BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — In a gripping fifth and final One Day International that capped a back-and-forth five-match series, Shimron Hetmyer delivered a cool-headed late-innings performance to notch an unbeaten 69 and lift the West Indies to a two-wicket win over New Zealand on Tuesday. Despite the hosts closing out the series with a victory, New Zealand retained the upper hand across the contest, clinching the series 3-2 after consistent results through the earlier fixtures. New Zealand’s comeback run followed an opening-match seven-wicket win for the West Indies, with the visiting side securing victories in Game 2 by five wickets, Game 3 by six wickets, and Game 4 to lock in the series lead.
A striking statistical quirk defined the entire five-match series: every single game was won by the team batting second. On Tuesday, that trend held firm, as the West Indies chased down New Zealand’s first-innings total of 268-9 to reach 269-8, with 15 overs still remaining when they crossed the winning line. Hetmyer’s fifth ODI half-century was anchored by a critical 95-run fifth-wicket partnership with Sherfane Rutherford, who contributed a polished 61 of his own. The pair built on a solid 59-run third-wicket foundation established by Shai Hope (39) and Keacy Carty (20), putting the West Indies on track for a seemingly comfortable victory for much of the chase.
But the match quickly turned into a seesaw battle that shifted momentum multiple times in the final overs. When Rutherford was dismissed with the West Indies at 218-5, the side still needed 41 runs to win with just under 10 overs left to bat. Gudakesh Motie followed back to the pavilion three overs later at 239-6, putting New Zealand back in contention. The visiting side came close to sealing a sweep of the final two matches when fast bowler Jacob Duffy knocked out Matthew Forde and Alzarri Joseph on consecutive deliveries in the 45th over, leaving the West Indies still needing 21 runs to win with just two wickets in hand.
In an unexpected tactical call that would later shape the match outcome, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner pulled left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox from the attack, despite Lennox having claimed 3 wickets for just 35 runs across his nine overs. That decision opened the door for Hetmyer, who struck two decisive sixes off Duffy in the 47th over, swinging the momentum firmly back to the West Indies to see them cross the finish line with more than two overs to spare.
For his standout performance across the entire series, Lennox earned player of the series honors after finishing with 14 total wickets at an exceptional average of 13.6. Reflecting on his match-winning knock after the game, Hetmyer said he prioritized team success over personal milestones. “I wasn’t really thinking about getting a half-century to be honest, I was just thinking about how … I can make sure the team crosses the line,” Hetmyer said. “Every time a new batter came out I was just like ‘make sure you’re there at the end.’ I’m just happy that I could be there to make sure we crossed the line.”
New Zealand’s first innings had appeared set to produce a much larger match-winning total, with the side reaching 181-3 in the 35th over and 230-5 with just five overs remaining. Top-order contributions from Will Young (56), Tom Latham (69) and Nick Kelly (64) drove the visitors’ scoring pace, but the side failed to capitalize on their strong position in the closing overs. Tight, disciplined bowling from the West Indies, particularly from Alzarri Joseph who finished with 2 wickets for 38 runs from his full 10 overs, restricted New Zealand to a manageable final total of 268-9.
The West Indies got off to a blistering start in their run chase, scoring at a pace of more than eight runs per over through the first five overs. The home side suffered an early double setback, however, losing opening batters Ackeem Auguste and Justin Greaves off five consecutive deliveries. Even with the early wickets, the West Indies maintained a scoring rate of more than seven runs per over after 10 overs, as Hope and Carty kept the chase on track.
New Zealand’s spin attack began to ramp up the pressure as the innings progressed. Carty was held to a long string of dot balls, and after the West Indies reached 118-2, both Carty and Hope fell within three overs of each other. Hope misjudged a loose delivery from Lennox, attempting to hit it over the leg side boundary only to pull it straight to Kristian Clarke at midwicket, just off the fence. Carty, growing frustrated with being pinned down by spin, finally slashed across a straight delivery from Lennox that hit his middle stump, ending his innings.
Rutherford stepped into the breach to revive the West Indies innings, and quickly formed a productive connection with Hetmyer, who had set out from the moment he walked to the crease to be the batter that finished the chase. The pair’s match-winning stand brought the host across the line, closing out an action-packed series that ultimately ended in New Zealand’s favor.