West Indies held their nerve to seal a thrilling seven-run victory over New Zealand in the T20I series opener at Eden Park, defending the lowest total ever at the venue.
Shai Hope’s composed 53 and Roston Chase’s all-round brilliance helped West Indies post 164/6 after recovering from 43/3. Chase later stared with the ball, taking 3 for 26 as New Zealand fell short at 157/9 despite Mitchell Santner’s stunning 55* off 28 balls.
Matthew Forde impressed on return from injury with a fiery spell upfront, while Romario Shepherd held his nerve in the final over to secure the win.
It was a gritty performance from the Caribbean side, who overcame Santner’s late fireworks to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
