BASSETERRE (St Kitts), July 12: Nathan McCullum hit 50 and took two wickets plus a crucial catch to lead New Zealand to a 88-run victory over West Indies in the third One-day International on Wednesday to cut the hosts' lead to 2-1 in the five-match series.

McCullum hit four boundaries and a six from 70 as New Zealand reached 249-9 off 50 overs at Warner Park. He then took 2-40 from six overs, removing big-hitting Kieron Pollard (16) and Darren Sammy (7) and catching Dwayne Smith (19) off Jacob Oram, who claimed 2-22 from seven overs.

Opener Rob Nicol top-scored for New Zealand with 59 off 69 deliveries while B.J. Watling also chipped in with 40.

West Indies’ run chase never got going, the hosts being bowled out for 161 off 34.3 overs with debutant seamer Trent Boult taking 2-45.

Russell smacked 42 not out off 24 balls with three four and four sixes, but no other batsman passed 20 with New Zealand also executing three fine run outs.

Boult gave the Kiwis a good start when he claimed Johnson Charles (15) lbw to an in-swinging full toss. But it was Southee who delivered the most decisive strike, removing the in-form Chris Gayle for 11.

Gayle, with scores of 85 not out, 53, 63 not out and 125 in the two Twenty20s and the first two one-dayers, fell to a first slip catch to make it 33-2.

New Zealand's high standard of fielding delivered the next wicket, with McCullum sprinting 15 yards from extra cover to haul in a brilliant catch to remove Smith.

It was soon 52-4 when Dwayne Bravo tried for a crazy third run on the small outfield and was caught well short by Southee's pinpoint return from the deep.

Marlon Samuels, a century-maker in the last match, soon fell to another sensational piece of fielding.

Martin Guptill made a diving stop at extra cover and, in one motion, threw down the striker's stump as Samuels dived in vain to leave the Caribbean men tottering at 62-5.

McCullum then removed Pollard and Sammy and the match was as good as over. Pollard holed out to deep midwicket while Sammy chipped tamely back to the bowler off the leading edge at 95-7.

Russell swung lustily to try to inspire a miracle, but Oram claimed Ramdin lbw, Narine was brilliantly run out by Kane Williamson and Ravi Rampaul skied a catch to end the resistance.

The fourth match in the five-match series is at the same venue on Saturday.—AP

Scoreboard NEW ZEALAND: R.J. Nicol c and b Samuels    59 M.J. Guptill lbw b Russell    11 D.R. Flynn c Ramdin b Bravo    28 K.S. Williamson b Narine    9 T.W.M. Latham c Gayle b Sammy    12 B.J. Watling c Narine b Russell    40 N.L. McCullum c Bravo b Russell    50 J.D.P. Oram st Ramdin b Narine    7 K.D. Mills c Gayle b Russell    2 T.G. Southee not out    17 T.A. Boult not out    1

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-5, NB-2)    13 TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs)    249 FALL OF WKTS: 1-24, 2-71, 3-97, 4-124, 5-125, 6-191, 7-216, 8-219, 9-239. BOWLING: Rampaul 10-0-61-0 (1w); Russell 9-0-57-4 (1w); Bravo 7-0-47-1 (2nb, 2w); Narine 10-0-28-2 (1w); Sammy 8-1-22-1; Samuels 6-0-28-1.

WEST INDIES: J. Charles lbw b Boult    15 C.H. Gayle c Guptill b Southee    11 D.R. Smith c McCullum b Oram    19 M.N. Samuels run out    11 D.J. Bravo run out    2 K.A. Pollard c sub b McCullum    16 D. Ramdin lbw b Oram    14 D.J.G. Sammy c and b McCullum    7 A.D. Russell not out    42 S.P. Narine run out    10 R. Rampaul c Southee b Boult    9

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-1, NB-1)    5 TOTAL (all out, 34.3 overs)    161 FALL OF WKTS: 1-19, 2-33, 3-50, 4-52, 5-62, 6-85, 7-95, 8-103, 9-133. BOWLING: Mills 7-2-37-0; Boult 8.3-0-45-2 (1nb); Southee 6-1-14-1 (1w); Oram 7-1-22-2; McCullum 6-0-40-2. RESULT: New Zealand won by 88 runs. UMPIRES: J. Wilson (West Indies) and R.A. Kettleborough (England). TV UMPIRE: R.K. Illingworth (England). MATCH REFEREE: A.J. Pycroft (Zimbabwe). MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Rob Nicol. NEXT MATCH: Basseterre (St Kitts), Saturday.