Jacob Duffy produced a brilliant five-wicket haul, his second of the series, as New Zealand beat West Indies by nine wickets on the third day of the second Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Friday. The victory gave the Kiwis a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
West Indies, resuming from 32/2, were bowled out for just 128 in their second innings, setting a modest target of 56 for the hosts. New Zealand’s openers made light work of the chase, with Devon Conway unbeaten on 28 off 22 balls and captain Kane Williamson contributing 16 not out to wrap up a comfortable win.
It was New Zealand’s first victory of the 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The West Indies have now lost six of their seven matches in this cycle and remain winless. The comprehensive win boosted New Zealand’s chances of a second appearance in the WTC Final.
Duffy and Rae Trigger West Indies Collapse
Opting to field first, New Zealand had dismissed the West Indies for 205 on day one, with Blair Tickner impressing before a shoulder injury ruled him out.
The second innings collapse began after a promising start. Brandon King’s run out triggered a chain reaction, followed by Shai Hope’s dismissal in the same over. Captain Roston Chase soon edged a rising delivery from Duffy to the keeper. Kavem Hodge and first-Test hero Justin Greaves (25) offered brief resistance, but Hodge’s pull went straight to substitute Will Young at midwicket.
Duffy wrapped up his five-wicket haul by dismissing No. 11 Ojay Shields, while Michael Rae claimed three wickets, ensuring the visitors were all out for 128.
Conway and Williamson Seal Comfortable Chase
Chasing a small total, the Kiwis lost no momentum. Conway held firm with 28*, and Williamson (16*) guided the side to victory in just 10 overs.
NZ got better and better. We took a little bit to get into the game, the morning of day one, potentially some heavy legs. But we adjusted things, and we bowled better and better in the second innings. Duff [Duffy] on the back of that [getting five-for] and some of our subs coming on and getting on the board.
“Mitch Hay played beautifully in the first innings, coming under pressure. The way he played was pretty much the way he plays for Canterbury, and that's what we asked of him. And Michael Rae picked up some really important wickets on day one, trucked into the wind all week.”
WTC Standings Boost for New Zealand
The win earned New Zealand 12 World Test Championship points and allowed the 2021 champions to leapfrog Pakistan and India, joining Sri Lanka in third place. They now have a win-loss percentage of 66.67, behind leaders Australia (100%) and second-placed South Africa (75%).
West Indies Reflect on Batting Concerns
West Indies captain Roston Chase admitted batting remains an issue: “Batting is a bit of a concern, after coming from the first Test, that beautiful second innings. But we came here and our batters never really capitalised. Initially, WI thought the pitch would be similar to Christchurch. But this pitch was a lot easier for batting. The scores didn't reflect that. There is still one Test match left, and we can still level the series. That can help motivate the guys further.”
What’s Next
The third Test of the series will be played in Mount Maunganui from December 18.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 278/9 dec & 57/1 in 10 overs (Devon Conway 28*, Kane Williamson 16*, Anderson Phillip 1-17) beat West Indies 205 & 128 all out in 46.3 overs (Kavem Hodge 35, Jacob Duffy 5-38, Michael Rae 3-45) by nine wickets.
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