New Zealand vs West Indies 4th ODI Full Commentary

Welcome back for New Zealand's response with the bat. Henry Nicholls and Will Young are out to open for the visitors. Matthew Forde will be bowling the first over for West Indies. Nicholls to take the strike with a couple of slips in place. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Easy chase? Well, 189 is by no means a threatening target to hunt down. But you just never know. New Zealand will aim to get a steady start in the Powerplay against the new ball and as seen in the first innings, batting tends to get a bit more breathable once the ball gets older and the pitch flattens out. However, there was plenty of turn on offer for the spinners, and the likes of Motie and Lawes would like to exploit that. But for the spinners to twist the knife, the pacers will have to handle the new ball with control and discipline. With not much to defend, a dominant start in the first ten overs is non-negotiable for West Indies if they are to save the series. FYI, West Indies have lost their last four consecutive matches while defending their targets and wouldn't want this to be their fifth on the trot. Back in a bit with the run chase. Stay tuned.

Bravery act from Jangoo and Motie - Being reduced to 81/6, with most of their mainstays gone, West Indies were in danger of getting bowled out on a very sorry-looking score. Well, the one they have posted is still underwhelming, but that could have been more embarrassing. Jangoo and Motie combined together to get into the recovery job and formed a responsible 81-run partnership. They showed that if you are willing to spend time, runs are in the offing. Jangoo scored a half-century but both set batters were dismissed with West Indies slipping from 162/6 to 171/8. Before that, only Ackeem Auguste managed to get some runs of note from the top order. He did start sluggishly, but just when he was looking to get going, his stay was cut short. Barring three batters, none could even cross 20 runs and that told the story.

The Kiwis outfox the hosts - Yet again, the bowlers of New Zealand were spot on and unleashed their very best. They hunted in a pack, bowled with discipline and got their execution to perfection. They restricted West Indies to 35/1 in the Powerplay with Duffy and Smith literally bowling on a coin. An early start meant that there was a bit of moisture on the surface which helped them to get that movement and the up-and-down nature of the wicket made batting visibly difficult. But the real choke-job was executed by the spin trio of Santner, Bracewell and Lennox, who ran through the overs quickly and gave very little away. They got the ball turning and gripping nicely and shared the load by picking five wickets among them. And then, when Fisher came back to bowl for the next spell, he just took the wind out of West Indies' sails. He had to wait for his third match to get his maiden ODI scalp and ended up with three wickets.

A problem that seems to have no end - Another disappointing end to the West Indies innings in this series, and another reminder of a problem that's refusing to go away. This marks the third consecutive time they have been bowled out for under 200, and the third time they have failed to bat out their full quota of overs. There's an argument that this format isn't West Indies' strongest suit, but three innings in a row with the same result stops looking like bad luck and starts looking like a pattern they need to solve, and fast.

Michael Bracewell (7-0-30-1) is back on, replacing Matthew Fisher.

Vitel Lawes is the last man in for West Indies.

Over and out - Phew! What a game, one that swung like a pendulum from start to finish. Proof, if any were needed, that no total is ever truly out of reach, and that even the lowest-scoring contests can go right down to the very last ball. New Zealand take the unassailable lead by winning the five-match ODI series 3-1, but they will surely reflect on their batting collapse. And with a game still to go, West Indies will aim to salvage pride and improve on their recurring batting vulnerabilities, especially against spin. The fifth and final ODI will be played in Barbados on Wednesday, 22nd July and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 6.30 pm GMT. But do join us early for the build up. Until then, we take your leave. Cheers!

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - The captain of New Zealand, MITCHELL SANTNER, deservingly wins the award for his match-winning knock of an unbeaten 34 (56). He also made impact with the ball, with figures of 2/36 in 10 overs, including a maiden. Reflecting on a chaotic finish, Santner admits the game probably shouldn't have gone as close as it did, but was just glad to get his side over the line. He speaks about the value of chipping away at the target in small partnerships, pointing out that even stands of 10 or 15 count for plenty in tense run chases like that one. On the bowling effort, he feels conditions were a touch tacky early on, with the seamers setting the tone before the spinners took over. Adds that New Zealand were pleased to restrict West Indies to 188, but never took it lightly, well aware of the quality in the home attack, an attack he felt lived up to that reputation on the day. Santner says that batting through the tail was always going to be the challenge, and calls it part and parcel of his role in that position. With the target not too steep, he says there was no real pressure of time, which let them play out a few dot balls and focus on shielding the lower order rather than exposing them. He singles out Alzarri Joseph, who had the ball reversing and made things genuinely difficult, alongside Motie, whose five-wicket haul he rates as outstanding. When he is asked about his chat with Jayden Lennox in the middle, Santner shares that the message was just to play straight, block it out, and let him try to find the remaining runs himself. Looking ahead to the series finale, he expects more of the same from his side, anticipating a similar surface for the day-night game, with the ball likely to skid on a touch.

The captain of West Indies - Shai Hope admits that it hasn't really sunk in yet. He calls it a fantastic game for the neutral, the kind any fan without a side to support would have thoroughly enjoyed. But says that with an automatic World Cup qualification on the line, the result stings, and is quick to commend his side for the fight they showed regardless. On the batting, he doesn't mince words, admitting West Indies were well under par. Mentions that batting first in the Caribbean is never straightforward, but details that this surface was never a 188 all-out pitch. He wants his batters, himself included, applying themselves better and reading conditions faster, with more intent and more responsibility shown at the top of the order especially. Stresses that against the world's second-ranked side, 180 simply doesn't cut it. He has nothing but praise for the bowling effort, pointing out there's only so much you can ask of an attack defending 188. Adds that Gudakesh Motie's return to form stood out for him, as did Matthew Forde carrying on from where he left off in Guyana, and Alzarri Joseph's consistency, which helped drag West Indies back into the contest. Says that the bowlers gave everything, and now it's on the batters to respond in kind. When asked about playing in memory of Sir Garfield Sobers and the backing from the stands, Hope thanks the Kensington crowd, calling it home and speaking of the warmth the team always feels playing there. He is disappointed not to get the win in Sobers' honour, but hopes the side can put things right in the next game. Looking ahead, he acknowledges automatic World Cup qualification has become a steep climb from here, but mentions that the team will keep fighting and aim to finish the series on a high.

... Time for the post-match Presentation ...

Never really got going - It was a morning of struggle for West Indies, and the scorecard made grim reading. In a game they simply had to set the tempo in, they crashed to 188 all out, a total flattered considerably by a valiant 81-run stand for the seventh wicket between Gudakesh Motie and Amir Jangoo. Matt Fisher was the standout with the ball, the delivery that flattened Shai Hope's off stump among the moments of the match so far. He finished with 3 for 40, his first set of wickets in ODI cricket. Santner did the early damage up top, while Lennox held sway through the middle and death overs.

A Motie-vational performance - West Indies needed something close to a miracle to turn this game on its head, with New Zealand needing just 47 to get home. But the hosts made sure every one of those runs came hard-earned, turning a modest chase into a grind that had the Kiwis sweating right till the very end. After a rain break, it's invariably the batters who have to work hardest to find their rhythm again, and Bracewell falling on the very first ball after resumption set the tone for exactly that kind of unease. It seemed to rattle New Zealand's approach at the top, and from there they slipped into a shell rather than looking to counter. Too many dot balls crept into the equation as the focus shifted squarely to preserving wickets, and that caution, understandable as it was, let West Indies build pressure they didn't necessarily have the runs to apply on their own. It's a reminder of how quickly momentum can flip in a chase, and one interruption and one twitchy passage of play is sometimes all it takes. The contest tightened further still when Gudakesh Motie completed his maiden ODI five wicket haul, but standing firm between West Indies and victory was Santner. The Kiwi captain played the wall till the very end, shepherding the tail with composure and calm. And when it mattered most, with the game there for the taking, West Indies let him slip through their fingers.

Chapman, the man of crisis - New Zealand didn't get a smooth start as they were dented early doors, with their top three dismissed inside the Powerplay. Reduced to 46/3, they needed someone to steady the ship. As in such modest run chases, a single stable partnership is enough to get the job done. Mark Chapman was the man who kept the counterattack on with his aggressive approach, and though he lost Latham, Michael Bracewell put his hand up and played a good foil to arrest the slide. Their 65-run partnership brought a much-needed calm, with Chapman scoring a half-century of high quality against a disciplined West Indian bowling attack who had its tails up.

Fought till the last drop of blood - The series may have gone New Zealand's way by the narrowest of margins, but credit where it's due. This was West Indies at their fighting best. With only 188 to defend, nowhere near enough on paper, they somehow turned it into a contest from the very first ball of the chase, and pushed this right to the wire. They knew all along there was only one way to win this. By taking all ten Kiwi wickets, nothing less. But they never lost heart, not for a moment, and kept coming right till the very end. And they could well have pulled this off too, had that catch been taken for the last wicket in the 43rd over.

A blockbuster in Barbados - Anguish in the West Indies camp, relief pouring through the Kiwi dressing room. What an entertaining game of cricket that was, plenty of bright moments to take from both sides across this contest. And in a game that carried the weight of tribute, played on the day cricket lost Sir Garry Sobers, it's fair to say it lived up to that billing. But when the dust settles, it's New Zealand who walk away with the series in their pocket. This is the only second ODI series win for New Zealand on the West Indian soil. And they go back-to-back, in 2022 and now in 2026. The hosts are heartbroken, but there are good scenes out in the middle as Shai Hope gathers his men into a huddle, an arm round the shoulder for a side that gave everything and came up just short.

Scores remain level. And it will be Lennox on the strike. Vitel Lawes is brought back into the attack.

Right. 3 runs needed for the Kiwis with Santner on strike. Jayden Seales (8-2-39-1) continues...

Lennox has just one ball left to survive now, with New Zealand needing 3 runs for the win. Every nail in the house must be bitten down to the quick by this point.

Shai Hope runs towards his bowler to have a chat and calm him down. Some field changes have been made, but there are only three men outside the ring. Good to resume after a bit of a halt.