Bowlers script famous New Zealand win
In the end, it came down to the last hour of the third and final Test between West Indies and New Zealand at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Monday (June 30). New Zealand persisted with its frontline bowlers and cantered to a 53-run victory.
New Zealand had to contend with a 77-run eighth-wicket partnership between debutant Jason Holder and Shane Shillingford, but finished off the job with Trent Boult, who dented West Indies in the morning, returning with the second new ball to trap Jerome Taylor lbw and bundle the hosts out for 254.
New Zealand sealed the match and the series 2-1 - only its second Test win at Kensington Oval and second Test series triumph in the Caribbean - as Boult, Tim Southee and Mark Craig, the offspinner, grabbed three wickets each.
Kane Williamson, who scored 161 not out in the second New Zealand innings, was declared Man of the Match as well as Man of the Series.
Holder, who top scored with 52, and Shillingford, unbeaten on 30, defied New Zealand for close to two hours, very nearly rescuing West Indies from what looked a straightforward defeat when the scoreboard read 144 for 7 just before tea.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo, who resumed after the lunch break with the match hanging in the balance, couldn't make a sizable contribution.
Craig had Chanderpaul stumped for 25, the first time in his 20-year Test career of 156 games and 266 innings that he had been dismissed in this fashion. Bravo, meanwhile, was out for 40 after slicing a drive off Southee to Williamson at gully.
Southee also picked up the wicket of Denesh Ramdin, who got to 29 before edging to Ross Taylor at first slip.
Brendon McCullum's decision to declare just before the start of play in the morning, setting West Indies 308 to win, was a brave one and the bowlers responded almost immediately.
Boult delivered the first two blows – Kraigg Braithwaite misjudged the line of an inswinging delivery and had his off-stump knocked over, while Kirk Edwards, the No. 3 batsman, rode on his luck before edging to Taylor at first slip.
Chris Gayle, who has struggled to find his best form in the series and been inconvenienced by a back injury, also fell cheaply, bowled for 11 off Southee's bowling to reduce West Indies to 31 for 3.