The West Indies held their nerve to clinch a hard-fought seven-run victory over New Zealand within the first T20I of the West Indies tour of New Zealand 2025 at Eden Park, Auckland. After being requested to bat first, the guests posted a aggressive whole earlier than the hosts got here agonizingly shut however fell in need of 7 runs.
Shai Hope sizzles in West Indies’ respectable whole
West Indies posted a decent whole of 164/6 of their 20 overs, because of a composed half-century from Shai Hope and helpful contributions from the center order. Regardless of shedding Brandon King (3) early, the West Indies discovered stability by Hope’s calm and calculated strategy. The wicketkeeper-batter crafted a fluent 53 off 39 balls, laced with 4 fours and three sixes, anchoring the innings by the center overs. Alick Athanaze supplied an explosive begin with a fast 16 off 9, whereas Roston Chase (28 off 27) and skipper Rovman Powell (33 off 23) added essential runs to propel the entire previous 160.
New Zealand’s bowlers had blended fortunes on the night time. Jacob Duffy stood out with wonderful figures of two for 19, retaining the scoring in test throughout the powerplay. Teenager Zakary Foulkes additionally impressed, taking 2 for 35, whereas James Neesham and Kyle Jamieson chipped in with one wicket apiece. Nonetheless, the dearth of management from the spinners allowed West Indies to complete strongly, with Powell and Shepherd including invaluable runs within the ultimate overs.
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Mitchell Santner’s late fireworks not sufficient for New Zealand
Chasing 165, New Zealand by no means fairly discovered rhythm with the bat as wickets fell at common intervals. Opener Tim Robinson performed positively for his 27 off 21, and Rachin Ravindra (21 off 19) tried to rebuild the innings, however the hosts saved shedding momentum within the center overs. The skilled Mitchell Santner, batting at No. 8, launched a surprising counterattack with a blistering 55 off 28 deliveries, that includes eight fours and two sixes, practically pulling off an unlikely win for New Zealand.
Nonetheless, the West Indies bowlers maintained composure within the demise overs to seal the win. Jayden Seales led the assault with 3 for 32, utilizing tempo and bounce successfully. Chase complemented him brilliantly with 3 for 26 utilizing his variations to choke the center overs. Matthew Forde, Romario Shepherd, and Akeal Hosein chipped in with essential wickets, making certain that New Zealand fell brief at 157/9 regardless of Santner’s late heroics.
What a near-heist from Santner and New Zealand 👏#cricket #NZvWI #1stT20I #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/MMOrW4LmTi
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) November 5, 2025
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