New Zealand beat West Indies, win series 2-0

Hamilton, Dec 22 (IANS) New Zealand won the third and final cricket Test against the West Indies at the Seddon Park here Sunday to clinch the series 2-0.

The victory gives the Black Caps their first three-Test series victory since March 2006 — also at home against the West Indies, reports Xinhua.

Set a target of 122 in the fourth innings, the hosts lost only two wickets on their way to victory on Day 4. Hamish Rutherford brought up the winning runs scoring 48 not out with Ross Taylor, named Man of the Series, unbeaten on 2. Kane Williamson top scored with 56.

Williamson fell with six runs still required, leaving it to Rutherford to hit the winning boundary.

New Zealand went to lunch requiring 33 more runs and wasted little time in knocking off the runs in the ninth over after resumption.

Williamson reached his 12th half century with two successive pull shots off Tino Best while Rutherford, who had struggled in the opening session, was more circumspect.

It came as a surprise when Williamson, who had looked sure to see the Black Caps over the line, missed a Veerasammy Permaul ball that he tried to pull to the boundary and it crashed into his stumps.

Off-spinner Sunil Narine, who claimed 6/91 in the first innings, was the biggest threat before the interval but went unrewarded and did not bowl after the break.

Earlier West Indies captain Darren Sammy got the sole breakthrough when he caught and bowled to remove opener Peter Fulton.

New Zealand were given the odd scare with Rutherford living dangerously but the West Indies could not get the wickets to send any jitters through the Kiwi camp.

It ends a series where New Zealand, ranked eighth in Tests, dominated their sixth-ranked opponents and were only denied a clean-sweep when rain intervened in their quest for 112 to win the opening Test in Dunedin.