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Daryl Mitchell was the bedrock of New Zealand’s innings, delivering a career-defining performance that allowed the Black Caps to secure a hard-fought seven-run victory against the West Indies in the first One-Day International at Hagley Oval. His battling century hauled the hosts to a competitive total that they defended in a thrilling series opener.
New Zealand Innings: Mitchell’s Masterclass
After the West Indies won the toss and elected to field, the decision was immediately vindicated by their pace attack, who exploited a difficult, two-paced wicket offering constant movement.
- Early Collapse: New Zealand stumbled badly, losing Will Young for a golden duck on his 50th ODI and Rachin Ravindra cheaply to pacer Matthew Forde, leaving the hosts reeling at 24 for 2.
- The Counterattack: Daryl Mitchell, arriving early, showed superb footwork to nullify the seam movement and lift the scoring rate. He built a vital partnership with Devon Conway, who contributed a scratchy but crucial 49 off 58 balls.
- West Indies Squeeze: The innings stalled when the West Indies tightened their grip, led by Roston Chase, who utilised the wind and impeccable length to tie down the batsmen. Chase’s tight spell forced errors, though the West Indies fielded poorly, dropping Mitchell twice (on 19 and 67) and giving two reprieves to Michael Bracewell (35), who added essential runs.
- Century Under Duress: Despite pulling up with a left-leg injury while on 79, Mitchell refused to quit. He brought up his seventh ODI tonne—a hard-earned 119—by hitting boundaries with trademark power, dragging New Zealand to a defending total of 269 for 7. Jayden Seales was the most successful bowler for the West Indies, taking 3 wickets for 41 runs.
West Indies Chase: The Comeback Falls Short
The West Indies chase was hindered by a sluggish start, failing to adapt to the variable conditions.
- Slow Progress: The early pace was painfully slow, with the visitors crawling to just 32 runs in the first 10 overs. Their struggles were summed up by Keacy Carty’s 20 off 67 balls, highlighting their inability to score freely against the seam and bounce offered by Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes.
- Rutherford Changes Tempo: Trailing significantly off the required pace, Sherfane Rutherford injected life into the chase with a brisk 55 off 61 balls, changing the momentum and lifting the team from being well off the pace at 138 for 4.
- The Late Fireworks: Despite New Zealand letting slip several chances in the field, the match came down to the wire. Justin Greaves and a hamstrung Romario Shepherd unleashed a barrage of hits at the death, scoring quickly to leave the West Indies needing just 20 runs from the final over.
- Final Margin: Ultimately, the initial slow start proved too costly. The West Indies could not overcome the final hurdle, falling short by just seven runs. Kyle Jamieson led the New Zealand attack, finishing with 3 wickets for 52 runs.
- Brief Scores: New Zealand 269/7 (Daryl Mitchell 119; Jayden Seales 3-41) defeated West Indies 262/6 (Sherfane Rutherford 55; Kyle Jamieson 3-52) by seven runs, giving New Zealand a 1-0 series lead.
Image Credits: cricbuzz
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