Date-stamped : 29 Mar96 - 06:16 ODI # 1082 West Indies v New Zealand, 1st One-day international Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica. 26 March 1996 ====> REPORT (The Electronic Telegraph, UK) One-Day International: West Indies thrash out for victory West Indies (244) beat New Zealand (243) by 1 wicket WEST INDIES held their nerve and hit out for glory to beat New Zealand by one wicket in the first one-day international in Kingston, Jamaica, yesterday. Victory had seemed beyond the home side as the closing overs approached, but Roger Harper took 15 off Dion Nash`s final over to set up a thrilling climax to a see-saw game. Stuart Williams, not chosen for the World Cup, made 62 on his return, but with West Indies on 225 for nine with just two overs remaining, New Zealand seemed home and dry. Then Harper cut loose, hitting 14 off three successive balls to pave the way for victory in the first of the five-match series with four balls to spare. Earlier half-centuries from Dipak Patel and Adam Parore had brought New Zealand back from the brink of disaster when they batted first at Sabina Park and enabled them to make 243 all out off 49.1 overs. Patel hit 71 off 58 balls and Parore 61 off 106 in a seventh- wicket century stand as New Zealand recovered from 70 for five in the 13th over. Man of the Match: Dipak Patel (NZ) Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) ====> REPORT (Daily News, Sri Lanka) WEST INDIES GET THRILLING ONE-WICKET WIN WITH 4 BALLS TO SPARE KINGSTON, Jamaica - West Indies pulled off a thrilling one- wicket victory over New Zealand with four balls to spare in their opening one-day international on Tuesday. New Zealand made 243 in 49.2 overs and appeared set for victory when West Indies were eight wickets down in the 44th over and 46 runs behind. But spurred on by a partisan crowd of 12,000 at Sabina Park, Roger Harper (27 not out) and Curtly Ambrose (17) hit out effectively and West Indies clinched victory with 244 for nine with four balls to spare. Harper hit Dion Nash for a six and two fours off the penultimate over. New Zealand, asked to bat first, struggled at 70 for five before Dipak Patel and Adam Parore rescued them with aggressive half- centuries. Man-of-the-match Patel led the way with an electrifying 59- ball 71 and Parore scored 69 in a seventh-wicket partnership worth 111 runs. Ambrose claimed four wickets for 36 and fellow fast bowler Courtney Walsh three for 30 to restrict the New Zealand score. West Indies openers Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Stuart Williams got West Indies off to a great start with a stand of 125. Chanderpaul hit 61 off 75 balls and Williams 62 off 87. Chris Harris, bowling with a quick leg-break action, dismissed both and then added the prize scalp of world record-holder Brian Lara. Harris disposed of Chanderpaul, caught and bowled, and eight runs later bowled Williams off his pads. Lara made only 12 off 13 balls before being trapped leg before wicket sweeping at Harris. Wickets continued to fall but Harper and Ambrose hit out lustily and ran frenetically between the wickets to give the West Indies hope with their ninth-wicket partnership. Ambrose lifted Danny Morrison straight for six in the 48th over to boost the score to 221 but was bowled by Morrison two balls later as he tried to repeat the shot. Walsh joined Harper and together they saw West Indies home. The two teams meet in Trinidad on Friday for the next one-day international. Man of the match: D.Patel. Source:: Daily News (http://www.lanka.net) Contributed by vg (vpg0001@jove.acs.unt.edu)