West Indies’ spin problem hands New Zealand a 2-1 series lead
New Zealand’s spinners bowled West Indies out for 140 and cruised to a six-wicket win at Providence, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match ODI series.
Jul 17, 2026
New Zealand made it two wins in a row over West Indies overnight, bowling the hosts out for 140 and knocking off the runs for the loss of four wickets to move 2-1 up in the five-match ODI series. It was the same story that undid West Indies three days earlier. Their batters had no answer to New Zealand’s spinners on a slow Providence surface.
Jayden Lennox did the damage again. The spinner took 4 for 52 and walked off with the player-of-the-match award, days after a five-wicket haul had levelled the series. Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell chipped in with two wickets apiece, and West Indies were bowled out without ever building a stand that mattered.
West Indies fold against spin again
Batting first on a pitch that gripped and turned, West Indies never got going. Wickets fell in clusters through the middle overs and 140 was well short of a defendable total. The collapse followed the pattern of the second ODI and left West Indies still searching for a plan against slow bowling that has now cost them two games running.
The result matters beyond the scoreline. West Indies came into this series wanting to rebuild their one-day form at home, and back-to-back defeats have pulled that in the wrong direction. Their quicks have kept them in games, but a top order that keeps folding for under 150 will not win many ODIs.
New Zealand’s chase never wobbles
Chasing 141, New Zealand were rarely troubled. They lost a few wickets along the way but got home with more than ten overs to spare, the openers and middle order doing enough between them to close it out without any late nerves. For a side that lost the opener, taking a 2-1 lead with two matches to play is a strong position.
The series now moves to Bridgetown for the fourth ODI on Sunday, with West Indies needing a win to stay alive and New Zealand one victory from sealing it. If the pitches keep offering turn, West Indies will have to find a way to survive against Lennox and Santner, or the series will slip away from them.