Raval helps deny West Indies its first win Beleaguered tourist loses four players ahead of ODIs, T20s
WELLINGTON: New Zealand test opener Jeet Raval unfurled an exquisite oneday century to send the West Indies to a tour match defeat in Whangarei.
Raval crafted 169 to steer a New Zealand XI to a sixwicket win with nine balls to spare at Cobham Oval, venue for the first ODI on Wednesday.
Swept 20 in the test series, a newlook West Indies appeared to have done enough to win its first match on tour when it reached 288.
However, it had no answer to the wellpaced knock of composed 29yearold lefthander Raval, who was dismissed when his team was seven runs short of the target. It reached 289 for four off 48.3 overs.
Raval’s score easily surpassed his previous best List A effort of 115.
He faced 150 balls, striking 17 fours and a six, accelerating over the latter stages to keep the required run rate in check.
Bharat Popli’s 62 was the only other notable knock in the run chase.
The West Indies attack struggled for penetration in a concerning performance against a team made up primarily of Kiwi fringe domestic players not required for twenty20 duty.
Twentyyearold Auckland offspinner Aniket Parikh impressed for the host with the ball, taking four for 47 off 10 overs.
Opener Kyle Hope was the best of the West Indies batsmen, retiring on 94 off 101 balls. He thought he had reached a century when walking from the park but the scoreboard later revealed he came up six runs short.
Younger brother Shai Hope scored 69. — NZN WELLINGTON: The touring West Indies has been bludgeoned by injuries and unavailability on the eve of its limited overs series against New Zealand.
Three players have been forced out by injury, while world class spin bowler Sunil Narine has pulled out of the twenty20 series for personal reasons.
Sunil Ambris, Alzarri Joseph and Marlon Samuels have all been ruled out of the 15man squad for the threematch ODI series starting in Whangarei on Wednesday.
Shimron Hetmyer, Sheldon Cottrell and Chadwick Walton are their replacements.
Ambris suffered a fractured
arm during the second match of the test series in Hamilton, which New Zealand won by 240 runs to secure a 20 series whitewash.
Veteran batsman Samuels injured a finger, while inexperienced seamer Joseph is out with a back problem.
Hetmyer (20) showed promise with some dashing batting during the test series and could be poised to make his ODI debut.
Batsman Walton and leftarm pace bowler Chadwick have played just eight and two ODIs respectively.
Samuels will be replaced in the T20 squad by the uncapped Shai Hope, who was in the Test and ODI squads.
Narine’s place in the T20 squad goes to fellowoffspinner Ashley Nurse, who was already in the ODI group. — NZN