Jayden Lennox announced himself in style with a maiden five-wicket haul, ripping through West Indies as New Zealand squared the ODI series with a commanding five-wicket win in Guyana.

The 22-year-old spinner finished with staggering figures of 5 for 19, while Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell chipped in with two wickets each as the Black Caps’ slow bowlers claimed nine of the 10 wickets to bundle out the hosts for just 138. Tom Latham then anchored the chase with an unbeaten 37, guiding New Zealand home in 32.4 overs.

Lennox spins West Indies into submission

West Indies started strong—John Campbell (43) and Ackeem Auguste (18) added 63 for the first wicket. But the moment the ball softened and the spinners entered the attack, the game flipped. Auguste nicked Bracewell to point, Campbell was bowled by a Santner arm ball, and then Lennox struck twice in quick succession to remove Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford.

The collapse was brutal. Six batters bowled, two LBW. Gudakesh Motie punched a spinning Lennox delivery onto his stumps. Matthew Forde missed a sweep and watched his off-stump cartwheel. Amir Jangoo, the lone resistor with 24, was trapped LBW by Bracewell. Alzarri Joseph was run out, Vitel Lawes swept and missed—Lennox’s fifth victim sealed West Indies’ fate in 36 overs.

Latham steers NZ to series-levelling win

New Zealand’s reply wobbled early. Will Young (28) cracked five fours before Alzarri Joseph trapped him LBW. Mark Chapman was run out for a duck. Henry Nicholls, after a slow start, found the boundary twice in a Joseph over—only to top-edge a sweep off Motie.

At 52 for 3, Latham and Daryl Mitchell (28) steadied the ship with a 42-run stand. Mitchell cashed in on width, rotating strike smartly, before Khary Pierre had him stumped. Pierre then bowled Dean Foxcroft for a duck, but Latham and Bracewell added 45 unbroken to finish the job with 17.2 overs to spare.

Match at a glance

  • West Indies 138 in 36 overs (John Campbell 43; Jayden Lennox 5-19, Mitchell Santner 2-21)
  • New Zealand 141/5 in 32.4 overs (Tom Latham 37*, Will Young 28, Daryl Mitchell 28; Khary Pierre 2-33)
  • Result: New Zealand won by 5 wickets
  • Series: 1-1 with one ODI to play