WELLINGTON, Jan 7: Skipper Daniel Vettori took four cheap scalps as New Zealand crushed the West Indies by seven wickets to level the One-day International series 1-1 on Wednesday.

Vettori finished with 4-20 from 10 overs in the third of the five-match series after the hosts skittled the West Indies for 128 in 41.4 overs at Westpac Stadium.

“It was set up by the bowlers first and foremost and the wicket obviously had a little bit in it but in the end it was a very comfortable victory and a very happy dressing room,” Vettori said.

New Zealand initially stuttered in the run-chase, losing the wickets of Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder and Jamie How in the space of six runs to be 40 for three after 7.2 overs.

But Ross Taylor made an unbeaten 51 off 50 balls including five fours and three sixes, supported by Daniel Flynn’s 23 not out in an 89-run partnership that propelled New Zealand to 129 in just 20.3 overs.

The pair started shakily with two difficult catching chances missed and an unsuccessful caught-behind appeal off Taylor, where replays suggested the ball may have brushed his glove on the way through to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

But they settled into a solid partnership which stood in contrast to the rash shot-making of the first three batsmen and most of the West Indies line-up.

Only batting star Shivnarine Chanderpaul showed any serious resistance with 45 in the West Indies innings.

At one stage the visitors looked unlikely even to break 100 when they collapsed to 74 for eight but number 10 Nikita Miller, unbeaten on 25, combined with Chanderpaul and Fidel Edwards to avoid total humiliation.

Vettori did the damage to the lower half of the West Indies order and he was complemented by Kyle Mills, who removed the openers and finished with two for 31 from his 10 overs.

Fellow opening bowler Tim Southee also chipped in with two for 36 from his 10 overs.

“It always helps when you bowl to the middle order as opposed to the top and the platform they set up allowed me to attack a bit more and take those wickets,” Vettori said, praising Mills and Southee.

Vettori won the toss and chose to bowl first in overcast conditions, and his decision was vindicated by the speedy departure of the top of the West Indies order.

Opener Xavier Marshall departed for a duck in the first over, edging Mills to Jamie How at second slip. He was soon followed back to the dressing room by Ramnaresh Sarwan, who edged Southee to How for five.

Chanderpaul and captain Chris Gayle looked to be the best hope of getting the tourists back on track but Gayle became Mills’s second victim, edging a slower ball onto the stumps on 18 to leave his team struggling at 35 for three.

Vettori claimed two wickets in his first two overs, although the second, an lbw decision against Kieron Pollard, appeared lucky with replays showing the batsman nicked the ball onto his pads.

An angry Pollard broke a window pane and dented a door in the players’ tunnel with his bat as he returned to the dressing room.

Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell also fell quickly to Vettori, who dismissively pointed to his head after Powell was bowled taking a wild swing at a ball which kept low and straight.

Powell later made some amends with the ball, taking all three New Zealand wickets to finish with three for 25 off his seven overs.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES:

C.H. Gayle b Mills 18

X.M. Marshall c How b Mills 0

R.R. Sarwan c How b Southee 5

S. Chanderpaul lbw Ryder 45

S.E. Findlay b Southee 8

D. Ramdin lbw b Vettori 1

K.A. Pollard lbw b Vettori 1

J.E. Taylor c Taylor b Vettori 4

D.B.L. Powell b Vettori 1

N.O. Miller not out 25

F.H. Edwards c How b Patel 13

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-3, NB-1) 7

TOTAL (all out, 41.4 overs) 128

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-15, 3-35, 4-55, 5-56, 6-58, 7-70, 8-74, 9-101.

BOWLING: Mills 10-2-31-2; Southee 10-2-36-2 (1w); Oram 2-0-4-0; Elliott 2-0-9-0; Vettori 10-3-20-4 (1nb, 1w); Patel 3.4-0-8-1 (1w); Ryder 4-0-17-1.

NEW ZEALAND:

J.S. Ryder c Miller b Powell 14

B.B. McCullum c Sarwan b Powell 18

J.M. How c Taylor b Powell 0

L.R.P.L. Taylor not out 51

D.R. Flynn not out 23

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-4, W-14, NB-1) 23

TOTAL (for three wkts, 20.3 overs) 129

FALL OF WKTS: 1-34, 2-34, 3-40.

DID NOT BAT: J.D.P. Oram, G.D. Elliott, D.L. Vettori, K.D. Mills, T.G. Southee, J.S. Patel.BOWLING: Edwards 7-0-53-0 (1nb, 2w); Powell 7-0-25-3 (1w); Taylor 3-0-10-0; Miller 3-0-22-0; Gayle 0.3-0-11-0 (2w).

RESULT: New Zealand won by seven wickets.

UMPIRES: G.A. Baxter (New Zealand) and M.R. Benson (England).

TV UMPIRE: A.L. Hill (New Zealand).

MATCH REFEREE: J. Srinath (India).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Daniel Vettori.

FIRST MATCH: Queenstown, no result.

SECOND MATCH: Christchurch, West Indies won by five wickets.

FOURTH MATCH: Auckland, Jan 10

FIFTH MATCH: Napier, Jan 13.—AFP