Boult leads New Zealand to Windies series sweep

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand completed a clean sweep of the West Indies in their one-day series with a commanding 66-run victory in a rain-affected third and final match here on Tuesday.

With the match reduced to 23-overs-a-side, the West Indies were set a revised target of 166 in reply to New Zealand’s 131.At the close, they were 99 for nine, after recovering from an initial collapse which saw them at nine for five and threatening Zimbabwe’s world record ODI low of 35.

Captain Jason Holder revived the innings with a quick 34 off 21 deliveries.But there was little other resistance as fast bowlers Trent Boult and Matt Henry along with spinner Mitchell Santner took the batting apart.

New Zealand elected to bat first, and were 83 for three after 19 overs when rain forced the players from the field. They added 48 in the four available overs after the resumption.Ross Taylor ended unbeaten on 47 while Tom Latham made 37.

After the Duckworth-Lewis revision, the target of 166 should not have been beyond the World T20 champions, but they found themselves in trouble in the first over.

Chris Gayle, back in action after being sidelined by illness since the half-way stage of the first ODI, only faced six balls in which he hit one boundary before he steered a Henry delivery to Colin Munro at point.

Boult removed Shai Hope (two) in the second over before Henry came back to win a dubious lbw decision against Kyle Hope and the West Indies were seven for three.Boult, in his second over, accounted for Jason Mohammed for one and Chadwick Walton without scoring to put the pressure on Jason Holder to lift his side out of the mire.

Holder put on 48 with Rovman Powell (11) in a sixth-wicket rally but with their departure the innings folded quickly.Boult finished with three for 18, Santner took three for 15 and Henry two for 18.

New Zealand won toss

New Zealand

G Worker b Cottrell 2

C Munro c Gayle b Holder 21

N Broom c Gayle b Cottrell 2

R Taylor not out 47

T Latham st S Hope b Miller 37

H Nicholls not out 18

Extras (lb2, w2) 4

Total (4 wickets, 23.0 overs) 131

Fall: 1-10, 2-26, 3-26, 4-99

Bowling: Cottrell 6-0-19-2 (1w), Holder 6-2-21-1, Miller 5-0-26-1 (1w), Gabriel 4-0-37-0, Nurse 2-0-26-0

West Indies

C Gayle c Munro b Henry 4

C Walton b Boult 0

S Hope c Taylor b Boult 2

K Hope lbw Henry 1

J Mohammed b Boult 1

J Holder c Broom b Santner 34

R Powell c Ferguson b Santner 11

A Nurse b Astle 1

N Miller not out 20

S Cottrell c Henry b Santner 3

S Gabriel not out 12

Extras (w10) 10

Total (9 wickets, 23 overs) 99

Fall: 1-4, 2-6, 3-7, 4-8, 5-9, 6-57, 7-58, 8-64, 9-73

Bowling: Henry 5-1-18-2, Boult 5-0-18-3, Ferguson 4-0-24-0 (4w), Santner 5-0-15-3, Astle 4-0-24-1

Result: New Zealand won by 66 runs

Series: New Zealand won the series 3-0

Umpires: Chris Brown (NZL), Chettithody Shamshuddin (IND). TV Umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS). Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)