Santner’s Heroics in Vain as West Indies Edge New Zealand by 7 Runs in Thriller

Santner’s Heroics in Vain as West Indies Edge New Zealand by 7 Runs in Thriller

Auckland, Wednesday: Mitchell Santner’s unbeaten 55 off just 28 balls nearly pulled off a miracle, but West Indies held their nerves to defeat New Zealand by seven runs in the first T20I at Eden Park. An all-round performance from Roston Chase (28 & 3/26), a composed half-century by Shai Hope (55) and disciplined bowling from Jayden Seales (3/32) guided the visitors to a thrilling win.

West Indies Build a Fighting Total

• Opting to bat first, the West Indies had a shaky start, losing Brandon King in the very first over.
• Shai Hope and Alick Athanaze struggled initially, but Athanaze broke free with a six and two boundaries before being dismissed.
• At the halfway mark, West Indies were 66/3, with New Zealand controlling the tempo.
• Momentum shifted in the second half as Chase and Rovman Powell (33) accelerated to help the visitors post 164/6 in 20 overs.
• Despite the total looking modest, the two-paced pitch proved tricky—something the West Indies bowlers capitalized on.

New Zealand Collapse After Steady Start

• Chasing 165, New Zealand began confidently with Devon Conway and Tim Robinson scoring 30 runs in the first three overs.
• West Indies fought back strongly—Conway was bowled, Robinson mistimed a shot, and wickets started tumbling regularly.
• Chase, Akeal Hosein and Seales ripped through the middle order, reducing New Zealand to 88/6 and later 108/9 by the 17th over.
• James Neesham, dropped on 3, failed to capitalize and departed soon after.

Santner’s Stunning Counterattack

• With defeat imminent, Mitchell Santner launched a remarkable late assault, hammering Matthew Forde for four fours and a six, and then smashing Jason Holder for three consecutive boundaries.
• New Zealand needed 19 runs off the final over.
• Romario Shepherd held his nerve—delivering two dot balls, conceding a six off the third, and then closing out the over without further damage.
• Santner finished unbeaten on *55 (28 balls)**, but New Zealand fell short at 157/9.

Match Summary

West Indies: 164/6 (20 overs)

• Shai Hope 55
• Rovman Powell 33
• Roston Chase 28 | 3/26, Jayden Seales 3/32

New Zealand: 157/9 (20 overs)

• Mitchell Santner 55*
• Tim Robinson 27
• Jacob Duffy 2/19

Result: West Indies won by 7 runs

Key Highlights 

• Roston Chase stars with both bat & ball
• West Indies defend a low total on a tricky pitch
• Mitchell Santner’s late fireworks win hearts but not the match
• New Zealand lose 9 wickets before the 18th over – top-order failure costly
• West Indies go 1–0 up in the series

Santner’s Heroics in Vain as West Indies Edge New Zealand by 7 Runs in Thriller