After starting the match with a six off the very first ball, the Caribbean team quickly found themselves on the back foot, thanks to New Zealand’s hero, Jacob Duffy.
A six to open the innings sent a strong message, and the over ended with another boundary. But cricket, like the morning, doesn’t always follow predictions. That early spark by Shai Hope didn’t last, and the West Indies batting lineup soon crumbled. Duffy, who had already conceded a few boundaries early on, returned with relentless pace to claim four wickets, steering New Zealand to an easy victory and clinching the series.
In the final game of the five-match T20I series, New Zealand defeated West Indies by eight wickets, sealing the series 3–1.
The first three matches of the series had been decided in the last over, and the fourth match was abandoned due to rain. But in the final game, the Caribbean side never really got a chance to make a fight.
At Dunedin on Thursday, New Zealand restricted West Indies to 140 runs and chased the target with 26 balls to spare. Jacob Duffy was named both the Player of the Match, with four wickets, and Player of the Series, having taken 10 wickets overall.
To address the West Indies’ top-order struggles, Shai Hope opened the innings, but he was dismissed after hitting a six and a four. Alik Athanaze also fell in the second over after scoring just 12 in the first.
By the third over, Duffy had picked up three more wickets. Hope was dismissed trying a big shot, Akim Ogeis was bowled, and Sherfren Rutherford fell for a duck. This marked Rutherford’s third duck in four innings and his fifth in the last 12 matches.
After losing four wickets for 21 runs, the West Indies never recovered. Only Roston Chase offered resistance with 38 off 32 balls, while the rest of the middle order failed to build partnerships. Romario Shepherd added 36 off 22 balls with three fours and three sixes, taking the team to 140 — still well short of a competitive total.
New Zealand’s openers, Tim Robinson and Devon Conway, made light work of the target, scoring 69 runs in just seven overs. Robinson fell for 45 off 24 balls, and Rachin Ravindra contributed 21 off 16, but Conway remained unbeaten on 47 off 42 balls. Mark Chapman finished the match quickly with 21 runs off 13 balls, sealing the win in style.
The two sides now turn their attention to the upcoming three-match ODI series, starting Sunday in Christchurch, followed by matches in Napier and Hamilton.
Scorecard
- West Indies: 140/8 in 18.4 overs (Hope 11, Athanaze 1, Ogeis 8, Chase 38, Rutherford 0, Powell 11, Holder 20, Shepherd 36, Ford 0, Springer 9*, Sills 0; Duffy 4-0-35-4, Jamieson 2-0-13-1, Nisham 3.4-0-31-2, Bracewell 2-0-14-1, Sodhi 4-0-29-1, Santner 3-0-16-1)
- New Zealand: 141/2 in 15.4 overs (Robinson 45, Conway 47*, Ravindra 21, Chapman 21*; Ford 3-0-17-0, Sills 3-0-41-0, Holder 2-0-23-0, Chase 3-0-28-0, Shepherd 2.4-0-21-1, Springer 2-0-8-0)
Result: New Zealand won by 8 wickets.
Series Result: New Zealand won the five-match series 3–1.
Player of the Match: Jacob Duffy
Player of the Series: Jacob Duffy
