Jacob Duffy’s early burst and a clinical New Zealand chase handed the hosts a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the fifth T20I at Dunedin as the visitors crumbled in tricky, seaming conditions.
The West Indies innings never really recovered after a reckless start. On a pitch that demanded caution up front, the visitors went after the bowlers and immediately paid for it, losing half their side inside the powerplay. Duffy controlled the lengths and exploited the awkward bounce to great effect, repeatedly finding the corridor and troubling the batters. He finished with superb figures of 4 for 35, ripping through the top and middle order in quick time.
NZ vs WI, 5th T20I Highlights | Scorecard
There were some brave counter-attacks lower down. Roston Chase battled with intent to make 38 off 32 balls, and Romario Shepherd produced late carnage with 36 off 22 to add much-needed respectability in the closing overs. Jason Holder also chipped in with useful cameos. Their combined efforts pushed the total to 137, which was likely short of the 160 to 170 range that would have been competitive under the cloudy skies.
New Zealand’s reply was swift and largely clinical. The openers exploded from the first ball, racing to 69 inside seven overs and putting the chase beyond doubt early. Tim Robinson led the charge with aggressive intent, his 45 featuring powerful hits that unsettled the new-ball bowlers before he fell to a clever slower delivery. Devon Conway anchored the innings with poise and timing, finishing unbeaten on 41 while guiding the chase to the target.
Mark Chapman provided brisk support, his 20 off 12 keeping the scoreboard ticking through the middle overs. The seam bowlers complemented the batting effort by maintaining pressure, and the fielders held their chances when they arrived. New Zealand wrapped up the run chase comfortably with more than seven overs to spare.
The result capped an assertive performance at the University Oval and underlined New Zealand’s dominance at the venue. For the West Indies, it was a tough day, with promising individual efforts unable to cover for a top-order collapse. The visitors will need to regroup and address their early-innings approach if they are to avoid similar defeats in the remainder of the series.
– Ends
