New Zealand vs West Indies, 2nd ODI - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

That brings an end to our coverage of the 2nd ODI. NZ have already won the series, so the 3rd ODI at Hamilton will be a dead-rubber. Do join us for the live coverage of that match on the 22nd November. For now, it's goodbye from us. Ciao!

Mitchell Santner | NZ captain: I think a few of the boys this morning thought the match would get washed out and could just think about golf tomorrow. We’re obviously thrilled with the win. The work was done up top. The new ball looked pretty tricky out there, but credit to Shai and the others, they still got to a pretty competitive score on that wicket. We also knew it’s a tough ground to defend, especially with the wet outfield and only four out in the middle. Once the ball got a bit older, it became easier. KJ (Jamieson) and Matt Henry are excellent with the new ball, and they definitely got something out of it, looked very tricky early. But it’s one of those wickets where if you spend a bit of time, you can get in. Shai timed his innings beautifully for his hundred. And then Conway and Rachin, it looked tough for them at the start too, but once they settled, they got us off to a great platform. I thought it was a good score. They batted really well in the last 20-25 overs. But again, on this ground, if you get a good start, you can really cash in at the back end. A 34-over game with only four out is always challenging - there’s always at least one gap to target, and I think we were able to exploit that a bit.

Shai Hope | WI captain and Player of the Match: I always look at it this way - I got, what, 109 or 110? Still not enough. I needed 120 or 130 for us to win. That’s how I see it. It’s always good to give the team the best possible chance of winning. I always look internally to see if there’s more I could have done. It was about putting pressure on them, not letting them settle, especially in these conditions. If they get on top of you, it becomes hard work, particularly at the back end. I felt I needed to bring some impetus to the innings and give us the best chance of defending the score. Everyone knows by now - I love to win. Whether I score hundreds or fifties doesn’t matter. I’d rather score 2 and we win than get a hundred and lose. That’s how I see the game. I just try to find ways to keep improving and give my team the best chance possible. I was just trying to maximise the last few overs. It worked out that I got the strike and managed to get away a couple at the end. Honestly, I thought it was enough. But clearly it wasn’t. There are always areas you can improve, maybe scoring a few more off those dot balls early on, putting more pressure on during the powerplay. But hindsight is perfect, and it’s easy to talk after the game. In the bowling department, I think we went off the boil a bit in the middle overs, allowing them to hit too square on the shorter boundaries. We didn’t force them down the ground as much as we wanted and probably lost our plan in that period. He (Shepherd) is one of those bowlers who can come in and grab a wicket. But he’s been having hamstring issues that flare up now and then. We still have quality bowlers to get the job done, though. Even without him, the others felt they were capable. It just didn’t happen for us today, we should have closed out a few key moments. Like we’ve said, when you look at it closely, we’ve come to New Zealand with most of the guys playing here for the first time in these foreign conditions, and we’ve still managed to push every game right to the back end. There have been, what, four close games now? Pretty much all decided in the last over. So you come here, you put yourself in positions to win, and it’s only a matter of time before you cross that line. It’s just unfortunate we’re not doing it right now. But we’ve got to find a way to get over that line, because if we want to be a great team, we have to keep winning against the best. That’s what we need to focus on moving forward.

22:50 Local Time, 09:50 GMT, 15:20 IST: New Zealand clinch a 5-wicket win and seal the ODI series 2-0, overcoming a strong West Indies challenge with a polished run-chase. Earlier, the visitors had posted an imposing total, led by a magnificent century from Shai Hope, who held the innings together with composure and authority. While the rest chipped in with handy contributions, it was Hope’s masterful knock that set the tone. New Zealand started their reply steadily before Ravindra and Conway shifted gears, both reaching well-constructed fifties. Ravindra departed soon after his milestone, undone by Greaves, and Conway - looking primed for a big one, was unfortunately dismissed in the 26th over courtesy a sharp catch from Chase at backward point. The West Indies briefly wrestled back momentum with a couple of middle-over strikes, but Latham anchored the chase expertly, rotating the strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking. Santner’s brisk cameo injected further energy and pushed New Zealand ahead. In the end, a flurry of wayward deliveries, particularly the full tosses; cost the West Indies dearly, allowing New Zealand to cruise home and wrap up the series in convincing fashion in the 34th over. Stay around for the presentations..

Equation: NZ need 8 runs from 6 balls - Seales to bowl the final over of the match