The Black Caps and West Indies are in Wellington today for the third one-dayer as the home side looks to square the series after going down by five wickets in Christchurch on Saturday.
KEY POINTS:
7.29pm
The Black Caps have won the third one-day international against the West Indies by seven wickets, chasing down the target of 129 with 29.2 overs to spare.
Ross Taylor scored his seventh one-day half-century, finishing unbeaten on 51 with Daniel Flynn on 23.
The Black Caps got
off to a solid start with openers Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder reaching 34 off six overs before being dismissed in consecutive balls by Daren Powell.
Jamie How followed shortly after for a duck to Powell before Taylor and Flynn came to the rescue.
While the Windies were let down by their batsmen, they also conceded 23 extras in a sloppy performance in the field.
The teams now head to Auckland for the fourth match on Saturday with the series tied 1-1.
7.24pm
The Black Caps are cruising to victory as Ross Taylor and Daniel Flynn dominate the Windies' attack.
After 20 overs, New Zealand required just 11 runs for victory with Taylor and Flynn putting on an unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership of 89.
With three sixes in the last five overs Taylor had moved to 51 while Flynn was on 19.
7.02pm
Ross Taylor and Daniel Flynn have steadied New Zealand's run-chase, advancing to 69-3 after 15 overs.
Taylor was on 18, while Flynn, who was dropped on zero by Kieron Pollard, had moved to nine.
The Windies have done well to get back into the match but have already conceded 10 extras and are making simple errors in the field, giving the Black Caps far too many easy runs.
6.35pm
What started out as a fairly simple assignment has got considerably tricky for the Black Caps.
Chasing 129 to win, New Zealand were 53-3 after 10 overs, with Jamie How being the latest wicket to fall for a six-ball duck.
How's pull shot looked to be going for six until Jerome Taylor pulled off a stunner just inches from the rope.
Ross Taylor (13) and Daniel Flynn (0) were at the crease for New Zealand.
6.16pm
After getting the Black Caps off to a solid start Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder have been dismissed in consecutive balls by Daren Powell.
The openers reached 34 off six overs before McCullum edged a catch to Ramnaresh Sarwan at third man for 18.
The very next ball Ryder sent a low catch to Nikita Miller at cover for 14.
Ross Taylor, who safely saw off the hat-trick ball, is at the crease with Jamie How.
5.45pm
The players are on the field with Fidel Edwards set to bowl the first over for the Windies.
Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum are opening the batting for New Zealand.
5.17pm
The Black Caps have been set 129 to level the series against the Windies in tonight's third one-day international.
After winning the toss and putting the visitors into bat, the New Zealand attack was on the money right from the get go, Kyle Mills removing Xavier Marshall with just the fourth ball of the match.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the only batsman to provide any real resistance for the Windies, the left-hander getting to 45 before being trapped LBW by Jesse Ryder. Tailender Nikita Miller was left not out on 25.
All the New Zealand bowlers were economical, but none more so than skipper Daniel Vettori who finished with figures of 4-20 off 10 overs, while Mills and Tim Southee also grabbed two wickets each.
5pm
The Black Caps have bowled the Windies out for 128 in 41.4 overs with Jeetan Patel taking the final wicket.
Fidel Edwards tried smash the spinner over mid-wicket but skied the shot the Jamie How for 13, leaving Nikita Miller stranded on 25.
4.40pm
Jesse Ryder has removed Shivnarine Chanderpaul with his first ball.
Chanderpaul was building a vital partnership with Nikita Miller and was fast approaching fifty before being trapped LBW by a straight and full delivery for 45.
The Windies were 107-9 after 35 overs, with Fidel Edwards joining Miller, who was on 17.
4.15pm
The Black Caps are into the tail and could be batting by 5pm after Daniel Vettori claimed two more wickets today.
Jerome Taylor tried to heave Vettori over mid-on in the 28th over but only managed to edge it to Ross Taylor in the slips for 4.
Then, in the 30th over, Vettori bowled Daren Powell for one to leave the New Zealand captain with figures of 4-5 off five overs, including three maidens.
After 30 overs, the West Indies were 74-8 with Nikita Miller joining Shivnarine Chanderpaul at the crease, who was on 31.
3.59pm
Midway through their innings the Windies are struggling on 65-6 in Wellington today.
The current partnership of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Jerome Taylor seems the visitors' only hope of posting a competitive total after being put into bat by the Black Caps.
Chanderpaul was on 27 while Taylor was on three.
All the Black Caps' bowlers have been on song, with Kyle Mills, Tim Southee and captain Daniel Vettori taking two wickets each.
Chris Gayle was the only other Windies batsman to reach double figures before being bowled by Mills for 18.
3.46pm
Daniel Vettori has taken his second wicket in as many overs to leave the Windies on 58-6 after 22 overs.
Umpire Mark Benson wasted no time giving Kieron Pollard out LBW for one but replays confirmed the ball hit the bat first before going on to the pads.
Jerome Taylor has joined Shivnarine Chanderpaul at the crease, who was not out on 23.
3.35pm
Things are looking pretty grim for the West Indies.
The visitors have lost two more wickets and after 20 overs were 56-5 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 21 and Kieron Pollard yet to score.
Tim Southee took his second wicket in the 19th over, bowling Shawn Findlay for eight with an inswinger that ricocheted off the left-hander's pads onto the stumps.
The following over, Black Caps skipper Daniel Vettori brought himself into the attack with immediate effect, claiming Denesh Ramdin LBW for one.
Meanwhile, Jacob Oram is unlikely to bowl again today.
The allrounder bowled two overs before aggravating an Achilles injury and has left the field.
3.07pm
The Windies have gone into their shell at the Cake Tin.
While they haven't lost another wicket, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Shawn Findlay have added just six runs in the last five overs as they look to consolidate after a nightmare start.
However, it's not all good news for the Black Caps with big allrounder Jacob Oram leaving the field for treatment on his troublesome Achilles.
Oram, who was under an injury cloud heading into the match, bowled two overs but did not look comfortable and has been replaced by Neil Broom.
2.46pm
New Zealand's super start has continued today with Kyle Mills bowling dangerman Chris Gayle for 18.
After 10 overs the West Indies were 35-3, with Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 10 and Shawn Findlay yet to get off the mark.
Mills has been putting the ball on the spot since the start of the innings, returning figures of 2-10 off five overs.
2.24pm
New ball bowlers Kyle Mills and Tim Southee have got the Black Caps off to a flyer, taking two wickets in the first five overs to leave the West Indies on 19-2.
Mills dismissed Xavier Marshall on just the fourth ball of the day, edged to Jamie How for a duck.
After conceding 13 off his first over, Southee responded by taking the key wicket of Ramnaresh Sarwan, also caught in the slips by How for five.
West Indies Captain Chris Gayle was at the crease on 12 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was yet to score.
1.50pm
New Zealand have won the toss and elected to bowl first in the third one-day cricket international against the West Indies at Westpac Stadium in Wellington today.
New Zealand have named an unchanged side from the line-up that lost by five wickets in game two at Christchurch on Saturday night.
Jacob Oram passed a fitness test on his inflamed Achilles tendon while off spinner Jeetan Patel has been retained at the expense of pace bowler Mark Gillespie.
The West Indies, who have a 1-0 lead with three matches remaining, welcome back key batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who missed the first two matches with a bruised left hand.
He replaces Sewnarine Chattergoon at the top of the order while allrounder Shawn Findlay comes in for Brendan Nash.
The first match in Queenstown was washed out on New Year's Eve while the next game is at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday.
New Zealand
Daniel Vettori (captain), Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Jamie How, Ross Taylor, Daniel Flynn, Jacob Oram, Grant Elliott, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel, Mark Gillespie (12th man).
West Indies
Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Xavier Marshall, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Kieron Pollard, Shawn Findlay, Denesh Ramdin, Jerome Taylor, Nikita Miller, Fidel Edwards, Daren Powell, Brendan Nash (12th man).
- NZ HERALD STAFF, NZPA
