Live: New Zealand vs West Indies – Score Updates, Stream Links & Highlights of Today’s Series Decider

New Zealand edged West Indies by seven runs in a nail-biting 1st ODI at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval, drawing first blood in the three-match series and thrilling a packed home crowd. Daryl Mitchell’s gutsy 119 off 118 balls underpinned the Black Caps’ 269/7 before a disciplined bowling unit held the Caribbean side to 262/6 despite late fireworks from Justin Greaves and Romario Shepherd. Mitchell’s heroic hundred • Walked in at 7/2 after Matthew Forde’s double-strike and immediately counter-punched, racing to a 37-ball 33. • Battled a left-leg strain in the closing overs yet still smashed three sixes and nine fours, raising his seventh ODI ton in 107 balls. • Shared crucial stands of 78 with Devon Conway (49) and 57 with Michael Bracewell (35), lifting New Zealand from early peril to a competitive total. West Indies’ disciplined reply • New-look pace trio Jayden Seales (3/41), Forde (2/55) and Alzarri Joseph mixed cutters with yorkers to keep NZ below 270. • Chasing 270, openers John Campbell and Alick Athanaze weathered the new ball but fell inside 20 overs, leaving the visitors 70/2. • Skipper Shai Hope (45) and Sherfane Rutherford (61) rebuilt, yet both perished to Kyle Jamieson’s extra bounce just when acceleration beckoned. • Greaves (38* off 24) and Shepherd (26* off 19) slammed 53 unbeaten runs for the seventh wicket, dragging the equation to 11 off the last over. Jacob Duffy nailed his yorkers to ice the match. Key numbers that shaped the 1st ODI • Powerplay punch: NZ 47/2 vs WI 44/1 — neither side dominated the new ball. • Middle-overs squeeze (11-40): WI spinners conceded just 3.6 rpo, while NZ seamers went at 4.2. • Death-overs drama: NZ plundered 77/2 in the last 10; WI managed 85/1 but fell just short. • Player of the Match: Daryl Mitchell — now averaging 73.5 in his last eight ODIs. Tactical talking points 1. Mitchell’s advance down the track blunted Forde’s lateral movement and forced WI to pull the keeper up early, limiting their wicket-taking options. 2. Roston Chase’s drift-heavy off-spin (1/38) tied down NZ’s left-handers, suggesting spin could be a bigger factor in the day-night fixtures ahead. 3. Jamieson’s heavy length — 2/35 off 10 — proved decisive on a two-paced surface where bowlers who hit the deck found variable bounce. Series outlook New Zealand lead 1-0 with the second ODI scheduled for Wellington on 19 November. West Indies must reassess their middle-order strike-rotation and catching—three dropped chances off Mitchell were costly—to level the series. Fans can expect another high-octane clash as the Black Caps look to maintain home dominance while the West Indians seek redemption on quicker Kiwi pitches.