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Kiwis beat Windies by three wickets

New Zealand beat the West Indies by three wickets in the first one-day international of the five-match series yesterday. The home side reached a rain-reduced target of 250 runs in the final over of the match to go one up.

The West Indies, batting first, amassed 268 for the loss of seven wickets off their 50 overs, which looked good enough to see them through. However, a 20-minute rain stoppage after the 31st over, which saw New Zealand's target being revised to 250 off 46 overs, proved their undoing.

Nathan Astle (77) and Chris Cairns (75) were the men who fashioned the home team's victory. The pair helped New Zealand recover from 71 for 3 with a partnership of 136 that proved decisive.

Astle was later named man of the match.

For the West Indies skipper Brian Lara (76), Ridley Jacobs (65) and Sherwin Campbell (51) excelled with the bat.

Agencies