RAINED OUT

West Indies’ Andre Fletcher plays a shot during their second Twenty20 cricket match with Sri Lanka, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Associated Press/Eranga Jayawardena, file

Torrential rain prevented West Indies from salvaging pride, or possibly a whitewash and they had to settle for a no-result against New Zealand in the final Twenty20 International of the three-match series on Monday.

Only 2.2 overs were possible before heavy showers swept across the Bay Oval and forced players and umpires to leave the field.

The West Indies were 25 for one with opener Andre Fletcher not out on four and left-hander Kyle Mayers, not out on five, after they were sent in to bat.

The result meant that the Caribbean side lost the series 2-0, after crashing to a five-wicket defeat in the first Twenty20 at Eden Park in Auckland a few days before and a 66-run defeat two days later at the Bay Oval.

Poor bowling in the two Twenty20s and weak batting from the World Twenty20 Champions condemned them to their two successive defeats.

Kieron Pollard of West Indies in action against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 Group B – Kia Oval. Action Images / Paul Harding Livepic

West Indies bowling was erratic, like in the first Twenty20 and New Zealand batsman Glenn Phillips blasted a record, maiden century (108) with 10 fours and eight sixes in a 51-ball assault to record the fastest hundred by a New Zealander, setting up the Blackcaps an imposing 238 from their allotted 20 overs in the rain-affected match.

West Indies had no answer for Phillips and left-hander Devon Conway as the two blasted the bowling to put on a world record 184 for the third wicket.

None of the West Indies batsmen could exhibit aggression against the New Zealand bowlers- handful got starts but their no carry on- and the regional team slumped to 166 for nine from their 20 overs.

West Indies Captain Kieron Pollard hit the top score of 28, while Kemo Paul struck 26 not out towards the end and Kyle Myers made 20.

The inclement weather swayed the West Indies from heeding the statistics that suggests teams bating first at the Bay Oval have won all of the previous six matches.

In the first T20 West Indies lost to the hosts New Zealand by five wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis method at Eden Park, Auckland.

The game was reduced to 16 overs after three rain stoppages during the West Indies innings. Chasing a revised target of 176 in 10 overs, New Zealand reached 179 for 5 with four deliveries to spare.