second spell of 3-1-6-1 that slowed New Zealand just before the final ten overs. The visitors managed only six boundaries during that closing phase.
Joseph finished with 2/38, while 19-year-old wristspinner Vitel Lawes took 2/63. Lawes dismissed Young and Mark Chapman, who had scored 80 in the previous ODI.
Lennox Completes Outstanding Series
Jayden Lennox continued his remarkable series by claiming 3/35. The spinner finished with 14 wickets across the five matches, surpassing several legendary names on the list of most wickets taken by a spinner in a bilateral ODI series.
Jacob Duffy also took three wickets, but New Zealand’s late effort was not enough to deny West Indies.
Although the result did not change the destination of the series, the victory provided West Indies with valuable confidence ahead of their World Cup qualification campaign. After appearing close to another collapse, the hosts found a way to recover and complete a difficult chase under pressure.
