The West Indies edged out New Zealand in a tense finish to claim victory in the opening T20 international of the five-match series at Eden Park.
The visitors successfully defended 164 runs — the lowest total ever defended at the venue — thanks to a disciplined bowling display led by Roston Chase and Jayden Seales.
After being put in to bat, West Indies posted 164 for 8, anchored by captain Shai Hope’s composed 53 off 39 balls and Rovman Powell’s brisk 33. Despite a modest total, the Caribbean bowlers executed their plans perfectly. Chase and Seales each took three wickets, while Matthew Forde provided key breakthroughs with his swing. Their efforts reduced New Zealand from 70 for 2 to 107 for 9, a collapse that proved decisive despite a late burst from skipper Mitchell Santner.
Chase, named Player of the Match, said his side had learned from how New Zealand bowled earlier. “It came out well from my hand. It was difficult to score when you hit into the wicket and took pace off. It’s Jason Holder’s birthday, so we wanted to give him a good birthday gift.”
Hope praised his side’s communication under pressure, noting that while they were “a few runs short,” the bowlers executed brilliantly to close out the game. Santner admitted his side lost momentum in the middle overs. “The powerplay was good, but those middle overs really slowed us down,” he said, adding that the team would “take the learnings” into the second T20.
The second match of the series will be played tomorrow at the same venue, with New Zealand looking to bounce back and level the series.
Result
West Indies vs New Zealand, 1st T20I, West Indies tour of New Zealand
- WI 164/6
- NZ 157/9
- West Indies won by 7 runs
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