New Zealand Clinch ODI Series Despite Hope’s Brilliant 109 in 2nd ODI

New Zealand defeated West Indies in a nail-biting finish in the 2nd ODI at Napier. The hosts won the game by chasing the target of 247 in the last over, courtesy of some fine batting by Mitchell Santner. The captain of the Black Caps played a stunning cameo to secure back-to-back wins in the ODI series. With this victory, New Zealand also sealed the series against the West Indies with an unassailable lead of 2-0.

The second ODI between New Zealand and West Indies was marred by rain, so each side was given only 34 overs to complete their batting innings. West Indies posted a strong total of 247 runs in the first innings with a stunning century from Shai Hope. Unfortunately, his knock didn’t prove to be a match-winning innings, as New Zealand trumped Hope’s brilliance by chasing the target.

Batting first, West Indies didn’t have a great start, as they lost both John Campbell and Keacy Carty in the Powerplay. The captain, Shai Hope, then arrived at the crease and built a partnership with Ackeem Auguste to steady the WI innings. They were going along nicely until Nathan Smith made the breakthrough and removed Ackeem Auguste for just 22 runs.

After his dismissal, no other batter gave support to Shai Hope in the middle. The experienced Roston Chase also couldn’t perform well in the match, as he also lost his wicket for just 2 runs.

This built a lot of pressure on Shai Hope, but he continued his form and played positively till the end. The West Indian captain showcased a solid masterclass of batting, as he stood firm at the crease, scoring a magnificent 109 on just 69 balls. Due to his splendid batting, West Indies posted a strong total of 247 runs in the first innings.

 

New Zealand’s Calculated Chase in the Second Innings

When New Zealand came out to bat, they looked confident in chasing the target. Their openers, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, gave a solid start by building a partnership of 106 runs. Rachin Ravindra looked in great form, as he scored 56 off 46 balls by smashing 4 fours and 5 sixes in total.

Once Rachin got out, the middle order of New Zealand started wobbling. They lost back-to-back wickets, giving West Indies an opportunity to come back into the game. However, Devon Conway held his nerves and kept playing positively to steer the NZ chase. He was dismissed in the 26th over after scoring 90 runs, which eventually proved to be the match-winning innings for the Kiwis.

A strong cameo of 34 runs played by Mitchell Santner in the end sealed the chase for the Black Caps in the 2nd ODI. They won the game in the last over when 8 was needed off 6 balls. By winning the second ODI, New Zealand clinched the series as well by a definitive lead of 2-0.

Both teams will now play the last match of the series on November 22 in Hamilton. It will be a must-win game for the West Indies to save some pride, whereas New Zealand will try to win this one as well to complete a clean sweep over the visitors.