CHRISTCHURCH – A late batting onslaught by Ramnaresh Sarwan and Denesh Ramdin saw the West Indies snatch victory with one ball to spare in the one-day international against New Zealand here on Saturday.

In a match reduced to 28 overs per side after a lengthy disruption due to thunder and hail, New Zealand made 152 for eight and under the Duckworth-Lewis system the West Indies were set a target of 158 to win.

Man-of-the-match Sarwan fittingly hit the winning run off the penultimate delivery to finish unbeaten on 67 off 65 balls while Ramdin was not out 28 from 18.

For much of the innings the target had seemed out of reach for the West Indies as New Zealand kept tight control in the field, wickets fell at regular intervals and the required run rate escalated.

Midway through the 23rd over, when Ramdin came to the crease at the fall of Kieron Pollard's wicket, they were 110 for five.

With three overs remaining the West Indies still required 30 runs before Sarwan and Ramdin fully opened up, taking 12 off a Tim Southee over and then 14 off Jeetan Patel.

In a desperate final over, Ramdin took two off the first delivery bowled by Southee, and then he and Sarwan took singles off the fourth and fifth balls to seal the match.

In between both Brendon McCullum and Grant Elliot missed shies at the stumps that could have resulted in run outs.

The win put the West Indies one up in the five-match series, although it was New Zealand who started with their tails up after dominating the 36 overs available in the rain-abandoned first ODI at Queenstown on New Year's eve.

But they were rocked in the third over here when Fidel Edwards had the big-hitting Brendon McCullum caught behind by Ramdin for one and they never recovered.

Edwards came back late in the match, when New Zealand were trying to up the batting rate, to remove Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori in the space of two balls and return the best bowling figures for the West Indies of three for 26.

Jesse Ryder, who was on 20 when the storm broke in the seventh over, top scored for New Zealand with 32 off 43 balls.

For the most part New Zealand were hampered by tight West Indies fielding and at one stage went 12 overs without a boundary.

Oram broke the drought when he clubbed a six and two fours off a Gayle over before being caught in the next over by Chattergoon off Edwards for 25.

Jamie How contributed 27 while Grant Elliot at the end finished unbeaten on 30.

New Zealand also had early bowling success when Chattergoon was bowled by Southee in the fourth over for six.

Vettori then made a key breakthrough when he captured the West Indies most-prized wicket of Chris Gayle, clean bowled for 36.

With their illustrious skipper back in the pavillion the West Indies appeared to lose their way as Xavier Marshall, Brendan Nash and Pollard all fell cheaply before Sarwan and Ramdin turned their fortunes around.

The third match of the five-game series is in Wellington on Wednesday.

AFP

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