New Zealand’s left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox had a remarkable series against the West Indies, securing 14 wickets and leading the Black Caps to a 3-2 ODI series victory. Lennox’s performance matched some of the best bowling displays by a spinner in a bilateral men’s ODI series, equalling Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya for the 10th highest wicket haul.
The 31-year-old achieved this feat in just his third bilateral ODI series after debuting internationally against India earlier this year. Lennox surpassed the previous best returns in a single bilateral ODI series set by renowned spinners Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, and Shahid Afridi, all of whom had taken 13 wickets.
Acknowledging the spin-friendly conditions in the Caribbean, Lennox expressed gratitude for the learning experience the tour provided. He emphasized the importance of observing and adopting the subtleties of the craft from experienced players like Mitch Santner to enhance his performance on such surfaces.
Despite losing the series, the West Indies secured a victory in the final ODI by two wickets at Kensington Oval in Barbados. Shimron Hetmyer’s unbeaten 69 and Sherfane Rutherford’s 61 ensured the hosts successfully chased down New Zealand’s 268/9 with 15 deliveries to spare, concluding the series on a positive note.
