Shimron Hetmyer produced a Player of the Match display, helping West Indies register a two-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final game of the five-match WI vs NZ ODI 2026 series at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown on Tuesday.
Hetmyer, who plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, remained unbeaten on 69 off 64 balls, registering his fifth ODI half-century as West Indies successfully chased down New Zealand’s 268/9 after recovering from a challenging position.
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Walking to the crease with West Indies struggling at 123/4 in the 26th over, Hetmyer led the rebuild with a crucial 91-run partnership with Sherfane Rutherford.
After Rutherford departed in the 41st over, Hetmyer assumed full responsibility for the chase. He reached his half-century in 50 balls with a six in the 43rd over before holding his nerve as wickets continued to tumble at the other end.
With West Indies slipping from a position of control to 248/8 in the 45th over, the left-hander kept his composure and stitched together a decisive unbeaten 21-run stand with Jayden Seales to guide the hosts home with two wickets to spare.
Shimron Hetmyer’s innings was studded with two fours and four maximums.
West Indies, however, lost the series against New Zealand 3-2.
"I was not really thinking about getting a 50, to be honest. I was just thinking about how I could make sure the team crossed the line," Hetmyer said after the match.
"Every time the guys came out, they were like, 'Just make sure you're there at the end.' I'm just happy that I could be there at the end to make sure we crossed the line."
A proven finisher in white-ball cricket, Hetmyer has represented West Indies in 59 ODIs since making his debut in 2017. He has scored 1638 runs in the format, including five centuries, at an average of 32.76 and a strike rate of 105.26.
Hetmyer also featured for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026, making seven appearances. He has played a total of 94 IPL matches, scoring 1560 runs at an average of 27.37 and a strike rate of 149.28.
