HAMILTON: New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl first Wednesday in the fifth one-day cricket international against the West Indies.

The West Indies, trailing 2-1 and needing a win to square the five-match series, made two changes to their lineup, seeking to strengthen their batting by naming all-rounder Andre Russell in place of Tino Best and Kieran Powell in place of Narsingh Deonarine.

Russell is one of three players who have just joined to tourists in New Zealand for two Twenty20 internationals later this month.

New Zealand named the same team that won the rain-shortened fourth match at Queenstown by 58 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis system.

Captain Brendon McCullum´s decision to bowl first was slightly surprising on what seemed a good batting pitch. "I think the stats show and history shows it gets a bit easier to chase later on," McCullum said. "We think with the sun out, if there´s any variable pace it will come through that first innings.

New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (captain), Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Nathan McCullum, Mitchell McClenaghan, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee.

West Indies: Dwayne Bravo (captain), Kirk Edwards, Chadwick Walton, Lendl Simmons, Johnson Charles, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Nikita Miller, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell. (AP)

SOURCE: AP