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Page last updated at 11:24 GMT, Wednesday, 7 January 2009

NZ crush Windies to level series

Third one-day international, Wellington:
New Zealand 129-3 (20.3 overs) beat West Indies 128 all out (41.4 overs) by seven wickets

Match scorecard

Windies' Xavier Marshall is out for 0
Kyle Mills celebrates taking the scalp of Xavier Marshall

Daniel Vettori's four wickets helped New Zealand claim an easy seven-wicket win in the third one-dayer against the West Indies to level the series 1-1.

The captain's figures of 4-20 off 10 overs restricted the tourists to 128 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul hitting 45 and Nikita Miller finishing on 25.

In reply, Daren Powell got all three top order batsmen Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder and Jamie How.

But a half-century by Ross Taylor and Daniel Flynn's 23 saw them home.

After winning the toss, the Black Caps had the tourists struggling from the opening over when Kyle Mills had Xavier Marshall caught behind by Jamie How without troubling the scorers.

Tim Southee's first over went for an expensive 13 runs but he made amends with the key wicket of Ramnaresh Sarwan and when Chris Gayle chopped on to his stumps off Mills the West Indies were 35-3.

This left Chanderpaul, in his first match following a hand injury, to pick up the run chase.

After falling five runs short of his half-century, the situation looked desperate for the Windies.

606: DEBATE

But at least a 27-run stand for the final wicket by tailenders Nikita Miller (25) and Fidel Edwards (13) edged them past 123 - their lowest ever total against New Zealand.

A delighted Vettori said: "It was set up by the bowlers first and foremost and the wicket obviously had a little bit in it.

"In the end it was a very comfortable victory and a very happy dressing room."

Despite an early wobble, thanks largely to Powell's devastating burst of 3-11 off 3.2 overs, the hosts clawed their way back into the match.

Taylor's unbeaten half-century and Flynn's 23 not out got the Black Caps home with 177 balls to spare.

The only negative for the home side was seeing Jacob Oram, who has been struggling with an Achilles injury, leave the field after bowling only two overs as first change bowler.

West Indies batsman Kieron Pollard was reprimanded after damaging a glass door following his lbw dismissal in the 22nd over of the innings.

Pollard pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching the International Cricket Council's strict Code of Conduct.



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see also
Sarwan guides Windies to victory
03 Jan 09 |  Cricket
NZ-Windies one-dayer washed out
31 Dec 08 |  Cricket
Uncapped Broom picked for Kiwis
27 Dec 08 |  New Zealand
New Zealand pair set up easy win
28 Dec 08 |  Cricket
Windies clinch shoot-out victory
26 Dec 08 |  Cricket
Windies hold New Zealand to draw
23 Dec 08 |  Cricket


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