New Zealand’s batting collapsed under the pressure of an ever-increasing scoring rate as the West Indies claimed a 39-run victory in the second and final Twenty20 International on Sunday.
Replying to the hosts’ total of 6-165, the Black Caps lost their last six wickets for 13 runs to be dismissed for 126 off 19.1 overs at Windsor Park in Dominica.
The series finished 1-1, after New Zealand had taken the three-matches Test series 2-1.
Kane Williamson, New Zealand’s captain for the match, top-scored with 37 at the top of the order, but it was his dismissal to Kieron Pollard and the demise of Ross Taylor (21) off the bowling of the wily Sunil Narine that effectively spelt the end for the tourists.
Narine and fellow spinner Samuel Badree kept all the batsmen in check, their combined eight overs costing only 39 runs for three wickets.
Left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell, who replaced Krishmar Santokie in the final eleven from the team that lost the rain-affected first match on Saturday, finished with three for 28 as New Zealand’s lower-order hit and hoped with an increasing level of desperation towards the end.
Andre Fletcher’s second half-century in as many matches put the West Indies on their way towards that competitive total.
Picking up from where he left off in the first match, he smashed three sixes and three fours off 49 deliveries in another entertaining innings after the West Indies were put in to bat.
Dwayne Smith fell cheaply again at the start of the innings, but Fletcher joined Lendl Simmons (36) in putting on 66 for the second wicket before the opening batsman was caught on the long-on boundary by Corey Anderson.
Trent Boult took a much more spectacular boundary catch in the late rush for runs to account for Pollard off Anderson. Despite the success, Anderson proved the most expensive bowler, conceding 51 runs off his four overs.
In contrast, Boult was a model of economy, conceding 22 runs and taking the wickets of Fletcher and West Indies captain Darren Sammy.
At the end though, his efforts with the ball and in the field made no difference, Darren Bravo running him out at the non-striker’s end with a direct hit from cover-point to seal the West Indies win.