NZ vs WI: West Indies Pull Off Sensational Victory By Seven-Run Over New Zealand To Open T20I Series In Auckland

West Indies Cricket secures a thrilling win over New Zealand to open the away T20I series on a sumptuous note. The Caribbean Men put in a decent display after being put in to bat first, but the bowlers were the real needle movers during the play.

Despite Mitchell Santner's blitz knock, New Zealand were seven runs short of the target. The Blackcaps skipper was pushing to get some big shots, but the Windies batters capitalised well, putting pressure on Santner as he grew frustrated after every ball.

The Shai Hope-led West Indies now have a 1-0 lead in the series following their triumph in the first T20I match by seven runs.

West Indies Puts Up Competitive Target Against New Zealand

Captain Shai Hope stepped in for the West Indies following the opening batters' collapse and stood guard for the side in a tight situation. The Windies skipper put up a 39-ball 53, and contributions also came in from Roston Chase and Rovman Powell.

Chase put up a fine 27-ball 28, while Powell bagged up 33 runs off 23 balls to elevate the score. Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd stayed unbeaten at five and nine runs, respectively.

Despite the minor collapses, the West Indies picked up a competitive 164 at the loss of six wickets. For New Zealand, bowlers Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes bagged two scalps each, while Kyle Jamieson and James Neesham bagged a scalp each.

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New Zealand Fight Back But Fall Short Of Target

New Zealand opened well, with openers Tim Robinson and Devon Conway putting up a 30-run partnership. Robinson put up 27, while Conway struck 13 before being dismissed. Rachin Ravindra scored a 19-ball 21.

The middle-order heavily fumbled as Mark Chapman was dismissed at seven. Daryl Mitchell scored 13, while Michael Bracewell scored just one before being caught out. James Neesham contributed 11 runs to the scoreboard.

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Captain Mitchell Santner was the one who made a difference with a quick-fire 28-ball 55 with a staggering 196.42 strike rate.

The match became a thriller in the death overs as Santner was going big with his swings, hinting that the Blackcaps had a chance to win. But the Windies held the hosts down to secure a lead in the first T20I.