Vettori sends Windies into final spin

by Julian Guyer

Monday, July 12, 2004

LONDON, England (AFP): Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori took career-best one-day international figures of five for 30 as New Zealand beat the West Indies by 107 runs in the NatWest Series final at Lord's here Saturday.

Man-of-the-match Vettori also effected two direct hit run-outs as the West Indies, chasing 267 to win, collapsed to 159 all out.

Tino Best was one not out after Shivnarine Chanderpaul (31) holed out to Craig McMillan off Vettori with more than eight overs left in what was a fine fielding display by the Black Caps.

Vettori's figures were the best in a limited overs international at Lord's and helped New Zealand to a ninth straight win at this level.

It was the first time in the series a match had been won by the team batting first.

Afterwards New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, who saw his side whitewashed 3-0 by England in the preceding Test series, said: "This victory came in an important context.

"The Test series was pretty forgettable but we're too good a side not to get something out of this tour."

He added: "Everything pretty much went to plan (in this match)."

Earlier West Indies held New Zealand to 266 all out as the Black Caps threw away a promising position after losing the toss.

New Zealand, who had been 217 for three at one stage, lost their last seven wickets for just 49 runs in 58 balls.

Left-hander Fleming, who top-scored with 67, added: "The fact we thought we were 20 runs short was a big facet for the fielding."

Fleming also praised the contribution of all-rounder Chris Harris who became the first New Zealander to take 200 one-day international wickets when he dismissed Windies keeper Ridley Jacobs.

"He is an original. He's already thinking about the next 100 wickets."

Meanwhile Vettori, 25, played down his haul. "I've not had too many wickets to bowl on but to come to Lord's and do a job is pretty special.

"It was one of those days. You could bowl like that all the time and not get the results."

Disappointed West Indies captain Brian Lara had no complaints about New Zealand's win. "They came into the game as favourites and played like that.

"They've gone unbeaten, England have been inconsistent and we've only won two games. On our day we can beat anybody but we need to be more consistent.

"We were disappointing in the field, a lot of ones turned into twos and a few dropped catches."

West Indies leg-spinner Ramnaresh Sarwan took career-best one-day figures of three for 31 while medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo dismissed top scorers Fleming and fellow opener Nathan Astle (57) in an innings twice interrupted by rain.

McMillan (52) and Hamish Marshall (44) also made handy contributions.

Fleming, dropped on seven by first slip Chris Gayle off fast bowler Best, cashed in with several boundaries.

But shortly after the first rain break left-hander Fleming fell when he steered Bravo to Gayle at backward point. He faced 66 balls and hit eight boundaries.

Astle went in almost identical fashion to the same combination having cleanly struck seven fours.

New Zealand struck early on when second slip Scott Styris held a sharp catch off Jacob Oram to dismiss Gayle for four before Sarwan was run out for 19.

Lara came in at 45 for two. He put on 53 with Devon Smith, who made a career-best 44 before being dismissed by Vettori's direct hit from backward point.

Then 98 for three soon become 106 for five as Vettori took two wickets for no runs in seven balls.

First he had star left-hander Lara plumb lbw for 30 and then Bravo for four thanks to Styris's juggled catch at short mid-wicket.

But bad light and rain then held up play for 46 minutes.

When the match resumed West Indies, on 109 for five, needed a further 158 runs from 19 overs - a run-rate of more than eight an over - to win.

Chanderpaul was one not out and Ricardo Powell two not out.

However, on 18, Powell's sliced drive off Vettori was superbly caught by Marshall, running back from short third man.

Vettori struck again when Dwayne Smith was lbw for two.

Medium-pacer Harris, 34, had Jacobs caught at deep mid-wicket by Chris Cairns for one.

Harris, who struck with four balls of his spell remaining, had been stuck on 199 wickets since dismissing Sachin Tendulkar at Hyderabad on November 15.

He was only the second man in history after Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya to take 200 one-day international wickets and score 4,000 one-day runs.

Next ball Vettori ran out Ian Bradshaw before ending the game.

Final scoreboard:

New Zealand
S. Fleming c Gayle b Bravo 67
N. Astle c Gayle b Bravo 57
H. Marshall c Sarwan b Gayle 44
S. Styris c Powell b D R Smith 1
C. McMillan c Chanderpaul b Best 52
C. Cairns st Jacobs b Sarwan 5
J. Oram c Jacobs b Best 15
C. Harris c and b Sarwan 1
D. Vettori c D R Smith b Sarwan 6
G. Hopkins run out 0
I. Butler not out 0
Extras (lb8, w9, nb1) 18
Total (10 wkts, 49.2 overs) 266

Fall of wickets: 1-120, 2-143, 3-146, 4-217, 5-233, 6-249, 7-252, 8-265, 9-266
Bowling: Best 7.2-0-57-2 (1nb, 2w); Bradshaw 6-1-28-0 (1w); D R Smith 10-1-27-1; Bravo 10-0-67-2 (3w); Gayle 10-0-48-1; Sarwan 6-0-31-3 (3w);

West Indies
C. Gayle c Styris b Oram 4
D. S. Smith run out 44
R. Sarwan run out 19
B. Lara lbw b Vettori 30
D. Bravo c Styris b Vettori 4
S. Chanderpaul c McMillan b Vettori 31
R. Powell c Marshall b Vettori 18
D. R. Smith lbw b Vettori 2
R. Jacobs c Cairns b Harris 1
I. Bradshaw run out 0
T. Best not out 1
Extras (lb2, nb3) 5
Total (10 wkts, 41.2 overs) 159

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-45, 3-98, 4-105, 5-106, 6-144, 7-149, 8-150, 9-150
Bowling: Oram 8-2-26-1 (1nb); Butler 6-0-25-0 (2nb); Styris 5-0-22-0; Harris 10-0-45-1; Vettori 9.2-1-30-5; McMillan 3-0-9-0;
Toss: West Indies

Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (RSA), David Shepherd (ENG)
TV umpire: Jeremy Lloyds (ENG)
Match referee: Gundappa Viswanath (IND)

Result: New Zealand won by 107 runs

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