It’s been 621 days since the Black Caps last won a Twenty20 International at Eden Park.
And despite a heroic effort from captain Mitchell Santner, that record will extend for a day at the very least, as the West Indies claimed victory in the first of five-matches to kick off their tour of New Zealand, taking the series opener by seven runs in Auckland.
After winning the toss and bowling first, the Black Caps’ bowlers looked to have done enough in restricting the tourists to 164/6 on the short boundaries of Eden Park, led by an outstanding spell of 2/19 by Jacob Duffy.
But even tasked with scoring at just over eight runs per over, the Black Caps’ batters couldn’t get the job done. Santner (55 not out off 28 balls) needed to hit 20 runs from the final over, as part of a 50-run stand for the last wicket with Duffy, but ultimately fell short after being let down by his top order.
Santner’s innings, which contained eight fours and two sixes, got the Black Caps much closer than they ever should have been, having been reduced to 107/9 when he was joined by Duffy.
Regardless, the West Indies’ total is the lowest ever defended at Eden Park in a T20 International.
Considering the modern cricketing landscape, the West Indies deserve nothing but praise for their efforts. The tourists only arrived in New Zealand in the early hours of Monday morning, fresh from a 3-0 T20 sweep away in Bangladesh in conditions designed to only play into the home side’s hands.
Captain Shai Hope led from the front with the bat, scoring 53 from 39 balls, and was backed up by an all-in effort from his bowlers, spearheaded by 3/26 from Roston Chase and 3/32 to Jayden Seals, to inspire the West Indies’ sixth win on Kiwi soil in their past 48 attempts.
And even if New Zealand can use the valid excuse of their long injury list, several players missed their chance to use this series opener as a chance to press for a spot in next year’s T20 World Cup squad.
The only saving grace for the home side is the fact there are still four games to be played, and plenty of time to turn the 0-1 scoreline around in their favour.
It took just six balls for the Black Caps to vindicate Santner’s decision to bowl first, when Duffy had Brandon King (3) caught by Zak Foulkes at midwicket at 4/1.
Duffy should have had another in his next over. Hope’s drive was deflected back on to the stumps at the bowler’s end, with Alick Athanaze short of his ground, but not given out for a lack of conclusive evidence.
Athanaze couldn’t make the most of that chance, and hit Kyle Jamieson (1/30) to Mark Chapman on the deep square leg boundary for 16. And as the tourists reached 32/2 at the end of the power play, Jimmy Neesham (1/23), removing Ackeem Auguste for a painful two from eight balls in his first over, had the West Indies at 66/3 at the halfway stage.
But, excuse the pun, the West Indies had hope in Hope. From his score at 33 off 30 at halfway, the captain needed just eight deliveries to move to 50, raised with a six off Foulkes over long-off.
Foulkes (2/35) had his revenge one ball later, and hit Hope’s leg stump to dismiss the skipper for 53, and break the fourth-wicket stand with Chase for 54 at 97/4 in the 13th over.
Rovman Powell held the keys to a big West Indian finish - helped when he was dropped twice in two overs by Michael Bracewell for 23 and 30 respectively. At the other end, Duffy had his second when he bowled Chase for 28, before Powell’s luck ended when he was bounced out by Foulkes and caught by Conway for 33.
And as Romario Shepherd hit two boundaries in the final over, the Black Caps were set 165 to take a 1-0 series lead.
In reply, the Black Caps’ opening pair of Devon Conway and Tim Robinson started positively, and took 30 runs from the first three overs. Needing to make a statement in place of the injured Tim Seifert, Conway’s innings came to an end on 13, when he lost his off-stump to Matthew Forde.
After getting to the end of the powerplay at 48/1, Robinson departed for 27 when he hit Shepherd’s first delivery to Athanaze to deep cover, one ball after the fielding restrictions ended.
Mark Chapman came and went for seven, before Daryl Mitchell got off the mark with a straight six to see New Zealand at 76/3 after 10 overs, and still needing 89 from the last 60 balls.
Ravindra (21) perished in Akeal Hossein’s first over at 83/4, caught at long-on targeting the straight boundary, before Mitchell (13) followed at 87/5 when he skied Jayden Seales to Forde at cover. With all the specialist batters gone, New Zealand’s innings fell apart like a house of cards.
Bracewell fell two balls later when he ramped Seales to Hope, before Neesham holed out to long-off at 100/7. And when Foulkes was caught and bowled by Chase for one at 102/8, it was all on the New Zealand captain’s shoulders.
With only last man Duffy for company, Santner got the Black Caps closer than they ever should have been. Needing 20 from the last six balls, Santner couldn’t score off the first two deliveries, but sent the third over long-on for six, and raised his half-century when he was dropped by King at cover.
But when the penultimate ball was stopped by Forde at mid-off, the West Indies were mathematically safe.
Game two of the five-match series is played at Eden Park on Thursday night, before the series heads to Nelson on Sunday.
West Indies 164/6 (Hope 53; Duffy 2/19, Foulkes 35)
New Zealand 157/9 (Santner 55 not out; Chase 3/26, Seales 3/32)
West Indies win by seven runs