NZ vs WI Series Report: Scorecards & Highlights
Five matches, two venues, and a series that flipped direction almost every time one side looked settled. The NZ vs WI series opened with West Indies chasing down 268 in Guyana, swung entirely New Zealand’s way through the middle three games, and then produced a defiant West Indies win in the dead rubber to close things out. New Zealand ultimately took the series 3-2, but the scoreline undersells just how competitive this one turned out to be.
Series Result at a Glance
New Zealand won the five-match ODI series 3-2, wrapping up an unassailable lead after the fourth game before West Indies salvaged some pride in the finale. A few numbers frame how the series actually played out:
- Series result: New Zealand won 3-2
- Leading run-scorer: Keacy Carty (WI), 194 runs at 38.80
- Leading wicket-taker and Player of the Series: Jayden Lennox (NZ), 14 wickets at 13.64
- Best batting average: Tom Latham (NZ), 167 runs at 55.66
- Venues: Guyana National Stadium, Providence (Games 1-3) and Kensington Oval, Bridgetown (Games 4-5)
Match-by-Match Scorecard and Highlights
1st ODI, Providence — July 11, 2026: West Indies Draw First Blood
New Zealand were bowled out for 267 in 49.5 overs, and West Indies chased it down with seven balls to spare, finishing on 268 for 3. Keacy Carty anchored the chase with 95 off 112 balls and was named player of the match, while debutant Vitel Lawes made an eye-catching first impression with the ball for the home side.
2nd ODI, Providence — July 13, 2026: Lennox Levels It Up
West Indies never recovered from a middle-order collapse, losing their last ten wickets for 75 runs to be bowled out for 138. Jayden Lennox tore through the order with 5 for 19, the third-best figures by a New Zealand spinner in ODI history behind Ish Sodhi and Daniel Vettori. John Campbell’s 43 was the highest score for West Indies, and Tom Latham steadied a slightly wobbly chase with an unbeaten 37 as New Zealand levelled the series with five wickets in hand.
3rd ODI, Providence — July 16, 2026: Spin Trio Seal the Guyana Leg
West Indies were bowled out for 140, collapsing from 121 for 3 to 140 all out, with John Campbell forced to retire hurt with a hamstring problem. Keacy Carty top-scored with 48. Jayden Lennox again did the damage with 4 for 52, backed up by tight spells from Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner. New Zealand got home by six wickets, with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 52 between Tom Latham (31 not out) and Dean Foxcroft (22 not out) sealing a 2-1 series lead heading into the Barbados leg.
4th ODI, Bridgetown — July 19, 2026: Santner’s Nerve Wins a Classic
Played at Kensington Oval on a day dedicated to the memory of Sir Garry Sobers, this game turned into the tightest finish of the series. West Indies were bowled out for 188, with Amir Jangoo top-scoring on 51 and Gudakesh Motie chipping in with 41 down the order. New Zealand were reduced to serious trouble in the chase before captain Mitchell Santner steadied the innings with an unbeaten 34, guiding his side to 189 for 9 and a one-wicket win with 35 balls remaining. Motie finished with 5 for 47, but it was not enough, and New Zealand secured an unassailable 3-1 series lead.
5th ODI, Bridgetown — July 21, 2026: Hetmyer Salvages Pride for the Hosts
With the series already decided, New Zealand posted 268 for 9, their highest total of the series. West Indies got there with two wickets and 15 balls in hand, finishing on 269 for 8. Shimron Hetmyer played the innings of the match, an unbeaten 69 off 64 balls, with support from Sherfane Rutherford in a stand that steadied the chase after Keacy Carty’s unusually slow 20 off 54 balls, the slowest innings of 20-plus by a West Indian batter since Marlon Samuels’ 25 off 65 balls against Pakistan back in 2013. Jayden Lennox took two wickets in the 45th over to threaten a twist, but Hetmyer held his nerve for a two-wicket West Indies win.
Key Moments That Defined the NZ vs WI Series
A few passages of play decided this series more than any single innings. West Indies’ repeated middle-order collapses in Guyana, losing 6 for 19 in the third ODI alone, handed New Zealand’s spin attack the initiative early and it never fully returned. Jayden Lennox’s transformation from a bowler who had not taken more than two wickets in his previous six ODIs into the format’s form spinner was the single biggest swing factor in the series. On the other side, Shimron Hetmyer’s finishing in the fifth ODI showed exactly what West Indies had been missing in the tighter run-chases earlier in the series, a calm head when the required rate started to bite.
Standout Performers and Player of the Series
Jayden Lennox took the Player of the Series award with 14 wickets, a tally that pushed him past spin greats like Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Sunil Narine, and Shahid Afridi on the all-time list for most wickets by a spinner in a bilateral ODI series. Keacy Carty was the leading run-scorer for either side with 194 runs, though his returns varied wildly between a match-winning 95 and a series-slowest 20. Daryl Mitchell continued his remarkable post-retirement-era form for New Zealand, a stretch of batting so strong that only two players in ODI history with at least 2,500 career runs average higher than his 58.61. Think of Mitchell’s role the way a steady point guard controls tempo in basketball, he rarely produced the headline score, but New Zealand’s innings tended to hold shape whenever he was at the crease.
What This Series Means Going Forward
For New Zealand, this was a series won largely through their spin attack rather than raw batting firepower, a promising sign given how many white-ball pitches in the region and beyond continue to assist spin. For West Indies, the picture is more complicated. The side sits 10th in the ICC men’s ODI rankings, and results like this series leave them all but certain to face the qualifying route for the 2027 World Cup rather than direct entry. The fifth ODI win offers some genuine encouragement, particularly the emergence of Hetmyer as a finisher West Indies can build an innings around, but the middle-order fragility that cost them the Guyana leg will need addressing before their next assignment.
FAQs
Who won the NZ vs WI ODI series?
New Zealand won the five-match series 3-2, sealing an unassailable lead after the fourth ODI in Bridgetown before West Indies won the final, dead-rubber match.
Who was named Player of the Series?
New Zealand spinner Jayden Lennox was named Player of the Series after taking 14 wickets across the five matches.
Where was the NZ vs WI series played?
The first three ODIs were played at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, and the final two were played at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
What was the highest individual score in the series?
Keacy Carty’s 95 off 112 balls in the first ODI was the highest individual score of the series.
