The Black Caps saved their best performance for last and cruised to a T20 International series victory over the West Indies, courtesy of an eight-wicket victory in Dunedin.
For the first time on tour, the result didn’t come down to the final over, as New Zealand completed their win with 26 balls up their sleeve, and kept their perfect record at University Oval in the shortest format intact.
While they couldn’t lose the series – up 2-1 with one to play – the Black Caps outshone the West Indies in all three disciplines to take the five-match affair 3-1.
As had been the case all series, Jacob Duffy was the shining light with the ball for the hosts, taking 4-35 on his Otago home ground to help bowl the West Indies out for just 140, in less than their full 20 overs.
Duffy’s four strikes, which took his series total to 10 in five matches, saw him named player of the match and player of the series for his efforts.
Tim Robinson broke the back of the modest chase, hammering a 24-ball 45 that included three sixes – one of which went out of the ground, before Devon Conway (47 not out) sealed the win in the 16th over.
Pleasingly for New Zealand, the series win – the first of the summer in the shortest format – came with a host of first-team regulars absent, with Glenn Phillips, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Lockie Ferguson and Will O’Rourke injured, and Kane Williamson having called time on his T20 career.
With any hopes of a series win washed away in Nelson on Monday, the West Indies’ batting unit performed like a team with one foot on the plane home, after arriving in New Zealand straight from Bangladesh.
Worryingly for them, there are still three ODIs and tests to be played before that can happen.
The tourists’ best score was just 38 to Roston Chase, while their most prolific partnership was 43 between Romario Shepherd (36) and Shamar Springer (9 not out).
Despite captain Shai Hope slicing the first ball of the match for six over third man, Kyle Jamieson (1-13) backed up Mitchell Santner’s decision to bowl first, when he had Alick Athanaze (1) caught and bowled – using all of his 203cm frame above his head – in the second over.
Having seen his first over hit for 12 runs, Duffy got his revenge in his second. A mistimed pull shot accounted for Hope (11), caught excellently by Conway under the high ball, before Ackeem Auguste lost his leg stump for a second-ball duck.
And when Sherfane Rutherford feathered his second ball to Conway without scoring, the West Indies were 21-4, just 17 balls into their innings.
Rovman Powell (11) saw the West Indies to the end of the power play without further loss, but threw his wicket away once the restrictions ended by slicing Michael Bracewell’s (1-14) second ball to Mark Chapman running in from the cover boundary.
From 48-5, Chase (38) and Jason Holder (20) began to see the West Indies climb out of the mire. But when they fell to Jimmy Neesham (2-31) and Ish Sodhi (1-29) – caught behind and at point respectively – it was down to the bowlers to set any kind of total from 92-7.
Running out of partners, Shepherd took it on himself to give the West Indies something to bowl at, as a late assault – which included sixes over fine leg and long-on – at the very least meant New Zealand would have to chase more than a run-a-ball.
However, after slightly spoiling Duffy’s figures, Shepherd perished for 36 when he couldn’t clear Neesham on the long-on fence. Neesham had the final say on the innings, when he had Jayden Seales caught at long-off for a duck, as the West Indies were bowled out, eight balls shy of their completed innings.
Defending seven runs per over, the West Indies’ poor display was mirrored in the field, when Robinson was dropped without scoring by Matthew Forde.
In reply, Robinson responded with six over third man, before hitting Seales out of the ground over square leg. The 23-year-old took charge in the opening partnership, as he and Conway raised a 50-run stand inside the power play, before sending Holder back over his head for his third six.
As the power play ended at 61-0, New Zealand needed less than a run-a-ball for victory, an equation that wasn’t halted when Robinson missed a straight ball from Shepherd to see the Black Caps lose their first wicket nine runs later.
Batting at No 3, Rachin Ravindra added 21 off 16 balls, but fell when he hit Springer to Rutherford at cover at 106-2, still needing 35 runs from 49 balls.
Playing in his 100th T20 International, including 19 for Hong Kong, Chapman was given out LBW first ball, only for the decision to be overturned on review. In response, the left-hander added 21 runs of the third-wicket stand with Conway, including sixes over mid-wicket and extra cover.
At the other end, Conway played the steady hand after being given lives on 24 when Hope missed a stumping chance, and 37 when he was dropped at third man.
Standing in for the injured Seifert, Conway was circumspect in his innings, but played the situation to finish with an unbeaten 47, to go with 56 in his last innings in Nelson.
And with more than four overs up the Black Caps’ sleeve, it was Conway who completed the series win, even if he missed a chance to bring up a half-century, hitting a single down the ground when a boundary would have seen him raise his bat.
West Indies 140 all out (Chase 38; Duffy 4-35)
New Zealand 141-2 (Conway 47 not out; Springer 1-8)
New Zealand win by eight wickets, win series 3-1