Chapman, Santner star in low-scoring thriller as NZ take series
The visitors just about held their nerve in a chase of 189 to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the ODI series
The visitors just about held their nerve in a chase of 189 to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the ODI series
Scorer: Chetan Kumar | Commentator: Rvel Zahid
That's all from us for now. On behalf of the team at Cricinfo, it's goodbye from, me, Rvel Zahid. Thank you for joining us and enjoy the rest of your night!
Mitchell Santner, New Zealand captain & Player of the Match: Yeah, it was pretty chaotic, especially at the end. I think you just try to chip away at the total as much as you can. Partnerships of 10 or 15 at that stage went a long way. We probably shouldn't have let it get that close, but it was nice to get over the line. Yeah, for sure. It was a little bit tacky this morning, and the seamers started us off pretty well. Then the spinners got into their work. We were very happy to bowl them out for 188. But we know how good the West Indies bowlers are, and they were pretty good today. I guess that's always the challenge. It's part of the role when you're batting with the lower order. Because the target wasn't massive, there wasn't a lot of scoreboard pressure. It was just trying to pick off runs when you could and not expose the tail too much. Alzarri was flying in and getting it to reverse, which was pretty challenging. And then Motie bowled outstandingly. A five-for out there was very good. I just said, "You play straight and block it, and I'll try to get the 12 runs." Just simple. Another performance like that. The pitch will probably play similarly; a day-night game under lights here, and it can skid on a bit. If we bowl first again, it's about doing the same job with the ball and sticking to the simple plans we've executed throughout the series. Then with the bat, we know how good they are up top with the ball. Alzarri, Seales, and Fordy were outstanding as well. We know we're in for another big game
Shai Hope, West Indies captain: Yeah, it was absolute theatre, as you mentioned, if you're a neutral. Well, again, under par. Just had to be frank about it. Batting first in the Caribbean is always going to be a challenge, but it's certainly not a 180-type of challenge. I still feel as though we need to apply ourselves a lot better. We're still not really understanding and adapting to the conditions as fast as we should. I just believe that as elite batters that we want to call ourselves, guys who've been playing for quite some time, we still need to show a bit more impetus, especially at the top. We still need to take more responsibility, myself included. But yeah, it's definitely not a 180 surface. It's still challenging here at Kensington, as you can see; we still gave the New Zealanders a fight. But 180 is not going to be enough when you're playing against the second-best team in the world. We've got to improve on that. Yeah, for sure. When you look at the bowlers and ask them to come and do a job, 180 is not much you can ask the guys to defend. But they always put their hands up, so I must commend them for the fight every single time. Motie; it's great to see him back in good form. He's bowling really well. Then Lawes, obviously continuing from Guyana. Alzarri being his very consistent self. He bowled a really good spell to bring us back into the game. Credit must be given to the bowlers for the fight. But again, the batters, we just need to put our hands up. Thanks again for the support. We always love when you come out to support us here at Kensington. It's home for me, and I'm sure I can speak on the other guys' behalf as well. Every time they come to Kensington, they always feel loved. They always feel the vibes. So thank you for the support. Unfortunately, we couldn't get that win for the great man, but hopefully we can turn things around on Tuesday.
West Indies made a remarkable comeback after the rain delay and turned the tables in dramatic fashion. Motie was the star of the show, picking up his first five-wicket haul in ODIs, finishing with 5 for 47. Forde chipped in with a couple while Seales and Joseph picked up one wicket apiece. An emotional day for West Indies. They would feel they made Sir Garfield Sobers proud with the way they fought but it was New Zealand who prevailed in the end and circumvented through all the obstacles. There was one man who stood in their way and refused to buckle under pressure; Mitchell Santner. His unbeaten 34 helped New Zealand eke out a hard-fought win. Chapman was all about swagger and his gung-ho approach put New Zealand in a commanding position. Little did he know that his team would be in a spot of bother not long after. Bracewell added a valuable 32 to keep the innings together. West Indies needed more runs on the board and that early collapse came back to haunt them. Motie was undoubtedly their standout performer; he scored a quickfire 41 with the bat before roaring back to claim five wickets and drag his team right back into the contest
Jim: "Imagine watching people kick a ball around for two hours instead and missing out on a game like this! "
Ashok : "This match remind us 1997 series. "
Neil: "Huge effort from Santner. He really is a fitting replacement for Dan Vettori with both the bat and the ball"
A one-wicket defeat in Barbados was West Indies' third loss in a row and a "difficult pill to swallow", as Amir Jangoo put it
The visitors just about held their nerve in a chase of 189 to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the ODI series
Greaves, Jangoo, Forde, and Seales replaced Campbell, Hetmyer, Paul and Pierre
West Indies are 2-1 down in the five-match series against New Zealand, and need more wins to ensure direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup
Cricket takes a backseat as emotional occasion awaits both teams at Kensington Oval