West Indies hold series lead as New Zealand seek balance in second ODI

West Indies hold a 1-0 advantage in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, with the second encounter shaping up as a battle of contrasts in the Caribbean.

A spin-dominated attack gave West Indies the edge in the opener. Spinners sent down 55 of the 98.4 overs and claimed eight of the 13 wickets that fell—a blueprint the home side will likely repeat. New Zealand’s left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner carries a bowling average of 28.18 against West Indies, so expect him to remain crucial despite conditions favoring the hosts’ spinners.

New Zealand counters with some of the format’s most prolific run-makers. Daryl Mitchell has averaged 58.61 in ODI cricket. Among the 210 players with at least 2500 ODI runs, only two have beaten that average. On West Indies’ side, Shai Hope stands among just five men globally with 5000 ODI runs at an average of 50-plus and a strike rate above 80.

West Indies are shuffling their deck. Justin Greaves suffered a back injury and was ruled out; Shimron Hetmyer steps in for the second and third ODIs. Hetmyer hasn’t played an ODI since June 2025—an eight-month gap. The recall signals the team’s confidence in younger players too: Ackeem Auguste, who led West Indies at the 2022 U-19 World Cup, made his senior debut in September 2025 and hit a match-winning T20I half-century in Bangladesh the following October.

Vitel Lawes, the West Indies bowler, took 3 for 54 from 10 overs in the opener. His selection makes history—Lawes is the first male cricketer to debut for West Indies without a first-class, list A, or T20 match behind him.

New Zealand’s squad mixes experience with fresh talent. Nathan Smith and Matthew Fisher were the only players in their 20s in the first ODI’s XI, while Mark Chapman will contest his 34th ODI in the second match. Chapman made his ODI debut in November 2015, bringing a decade of international cricket to the table.

West Indies rarely win bilateral series against New Zealand. Since 2000, they’ve managed it just twice—in 2002 and 2012. The second ODI gives them a chance to build on their current lead and show this series can break that pattern.