Ross Taylor. Photo / Getty Images
Ross Taylor's two late boundaries to get New Zealand ahead of the required run rate were the defining moments of the series-settling victory over the West Indies yesterday, according to captain Dan Vettori.
Taylor's brace off Lionel Baker in the penultimate over put New Zealand in front on
the Duckworth Lewis calculations and when they didn't lose a wicket in the following over - which would have affected the target in the Windies' favour - it sealed the nine-run victory.
With the test and Twenty20 series finishing all square, Vettori was delighted to have pinched the rain-marred ODI rubber 2-1.
"We knew it was winner-take-all for the whole series, so we're pretty pleased," Vettori said last night.
"We always thought we were the better side in the one-day series but we haven't had the opportunities to finish it."
He felt the finale to the match yesterday - when first the West Indies, then New Zealand had their noses in front - summed up the up-and-down nature of the tour.
"It's been close the whole way. There have been little key moments that both teams have won throughout. Fortunately today we won those key ones."
He admitted to the odd twitchy moment when West Indian stars Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul were in full flight smashing the ball to all points in their 170-run third wicket stand.
But New Zealand's last five overs, when they pegged the West Indies back to 293 for nine, when they could have been chasing around 320, was critical for Vettori.
For West Indies captain Gayle, winning the man of the match for his sizzling 135 was no consolation.
"I'm pretty disappointed the way the series ended.
"This is part of the game and there's nothing you can do about it," he said of the rain-affected conclusion.
Gayle had been aware of the Duckworth Lewis calculations, which were on the large viewing screen - "We kept an eye on the board."
But he was caught out by 34-year-old Chanderpaul's magnificent reverse sweeping in his 94.
"It was a surprise to me," he said.
So would the five years younger Gayle fancy trying it out?
"No, I'm too old for that."
