Dominant Home Pace Attack

New Zealand’s four-man pace battery dismantled the West Indies batting lineup once again, securing a 3-0 series sweep in Hamilton. The hosts extended their dominant home run, now boasting 11 consecutive bilateral ODI series wins. West Indies were bowled out for 161 in 36.2 overs, leaving nearly 14 overs unused, before New Zealand chased down the target with four wickets in hand and almost 20 overs to spare.

Matt Henry spearheaded the attack with 4 for 43, striking twice in the fifth over to remove Ackeem Auguste and Keacy Carty early. Kyle Jamieson exploited extra bounce to dismiss John Campbell for 26, while Zak Foulkes trapped Shai Hope for 16. New Zealand's quicks then executed a punishing short-ball strategy, dismissing Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, and Shamar Springer, with Henry returning to finish the innings. Mitchell Santner also contributed, picking up Justin Greaves and Matthew Forde.

West Indies Fightback and New Zealand Wobble

West Indies made an early impact with the new ball, removing Devon Conway and troubling Will Young and Rachin Ravindra. At 70 for 4, New Zealand faced a precarious position, compounded by the absence of injured Daryl Mitchell, their No. 1 ODI batter.

Chapman and Bracewell Lead Chase

Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell steadied the innings with a 75-run partnership off 48 balls. Chapman initially played cautiously, reaching fifty off 58 balls before unleashing a boundary-filled 27th over. Bracewell matched his stroke for stroke, keeping left-arm spinner Khary Pierre at bay.

Despite losing Chapman and Mitchell Santner near the end, Bracewell remained unbeaten and, alongside Foulkes, sealed the chase in commanding fashion.

Key Performances

• West Indies 161 all out in 36.2 overs
  • Roston Chase 38
  • Matt Henry 4-43
• New Zealand 162/6 in 30.3 overs
  • Mark Chapman 64
  • Michael Bracewell 40*
  • Jayden Seales 2-35

Summary

The result underlined New Zealand’s dominance at home, having lost only two ODIs on home soil since 2020, and showcased the potency of their pace attack combined with timely counterattacks in the middle order.