New Zealand defeated the West Indies by four wickets in the third one-day international on Saturday. The win completed a 3-0 series sweep.
The West Indies struggled once again with the bat. Their top order collapsed for 161 in Hamilton. New Zealand chased the target with ease, reaching 162-6 in 30.2 overs.
The chase began poorly. New Zealand lost three early wickets for just 32 runs. Mark Chapman steadied the innings with 64 runs. Michael Bracewell added an unbeaten 40 to guide his team home.
Matt Henry starred with the ball, taking 4-43. The match was the most one-sided of the series. New Zealand celebrated their clean sweep after already winning the T20 series 3-1.
The two teams will now move on to a three-Test series starting in Christchurch on December 2. Henry, expected to be a key player in the Tests, said the team hopes to continue their winning form.
“It’s an exciting stretch of cricket coming up,” he said. “We have been winning some key moments, and everyone is stepping up in different ways, which is great.”
The West Indies won the toss but struggled to build partnerships. Captain Shai Hope scored a century in the second game, but the top order failed to produce runs consistently. He said the batting performance in Hamilton was unacceptable.
“Again, we’re just not clicking with the bat,” Hope said. “We haven’t adapted quickly enough to the conditions. We didn’t get the flow or momentum.”
Henry made an early impact, taking two wickets in three balls in his third over. He dismissed opener Ackeem Auguste for 17 and Keacy Carty without scoring. Wickets fell regularly, including Hope, who was caught for 16 off Zak Foulkes.
Roston Chase led a late resistance for the West Indies, scoring 38 before being dismissed by Henry.
For New Zealand, top-order batsmen Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, and Will Young fell early. Chapman and Bracewell added 75 runs for the fifth wicket to secure the win. Chapman hit eight fours and two sixes in his 63-ball innings, reaching 50 for the seventh time in his career.
