Sammy rescues Windies in series opening thriller

AUCKLAND—Darren Sammy scored an unbeaten 43 in 27 balls to lead West Indies to a two-wicket win over New Zealand in the first One Day International (ODI) here yesterday. Sammy rescued the Windies who were reeling on 60 for four but recovered to reach 157 for eight after the homeside were restricted to 156 in a low-scoring thriller at Eden Park. The St Lucian all-rounder held together the lower part of the West Indies innings, battering three sixes and five fours to guide his team home after Mitchell McClenaghan had taken 5-58 for New Zealand.

McClenaghan’s swing and pace destroyed the West Indies top order, while Ravi Rampaul (2-27) and Jason Holder (2-21) reduced New Zealand to 32 for four. The New Zealand top four could manage only 13 runs among them as Rampaul and Holder bowled with a control not seen in the West Indies bowlers during the Test series. New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum top-scored for his team with 51, while brother Nathan McCullum made 47, helping add 52 for the last two wickets before New Zealand’s innings ended in the 43rd over. West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo took 4-44, while his brother Darren Bravo held three catches as the tourists dismissed New Zealand in 41.2 overs after winning the toss and bowling.

Lendl Simmons, who scored 34, lifted the tourists from 60 for four to 95 for five and stitched a critical 34-run stand with Narsingh Deonarine. Sammy arrived at the wicket with West Indies needing 61 for victory and added 25 runs with Denesh Ramdin, who scored just 2. Jason Holder thwarted New Zealand’s hopes in a stand of 26 runs with Sammy that brought West Indies to within ten runs of the target. Sammy, who was named man of the match, finished the game with a six and a four in McClenaghan’s last over—the 28th of the innings. The win was Windies first on their New Zealand tour, as they attempt to bounce back from a two nil Test series defeat. (CMC)

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand innings
M Guptill lbw b Rampaul    2
J Ryder c DM Bravo b Rampaul    0
K Williamson c †Ramdin b Holder    8
R Taylor run out (Holder)    3
B McCullum* lbw b DJ Bravo    51
Corey J Anderson
c Simmons b DJ Bravo    13
L Ronchi† c Charles b Narine    7
JDS Neesham
c DM Bravo b DJ Bravo    10
N McCullum
c DM Bravo b Holder    47
K Mills c Sammy b DJ Bravo    3
M McClenaghan not out    3
Extras (lb 6, w 3)    9
Total
(all out; 42.1 overs; 199 mins)    156
Fall of wickets 1-2 (Ryder), 2-3 (Guptill), 3-10 (Taylor), 4-32 (Williamson), 5-57 (Anderson), 6-66 (Ronchi), 7-93 (Neesham), 8-104 (BB McCullum), 9-112 (Mills), 10-156 (NL McCullum)
Bowling: Holder 7.1-1-21-2, Rampaul 9-0-27-2, Sammy 6-0-30-0, Narine 10-2-28-1, Bravo 10-0-44-4.
 
West Indies innings
J Charles b McClenaghan    9
K Powell b McClenaghan    4
DM Bravo
c Williamson b McClenaghan    14
L Simmons c Taylor b Mills    34
DJ Bravo* lbw b McClenaghan    12
N Deonarine b Mills    6
D Ramdin†
c BB McCullum b McClenaghan    2
D Sammy not out    43
J Holder c †Ronchi b Neesham    10
S Narine not out    0
Extras (lb 8, w 14, nb 1)    23
Total (8 wickets;
27.3 overs; 149 mins)    157
Did not bat: R Rampaul
Fall of wickets 1-5 (Powell), 2-19 (Charles), 3-32 (DM Bravo), 4-60 (DJ Bravo), 5-94 (Simmons), 6-96 (Deonarine), 7-121 (Ramdin), 8-147 (Holder)
Bowling: Mills 8-1-37-2, McClenaghan 9.3-0-58-5, Neesham 6-0-35-1, Anderson 4-0-19-0
Toss: West Indies, who chose to field
Series: West Indies lead the 5-match series 1-0
Player of the match: DJG Sammy (West Indies)
Umpires: GAV Baxter and REJ Martinesz (Sri Lanka)
TV umpire: IJ Gould (England)
Match referee: BC Broad (England)
Reserve umpire: AL Hill