Basseterre (S t Kitts), Jul 17 (IANS/CMC): Mystery off-spinner Sunil Narine's fifer bowled West Indies to a 20-run victory over New Zealand in the fifth and final One-Day International and with it to wrap up the series 4-1.
The right-armer, adjudged Man-of-the-Match and Man-of-the-Series, finished with five for 27 from his ten overs as New Zealand, chasing 242 for victory, were dismissed for 221 off the last ball of the innings at Warner Park here Monday, reports CMC.
Batting first after winning the toss, the West Indies rallied to reach 241 for nine thanks to another exciting cameo from Andre Russell who struck an unbeaten 59 to bolster the lower order.
The West Indies had slumped to 180 for eight in the 44th over before Russell's stroke-filled 59 off 40 balls gave them a challenging total.
Russell smashed six fours and three sixes, two of which came in the 46th over off pacer Andrew Ellis.
Dwayne Bravo added a patient 53 while Marlon Samuels stroked 43 after Tim Southee (3-37) and Kyle Mills (3-40) put the visitors on top early in the game.
Opener Chris Gayle (5) failed for the third straight innings when he cut Mills hard to Rob Nicol at point at 23 for one in the fifth over.
His partner Johnson Charles followed in the seventh over, jabbing Southee to Nicol at point for 15 and eight balls later, Dwayne Smith was palpably lbw for nine at 37 for three.
Samuels and Bravo then repaired the innings with a cautious 60-run, fourth wicket partnership off 101 balls.
While Samuels hit four fours and a six off 59 balls, Bravo counted three fours and a six off 93 balls.
The stand was broken when Samuels was brilliantly taken by Martin Guptill diving low to his left at cover off Southee and in the next over, Kieron Pollard dragged a short ball from part-time off-spinner Kane Williamson to Guptill at short mid-wicket to depart for seven.
Bravo put on 53 for the sixth wicket with gloveman Devon Thomas, who scored 20 before holing out to square-leg off Ellis at 157 for six in the 38th over.
Wickets then tumbled regularly but Russell's clean hitting gave the Windies a total at which to bowl.
After losing opener Nicol cheaply, Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum both stroked 33 in a 62-run second wicket stand to repair the damage, before Narine prised out both to send the visitors tumbling to 77 for three in the 18th over.
Captain Ross Taylor stroked 28 but was one of three wickets to fall in quick time as the Kiwis slumped to 140 for six.
Kane Williamson then produced a responsible 69 from 84 balls with five fours and a six, in a 68-run, seventh-wicket partnership with Ellis, who got 28. Narine's return for his final spell saw Williamson depart to a superb one-handed catch by Gayle at mid-wicket at 208 for seven in the 46th over and the resistance was over four runs later when Ellis was bowled by Narine.
Brief Scores:
West Indies 241 for nine off 50 overs (Andre Russell 59 not out, Dwayne Bravo 53, Marlon Samuels 43, Devon Thomas 20; Tim Southee 3-37, Kyle Mills 3-40, Andrew Ellis 2-54)
New Zealand 221 all out off 50 overs (Kane Williamson 69, Martin Guptill 33, Brendon McCullum 33, Andrew Ellis 28, Ross Taylor 33; Sunil Narine 5-27, Dwayne Bravo 2-30, Tino Best 2-58)