NEW ZEALAND v WEST INDIES 1979-80

At Christchurch, February 6. New Zealand won by one wicket. New Zealand"s unexpected victory, acclaimed by a wildly excited crowd, provided them with much encouragement for the coming Test series, but West Indies must have been disappointed to lose a game they seemed to have under control until the last half-hour. During New Zealand"s late charge, their fielding fell away badly under pressure. Greenidge and Haynes batted with authority in an opening stand of 81 while the pitch held considerable life, and Greenidge went on to make his century from only 135 deliveries. New Zealand"s bowlers were generally accurate and their fielding quite brilliant, but the task of scoring a shade more than 4 runs an over seemed likely to be beyond their batsmen. When the sixth wicket fell at 80, the scoreboard may have induced the West Indians to relax, and if so they made a fatal mistake. Lees started a spectacular recovery by hitting 6s from successive balls off the off-spinner, Parry, and with Coney, a tall right-hander, he added 54 in 34 minutes from ten overs. With ten overs left, the target was still 68, but Hadlee responded to the urging of the crowd, making 41 from 33 balls. Six overs yielded 44 runs and Coney was there to make the winning hit, a fierce lofted straight drive off Holding, with only two balls left.

West Indies 203 for seven (50 overs) (C. G. Greenidge 103); New Zealand 207 for nine (49.4 overs) (J. V. Coney 53 not out, R. J. Hadlee 41; D. L. Parry three for 47).