West Indies beat New Zealand as Lawes shines on ODI debut

Keacy Carty made 95 and Shai Hope scored an unbeaten 87 in a 131-run third wicket partnership which led West Indies to a comfortable seven-wicket win over New Zealand on Saturday night in the first of five One-Day Internationals at the National Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana. 

Carty fell just short of his fifth ODI century – a year after his fourth – as the West Indies easily erased New Zealand’s score of 267 with seven balls remaining. 

Hope anchored the innings after Carty’s dismissal, adding 45 runs from 31 balls in an unbroken partnership with Sherfane Rutherford who finished 22 not out. 

With six to win off eight balls he smashed the next ball straight over the bowler’s head and out of the ground to end the match and spark celebrations among the sparse crowd.

Earlier in the match West Indies handed an international debut to Vitel Lawes, the teenager from Jamaica who had never represented his country in professional cricket. 

It was a smart pick as the 19-year-old left-arm chinaman and googly specialist demonstrated his wizardry. He picked up three wickets for 54 runs from 10 overs to help bowl out New Zealand. He had two batsmen caught in the outfield and the other stumped in a superb piece of work by the alert Hope behind the stumps. 

The leading wicket-taker was fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, with four for 41 – which saw New Zealand lose their last six wickets for 33 runs in the space of seven overs.

The second match is another day/night fixture under floodlights on Monday at 2:30pm. (PS)

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