Series win at last! - Chanderpaul, Roach guide home Windies

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Led by the experienced Shivnarine Chanderpaul, West Indies registered a comfortable come-from-behind five-wicket win over New Zealand on yesterday's fourth day of the second and final Test cricket match at Sabina Park.

Chanderpaul, who resumed the day on 20 not out, went on to post an unbeaten 43 as West Indies, set 206 to win, achieved their target at 206 for five midway the morning session.

The victory gave West Indies a 2-0 sweep of the series and propelled them to one place above New Zealand on the ICC world rankings from eight to seventh.

It also represented the first time the regional team was winning back-to-back Tests since 2002, when they defeated Bangladesh in Bangladesh.

"It's a good feeling to win and as such we are happy at the moment," said West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

"It was a good team effort in this match, as has been the case throughout the series and in general throughout the tour.

"We just need now to be more consistent going forward as we seek to improve as a team, and once we do that we should reap some success," he added.

Starting the day on 135 for four and needing a further 71 to win with Chanderpaul, Deonarine and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and the bowlers to come, it was felt by many that the chase could turn out to be a close one.

However, thanks to Chanderpaul, who looked easy in characteristically chipping and tucking the ball to various parts of the ground, and nightwatchman Kemar Roach, who hit a career-best 41, it turned out to be otherwise.

Roach, demonstrating competence with the bat, played a number of genuine straight and cover drives and shared in an entertaining 70-run fifth-wicket stand with Chanderpaul.

Roach was eventually dismissed with the score on 183, but with 23 runs to get it was a case of too little too late for New Zealand, who deployed their young but promising four-pronged pace attack to no avail.

Narsingh Deonarine, whose tidy part-time off-spin in the second innings helped to bring West Indies back in the game after they had surrendered a 51-run first innings lead, ended as the other not out batsman. He made 15.

"It's disappointing that after doing so well in the first innings we did not capitalise in the second," said New Zealand captain Ross Taylor.

"But credit to the West Indies. They knew what they had to do to come back and they did it."

He added: "We had a poor tour, but it's a young team and we are always learning, and we look forward to arriving in India in a week's time and improving on the lessons that have been learnt."

Marlon Samuels, who made 123 and 52, was named Man of the Match, while Roach, who ended with an overall 12 wickets, was presented with the Man of the Series award.

The series victory was West Indies third in succession against the Kiwis, having earlier won the preceding Twenty20 international and one-day international series, 2-0 and 4-1, respectively.

(M. Guptill 71; K. Roach4-70)

(M. Samuels 123; D. Bracewell 3-46,

T. Boult 3-58)

(M. Guptill 42; N. Deonarine 4-37)

WEST INDIES 2nd Innings (target: 206)

(overnight 135 for four)

Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Gayle), 2-20 (Powell), 3-94 (Fudadin), 4-113 (Samuels), 5-183 (Roach).

Bowling: Boult 12-1-46-1 (w1); Bracewell 13-0-38-1 (w5); Southee 14-4-30-1; Wagner 12-3-41-1; Williamson 7.2-1-18-1 (w1); Guptill 4-0-21-0; Brownlie 1-0-6-0 (w1).

Result: West Indies won by five wickets

Series: West Indies win two-match series 2-0

Man-of-the-Match: M. Samuels (West Indies)

Man-of-the-Series: K. Roach (West Indies)

Umpires: M. Erasmus (South Africa), P. Reiffel (Australia)

TV umpire: R. Kettleborough (England)

Match referee: R. Madugalle (Sri Lanka)

Reserve umpire: G. Brathwaite (West Indies/Barbados).