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
