West Indies ended their ODI series on a high. They beat New Zealand by two wickets in the fifth and final match. The game was played at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados . It was a thrilling contest. The result went down to the wire. The home team held their nerve.
The series was already decided. New Zealand had won the first match. West Indies came back strong. They won the second and third matches. New Zealand clinched the series in the fourth game . The final scoreline was 3-2. New Zealand won the series . But West Indies won the final battle.
Shimron Hetmyer was the star. He played a match-winning knock. He remained not out on 69 . He was calm under pressure. He guided his team to victory. The New Zealand vs West Indies 5th ODI highlights were all about Hetmyer. It was a special performance.
New Zealand's Innings: A Solid Total
New Zealand batted first. They posted 268 for 9 in 50 overs . It was a competitive total. They had a solid start. Three of their batsmen scored half-centuries. It looked like they would score more. But they lost wickets at crucial times.
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Will Young played well. He scored 56 runs. He hit six fours and one six . He was the anchor. Nick Kelly was also impressive. He made 64 runs. He played a steady innings. Tom Latham was the top scorer. He made 69 runs. He tried to accelerate late in the innings.
The Middle-Order Collapse
New Zealand were 181 for 3 in the 35th over. They looked set for a big score. They were 230 for 5 with five overs left . They lost wickets in a cluster. They could not get the big finish. Alzarri Joseph bowled very well. He took two wickets. He conceded just 38 runs in his 10 overs . He was the best bowler for West Indies.
The score of 268 was defendable. It was the highest first-innings total of the series . But the pitch was good for batting. The West Indies chase was on.
West Indies Chase: A Rollercoaster Ride
West Indies started their chase aggressively. They needed 269 runs to win. The openers were attacking. Ackeem Auguste scored 34 runs. He hit four fours and two sixes. Justin Greaves made 22 runs. They put on a quick stand of 57 runs. The home crowd was excited.
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They lost both openers in quick succession. Then Shai Hope and Keacy Carty steadied the innings. They put on 59 runs for the third wicket . Hope made 39. Carty scored 20. But it was a slow partnership. They played 99 balls for those runs . The pressure was building.
The Hetmyer-Rutherford Partnership
The game changed after Hope and Carty were out. West Indies were 123 for 4 . The chase was in balance. Then Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford came together. They played a brilliant partnership. They added 95 runs for the fifth wicket.
Rutherford was aggressive. He hit five sixes. He scored 61 runs off 58 balls . He took the attack to the New Zealand bowlers. Hetmyer was the anchor. He was calm and collected. He hit four sixes and two fours . Their partnership brought West Indies back into the game.
The Final Over Drama
The match had more twists. Rutherford was out at 218 for 5 . The West Indies still needed 51 runs. Then wickets fell again. Gudakesh Motie was out cheaply.
Then Matthew Forde and Alzarri Joseph were dismissed. They were both out on consecutive deliveries. It was the 45th over.
Jacob Duffy took those wickets. West Indies were 248 for 8. They still needed 21 runs. The game was on a knife's edge. Hetmyer was still there. He was the key. He faced Jacob Duffy. Hetmyer hit two huge sixes. He took the game away from New Zealand. West Indies won with 15 balls to spare . It was a famous victory.
Player of the Match: Shimron Hetmyer
Hetmyer was the player of the match. He scored 69 runs. He was not out. He was under pressure the entire innings. He handled it brilliantly.
He said after the match, I wasn't really thinking about getting a half-century to be honest, I was just thinking about how, I can make sure the team crosses the line. He did exactly that.
Player of the Series: Jayden Lennox
Jayden Lennox was the player of the series. He is a left-arm spinner. He took 14 wickets in the series . He was the main threat for New Zealand. He bowled very well. He took three wickets in the final match. He was very economical. He was the standout performer for the Kiwis.
Key Talking Points from the Match
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Hetmyer's composure: He showed great maturity. He was the calm head in a storm. He finished the game.
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The middle-order fight: West Indies fought back after losing early wickets. They showed great character.
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New Zealand's missed opportunity: They had West Indies under pressure. They were 248 for 8. They could not finish the job.
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The series result: New Zealand won 3-2. It was a great series. It was competitive cricket.
What This Means for Both Teams?
New Zealand will be pleased. They won the series away from home. They showed their quality. They are a strong ODI side. They will take confidence from this series.
West Indies will be disappointed. They lost the series. But they showed fight. They won two games. They played some good cricket. They will take positives from this match. They need to find consistency.
The series was a good one. It was entertaining. It had drama. It had excitement. The final match was the best of them all. It was a fitting end to the tour. The New Zealand vs West Indies 5th ODI highlights will be remembered for a long time.
