Black Caps clinch series

FEEBLE, dismal, pathetic – call it what you want, the West Indies will probably agree.

Highlighted by a career-best 7-34 by left-armer Trent Boult, the Black Caps thrashed the visitors by a record 204-runs at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval on Saturday to wrap up the three-match series with a game to play.

Without star batsman Chris Gayle (illness), the visitors were always going to struggle to chase down New Zealand’s imposing 325-6, and so it proved.

Without regular captain Kane Williamson and seamer Tim Southee, the Black Caps didn’t miss a beat under Tom Latham’s leadership as they bettered their 203-run win against the Windies in Hamilton in 2014.

Henry Nicholls, George Worker, Ross Taylor and Todd Astle made West Indies captain Jason Holder’s decision to bowl first appear foolish, before Boult struck four times in his first five overs to doom the tourists.

They never recovered from 52-4 inside 10 overs, which soon became 70-6. They were put out of their misery in just 28 overs

Boult, who became the 16th Kiwi to take 100 ODI wickets, destroyed the sorry West Indies, with help from speedster Lockie Ferguson, who came within a whisker of taking a hat-trick on his way to his best figures (3-13). SCOREBOARD

The Black Caps had a 130-run partnership between hometown players Nicholls and Astle – a record sixth-wicket stand against the West Indies – to thank for their first 300-plus total in home ODIs this year.