For the first time since March 2020, New Zealand has been dismissed in a 50-over match.
For the first time since March 2020, New Zealand has been dismissed in a 50-over match.
Shamrah Brooks scored 79 runs and shared a 75-run partnership with captain Nicholas Pooran to guide West Indies to a five-wicket win over top-ranked New Zealand in the opening One Day International of the series.
Brooks completed his fourth ODI half-century off 58 balls and faced 91 balls when he was dismissed in the 34th over against West Indies for New Zealand’s insufficient total of 190.
Jason Holder (13) and Jermaine Blackwood (12) were at the crease when the home team reached the target with 11 overs to spare.
Earlier, Akil Hossain returned 3-28 and Alzarri Joseph 3-36 as West Indies bowled out New Zealand for 190 in 45.2 overs after bowling the first of three ODIs at the Kensington Oval.
For the first time since March 2020, New Zealand has been dismissed in a 50-over match.
“Looking at the Kiwi batsmen, I realized that it was a bit difficult for them to go early,” Brooks said in a television interview. “I think the credit for bringing our bowlers to 190 should go to our bowlers.
“I was just focused on going out there, making some partnerships, and getting that total.” The rain break halted the West Indies innings but could not interrupt the steady pace set by Brooks. The first came in the opening over of the innings and the second in the 29th over when West Indies were just 42 runs from victory. At that time the West Indies were already well ahead of the winning totals under the Duckworth-Lewis system.
Pooran was dismissed for 28 soon after the second rain break but Brooks maintained a strong guiding hand on the run chase.
Hossein, Joseph and debutant spinners Kevin Sinclair and Yannick Caria turned the tide of New Zealand’s innings with precision bowling in the middle overs, giving the spinners bounce.
New Zealand got off to a strong start with a 41-run stand between Martin Guptill and Finn Allen, who hit two sixes and a four off Holder in the seventh over.
There was a short rain break at the end of the 8th over and after the resumption, Allen was dismissed for 25 off four balls. Since then New Zealand have regularly lost wickets and struggled to form the partnerships needed to reach a more challenging total.
Allen was Hossein’s first wicket, which was caught by Pooran, who had to run back and catch the ball as soon as it came across the shoulder.
Guptill fell in Hossein’s next over, caught by Kyle Meyers at slip for 24 when New Zealand were 53-2.
Captain Kane Williamson attempted to lead New Zealand’s recovery with a 50-ball 34. But he lacked support: Devon Conway (4) Tom Latham (12) was dismissed cheaply as New Zealand rolled 88-4.
Williamson’s partnership with Daryl Mitchell looked promising and the pair put on 28 runs for the fifth wicket before Joseph was dismissed in the 30th over.
Mitchell had scored 20 off 32 balls when he was lbw and Williamson followed suit.
All-rounders Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner put on 40 runs for the seventh wicket but were not able to turn the match back in New Zealand’s favour. Bracewell was dismissed for 31 off 33 balls, trapping lbw giving Caria his first wicket in One Day Internationals. The Trinidadian wrist spinner finished with 1-49 in nine overs.
New Zealand’s lower order often comes to the rescue of the team but there was no match on this occasion. Santner was dismissed for 25 with a total of 189-8 and the last two wickets fell early.
“Obviously it was challenging to get some rhythm and some pace,” Williamson said. He said, ‘Credit to the way West Indies bowled. He achieved a lot from that surface and executed his plans well and eventually played a very good game of cricket.
The second match will be played at the same ground on Friday.