Barbados: New Zealand off-spinner Jayden Lennox etched his name in the record books by producing the man-of-the-series award during the Black Caps’ 3-2 ODI series win over the West Indies in the Caribbean.
The left-arm spinner took 14 wickets in the five-match series, equaling the 10th-highest wickets by a spinner in a bilateral men’s ODI series between two international teams.
Lennox’s tally surpassed the best bilateral series returns of legendary spinners Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi. His feat was also matched by Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dhananjaya’s 14 wickets against South Africa in 2018.
The feat was made all the more impressive by the fact that it came in only Lennox’s third bilateral ODI series.
The 31-year-old made his international debut against India earlier this year and has quickly established himself as a key figure in New Zealand’s bowling attack.
Reflecting on his breakthrough series, Lennox took credit for the spin-friendly Caribbean pitches.
“It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been a great learning experience for me to play on beautiful spin-friendly pitches,” Lennox said.
“These bilateral series are all about learning and gaining experience in overseas situations, so I will definitely go home with my pockets full of knowledge.
“I think it’s about the nuances of the craft. Mitch Santner has been doing it for a long time, so to be here, to see what he does, to see how he works, to use some of his tricks and subtle variations, that’s what’s important when you come and play on these surfaces.”
Despite New Zealand sealing the series, West Indies ended the tournament on a high with a dramatic two-wicket win in the fifth and final ODI in Barbados on Tuesday.
Thanks to Shimron Hetmyer’s unbeaten 69 and Sherfan Rutherford’s crucial 61, the hosts successfully chased down New Zealand’s total of 268-9 with 15 balls to spare.
Hetmyer and Rutherford looked firmly in control of the chase before late wickets set up a tense finish at Kensington Oval. However, the home side held their nerve to end the chase and avoid a series whitewash.
Man of the tournament Hedmire said his only focus was to ensure West Indies crossed the finish line instead of achieving a personal milestone.
“To be honest, I wasn’t really thinking about getting a half-century. I was thinking about how to make sure the team crossed the line,” Hedmeier said.
“Every time a new thunderbolt came out, I was like, ‘Make sure you’re there at the end.’ I’m glad I was able to be there to make sure we crossed the line.”