Mitchell’s ton carries Kiwis past Windies in ODI opener

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (CMC):

Daryl Mitchell slammed a match-winning century as New Zealand edged the West Indies by seven runs in a thrilling contest to claim the opening One-Day International here yesterday.

Batting at number four, Player of the Match Mitchell smashed 119 off 118 balls to help the home side break free in the final 10 overs and post a competitive 269 for seven, after being sent into bat at the Hagley Oval.

A slow start to their run chase then handicapped the West Indies, and despite a welcomed return to form by Sherfane Rutherford and another valiant effort from their lower order, they ended just short on 262 for six from their allotted overs.

The visitors would have been disappointed that they allowed New Zealand to get up to their eventual total, having contained them to 141 for four at the end of 34 overs.

Matthew Forde did the early damage by dismissing Rachin Ravindra and Will Young off consecutive balls in the seventh over to leave them on 24 for two.

Following a 67-run partnership between Mitchell and opener Devon Conway, who made 49 off 58 balls, Justin Greaves had the latter caught behind and Jayden Seales dismissed Tom Latham in similar fashion after he scored 18.

Mitchell and Michael Bracewell then set about repairing the damage, albeit at a run rate of just above four runs an over, thanks to some disciplined bowling by the Windies.

Mitchell, who brought up his third ODI half-century in his last four innings by driving Seales through mid-off for two runs, should have been back in the pavilion when he was 69, but Seales dropped him running in from long on.

Shai Hope also missed an easy stumping to get rid of Bracewell when he was 31, but he only added four more runs before picking out Shamar Springer at long on, to make the score 192 for five.

Captain Mitchell Santner only made 11 before he was dismissed by Seales, before Mitchell, who also survived a scare when he was 85 after the third umpire ruled that his edge did not carry to Hope, eventually reached his seventh ODI century off 107 balls by slapping Seales to the boundary.

By the time he was dismissed by Seales in the last over of the innings after belting 12 fours and two sixes, the damage had already been done, with New Zealand pummelling 128 runs from the last 16 overs at eight runs an over

Seales was the Windies’ best bowler with 3-41, while Forde took 2-55.

The West Indies didn’t have the best of starts, losing John Campbell with only 10 runs on the board.

Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty added 60 runs for the second wicket, but required 18 overs to do so, at a run rate of just over three runs an over.

Both fell in quick succession, with Santner having the former caught for 29 and Kyle Jamieson accounting for the latter’s wicket for 32, to see the Windies slip to 87 for three in the 26th over.

Hope and Rutherford rebuilt the innings in a 51-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but they, too, struggled to increase the scoring rate.

Hope perished for 37 when his attempted pull shot off Zak Foulkes ballooned into the air to Ravindra at deep square leg, and when Roston Chase pulled Matt Henry into Foulkes’ hands at fine leg, the West Indies were struggling at 169 for five in the 40th over.

Faced with the mammoth task of scoring 98 runs from the last 10 overs, Rutherford began to accelerate, and he reached his seventh ODI half-century by hoisting Santner down the ground for six.

However, Jamieson claimed his wicket in the next over, caught at cover after scoring 55 off 61 balls, inclusive of three sixes and three fours.