WI VS NZ 1ST ODI

That's it then from this game and it is West Indies who have stunned New Zealand and have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The next game becomes even more crucial for the visitors as it is a must-win for them. It will be played on Friday, 19th August and the match will begin at 11.30 pm IST (6 pm GMT). The build-up for that game will begin much sooner and do join us then. Cheers!

Nicholas Pooran, the captain of West Indies is in for a chat now. Pooran says that he looked at the surface and decided to go with three spinners as it looked dry and they wanted to give the opportunity to the young guys. He praises both the debutants (Yannic Cariah and Kevin Sinclair) for their bowling performances. He adds that they knew that the chase was going to be tough but it was all about one partnership and he got that with Shamarh Brooks. He says that they have been working hard for the last three series and finally it paid off.

Kiwi skipper, Kane Williamson joins in for a chat. When asked about their batting performance, he says that it was a big effort from his players as the conditions were very challenging. He gives credit to West Indies bowlers for the way they bowled and says they made the most of the conditions. Claims that they could learn from their performance. Mentions that at the halfway stage, they were still in the game but credit to the West Indies batters for adjusting to the conditions. He adds that he feels the effort was there from his side and it is a good learning curve for them. Mentions that he is hopeful that they can put things together and come back strong in the next game.

Shamarh Brooks (79 off 91 balls) is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his match-winning knock. Brooks says that watching the Kiwis bat, it looked like it was tough to bat on but praises the bowlers to restrict the opposition to 190. He adds that while chasing it was important to build partnerships in the middle. He says that he told Nicholas Pooran that they haven't got a partnership together in this format so they made sure they have one in this game and one of them sticks around till the end. He ends by saying it is a big thing to beat New Zealand and they can go from strength to strength from here.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Nicholas Pooran put New Zealand into bat and that decision didn't seem to be the right one as there was not much happening for the bowlers in the first Powerplay. Then the spinners came on and made an instant impact. New Zealand had contributions right throughout the order but none of them could convert those starts. The Windies spinners and Alzarri Joseph picked up wickets at regular intervals and made sure that the opposition got no momentum in their innings. With just 191 runs needed for the win, a big knock from Shamarh Brooks was enough to blow the opposition out of the contest and hand West Indies a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Stick around for the presentation.

New Zealand were let down by their batters to be honest but their bowling too wasn't particularly impressive. Trent Boult did give the perfect start under lights with an early wicket but they couldn't build on it. The surface had something in it for the spinners but due to the rain, the Kiwi spinners couldn't get the same purchase as their counterparts and were largely ineffective. In the end, the visitors did get a few of more wickets but were comprehensively defeated and will now look to bounce back in the next game.

West Indies had a small target to chase down and with a bit of rain around, the conditions got better for batting. They did lose Kyle Mayers early but Shai Hope and Shamarh Brooks steadied the ship a bit. A couple of more wickets fell but Brooks held firm from one end and scored at a brisk pace. Skipper, Nicholas Pooran gave him ample support from the other end and the pair went on to add 75 runs before Pooran had a lapse in concentration after the rain break. Brooks too fell after scoring 79 but by then, the result was put beyond doubt and Blackwood and Holder saw their side home.

It has been a long time coming but West Indies have finally got an ODI victory and they have accomplished it in fine fashion. The Kiwis will be thoroughly disappointed with that performance and they have been handed their first ODI loss in 2022.

FOUR! Jason Holder finishes off in style. Mitchell Santner tosses this one up, full and around off, Jason Holder makes room and crunches it through covers for a boundary. West Indies win by 5 wickets and take a 1-0 lead in this series.

Five dots on the trot. This is again full and on middle, Jason Holder leans on and defends it onto the pitch.

Flighted delivery, full and on off, Jason Holder blocks it out.

Tossed up, full and on middle, Jason Holder pushes it towards the bowler who makes a good stop.

Quicker one, full and on middle, Jason Holder tucks it towards mid-wicket.

Floated, short and on off, Jason Holder makes room and guides it towards point.

Trent Boult bangs this one in short and outside off, Jason Holder goes for the pull but does not time his shot well. The ball goes towards the deep square leg fence and they take a single as the fielder comes and cuts it off. Still 2 runs needed!

Five dot balls so far! Jason Holder unable to get the winning runs. Trent Boult bowls this on a good length and wide outside off, Jason Holder slashes this straight to point.