New Zealand vs West Indies, 3rd ODI Match Summary

A 3-0 whitewash does not quite serve justice to the way West Indies have played in this tour. One bad match does not make them a bad team but sadly, people view only the results and the scorecard says another drubbing. Personally though, every player will feel confident going into the future in this format but the threat of possibly missing out the cut for the next ODI World Cup still looms large. But that is for later. For now, they will need to take confidence from the way they played against the previous World Test Championship finalists at home a few months back and hope to channel their fire again for this Test series. A few of the players would be around from the limited overs contests, so it would be a good bunch. As far as the Kiwis are concerned, their big summer just does not cease to end. Australia came and went, England came and went, they are playing West Indies now and after that, they take on India and South Africa. But these three Tests would be the last of their home season with the red ball and their first of this WTC cycle. So they would look to take all the momentum from the white-ball series and end the Test series on a good note. The first Test kicks off on Tuesday, 2nd December, 2025, so there is plenty of time left. We take your leave for now, but do remember that there is just a lot of cricket being played even as we type. Australia. Bangladesh. India. UAE. These are the countries hosting them. Just keep flipping the scorecards and keep munching the numbers. Until next time, ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

The victorious skipper of New Zealand, MITCHELL SANTNER, on being asked about the team finding ways to win, agrees and details that throughout the T20Is as well, there were a few close games. Calls it pleasing to come out on the right side and believes that it was a great series for his bowlers. On the talk of plans behind the scenes with the bowlers, Santner says that there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes and a lot of guys change roles as well. Gives the example of Jacob Duffy, who took the new ball sometimes, and sometimes the old, adding that the most pleasing thing was everyone gelled perfectly to every role given to the individual. In this win, Mitchell calls the way Bracewell and Chapman showed intent as terrific. Explains that it was a good wicket but the way the two played, they made it look a flat deck. Ends by saying that different players stepping up in different matches does make a fair deal for a good future of New Zealand cricket.

The captain of West Indies, SHAI HOPE, says that once again the unit didn't click with the bat and couldn't adapt to the conditions soon enough after opting to bat first. Adds that it is about trying to be better every single day and even though this pitch was more like the pitches they play on back home, the application wasn't there with the bat. Goes on to applaud the bowlers who put on a fight and feels like they have a lot of positives to take with them. Adds that a lot of teams that come to New Zealand find themselves on the losing side and unfortunately, they had their moments throughout the white-ball series, where they could have got the better of the hosts but didn't step up at key moments.

New Zealand's KYLE JAMIESON HAS BEEN ADJUDGED THE PLAYER OF THE SERIES, for taking 7 wickets at an average of 20. On being asked about how does it feel to be playing a full series, Jamieson says that it feels really great, building on every game this summer. Adds that as a unit, the Kiwis have done a really good job in this series, setting the tone. On the challenge of playing the Test series as well, Kyle is actually looking forward to it, stressing that it felt nice to play 3 ODIs in a week and to get some miles in the legs. Adds that it is also nice to get some time off and then get back to work in the Tests. On the different set of plans for different games, KJ says that is something the unit did quite well this summer, which helped the players a lot. Gives an example, talking about who will take the new ball and all, communicating clearly and different stuff. Overall, he says that it was a great series for the bowling unit. On how his body is coping up with the workload after injury, Kyle Jamieson says that he is just trying to stack games up to get consistency. Otherwise, he says that it is business as usual to try and get across the line. Ends by saying that it feels great to get the body able to play back-to-back games.

New Zealand's MATT HENRY HAS BEEN ADJUDGED THE PLAYER OF THE MATCH, for his 4/43 with the ball in the first innings. Henry says that the team has been playing some really good cricket and they have done the right stuff in key moments, with so many individuals stepping up in different games. Reckons that the surface for this match was on the slower side but given that the ground is a bit on the shorter side, the pressure is on the bowling side to take wickets, which they did well. On the upcoming Test matches, Matt says that he is excited to get back to the red-ball format and looking forward to it.

... THE PRESENTATION ...

Earlier in the game, Matt Henry led the way for the home side, adapting to the surface nicely after a sluggish start, reckoning that he has truly become the leader of the Kiwi pace attack. He bowled with fire while the others revolved around him. It was another team performance and the Kiwis would be happy with the way their future is stacked and ready to move on from the Boult-Southee era. Please stay tuned for the presentation ...

A bit of a test for the home side as well. They started off cautiously, before Ravindra tried to make this into a T20 contest. However, that led to some casual shots and they will believe that the batters could have done much better. The middle order did bail them out but had the opposition had maybe one more strike bowler this could have gone down to the wire as well. Full marks to Mark Chapman who continued his good form, getting his 4th 50-plus score in his last 5 ODI innings while Michael Bracewell was the one who nipped the chase in the bud.

A sad way to close out the white-ball leg of the tour for the Windies. They showed a lot of promise in the T20Is and even in the first 2 ODIs, but come the third, they were simply blown away. On a pitch which required application, their batters could muster only 161 and with the ball, though they started well, their backup bowlers could not provide the assistance to the new-ball bowlers. It was Jayden Seales who set the tone initially, followed nicely by Matthew Forde. The duo caused some ripples at the start, reducing the Kiwis to 32/3. But once they went off the attack, the boil cooled down.

The scoreboard will tell that it was an easy win for New Zealand, which it was in the end, but West Indies did push them a lot further than expected in the field. It was one scintillating stand between Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell that really took the game away from the Windies and eventually, the visitors never had enough runs on the board to allow one such stand to foster.

That's it. Zakary Foulkes plays a cheeky shot to get his side over the line and New Zealand have swept West Indies away 3-0 in this ODI series. Flighted ball on off and middle, Foulkes lunges across and gets inside the line and laps it down to fine leg or a couple of runs. New Zealand win by 4 wickets!

Dropped short and wide outside off, this is cut away to deep point for a single.

Tossed up on leg stump, Michael Bracewell leans on and clips it away wide of deep mid-wicket. The call is for two and the batters make it with ease.

Play and a miss! Fuller in length and outside off, inviting the drive. Zakary Foulkes goes for the expansive cover drive but the ball just nips away past the outside edge.

Banged in on a hard length and around off, Zak gets right behind the line to block.

Good-length delivery, wide outside off and seaming away. Zakary Foulkes walks across and has a feel for it but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Banged in short and over the stumps, Foulkes gets inside the line and leaves it alone.

Wide! A gentle-paced bumper, dug in well short around off and sails over Foulkes' head.

Zakary Foulkes is in at number 8, replacing Mitchell Santner.

OUT! CAUGHT! Another one bites the dust and that's another sharp catch from the Windies. Shamar Springer serves a full ball on off stump and angles it in. Mitchell Santner hangs deep in the crease and looks to swat it across the line but loses his shape and miscues it flat to mid-wicket. Roston Chase moves swiftly and low to his left and pouches it safely. West Indies aren't going away without a fight but they are running out of runs to defend as well.

Back of a length and around off, Mitchell Santner presses back on his toes and punches it to the right of backward point but can't get it through.

Flatter delivery on off, Santner makes room and hits it through covers for an easy single.

Very full and straight, Santner hangs back and jams it back into the turf and on the bounce to Chase.

Tossed up at the stumps, Bracewell comes down the pitch and drives it to long on for a single.

Just a bit of air and floated full on middle, Bracewell backs away and drives it to cover.

Bowled flatter on middle, angling in, Bracewell rocks back to defend.

Fired in full from around the wicket and on middle, Bracewell jams it to mid on.

FOUR! Mitchell Santner is in such a purple patch with the bat and the hosts are now 8 runs away from the target. Hard length, in and around off, not a bad ball by any means but Santner just stands tall and punches it sweetly through covers for another boundary.

Wide! Seales comes around the wicket and bangs it in halfway down the track over off and middle. Santner backs away to cut but the ball sails over his head. The 150 is up for New Zealand as well.

FOUR! That's been carted away. Full and wide outside off, too much width on offer. Mitchell Santner reaches out and smashes the drive square through covers and picks up four runs.