Jacob Duffy’s four-wicket haul (4 for 35) powered New Zealand to a resounding eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the fifth and final T20I at Dunedin on Thursday, securing the series 3-1.
It capped a competitive series where the first three games went to the wire, with margins of seven, three and nine runs — before rain washed out the fourth in Nelson. But in the decider, the hosts were ruthless.
Sent in to bat under tricky conditions with uneven bounce, the West Indies never recovered from a torrid Powerplay, losing four wickets in 11 balls. Duffy’s double-strike over — removing Shai Hope, Ackeem Auguste and Sherfane Rutherford — left the visitors reeling at 21 for 4 in just three overs.
In the process, Duffy reached 50 T20I wickets in only his 38th match — quicker than most New Zealand bowlers, barring Trent Boult (36) and Lockie Ferguson (37).
Middle-Order Resistance Falls Short
Roston Chase and Jason Holder briefly steadied the innings with a 42-run stand, but both fell in quick succession. Romario Shepherd then added 36 in a spirited ninth-wicket stand with Shamar Springer, pushing the total to 140 before the Windies were bowled out in 18.4 overs.
West Indies captain Shai Hope admitted their batting let them down.
Powerplay batting is maybe one of our Achilles’ heels. It didn’t work out for us today, something we need to work on moving forward. No excuses, but we need better preparation for conditions like this, which we don’t face back home.
He credited the lower order for showing fight, adding, “Good sign that the lower order is putting their hands up. Mentally, we need to be sharper and ready when the first ball is bowled.”
Openers Finish the Job with Ease
Chasing a modest 141, openers Tim Robinson (45) and Devon Conway (47) gave New Zealand a flying start, racing to 69 inside seven overs. The hosts coasted to victory with 26 balls to spare, losing just two wickets along the way.
Santner Praises Team’s Professional Display
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner lauded his side’s composure and tactical awareness.
We knew there might be a little bit in the wicket. Taking wickets in the Powerplay is always important. The guys with the bat were very professional. We’ve been challenged by a good team and come through some tough moments.
He added that realistic scoring expectations were key in such conditions: “The way we’ve bowled has been outstanding. On these grounds, 170–180 is a good score — not 220–230 — so it’s about reading the situation well.”
Hope Eyes ODI Redemption
Despite the heavy loss, Shai Hope remained upbeat ahead of the ODI series.
We’ll take learnings from this series. Conditions will be similar, and as long as we start well with the bat and keep our confidence high, we should be fine.
Brief Scores: West Indies: 140 all out in 18.4 overs (Roston Chase 38, Romario Shepherd 36; Jacob Duffy 4-35, James Neesham 2-31) New Zealand: 141/2 in 15.4 overs (Devon Conway 47, Tim Robinson 45; Shamar Springer 1-8, Romario Shepherd 1-31)
Result: New Zealand won by eight wickets; clinched series 3-1
