NZ vs WI first T20I | Twitter impressed as West Indies start tour with thrilling win despite Santner’s heroics

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ByVenkateswaran N, SportsCafe Editor

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West Indies beat New Zealand by seven runs in the first of the five-match T20I series at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday. Captain Shai Hope guided the visitors to a competitive total before his counterpart Mitchell Santner nearly spoiled their party with an unbelievable half-century.

‌Mitchell Santner’s whirlwind knock was not enough to save New Zealand from a seven-run loss to the West Indies in the first T20I in Auckland on Wednesday. The Kiwis’ skipper smashed eight fours and two sixes during his unbeaten 55 in just 28 balls to power the home side to 157/9, within touching distance of the Windies’ total, after they were nine down for 107 at one stage.

After being put into bat at Eden Park, the Windies lost opener Brandon King cheaply in the first over of the game. Though fellow opener Alick Athanaze looked aggressive with two fours and a six during his short stay at the crease, Kyle Jamieson sent him packing as they slid to 28/2 inside five overs. But captain Shai Hope held fort from one end despite wickets falling from the other, before cutting loose. A slow start saw him make 11 runs in his first 18 balls before consecutive boundaries off Jimmy Neesham in the seventh over got his innings going. With the run rate below seven at the halfway mark, Hope tried shifting gears with three sixes in the next three overs, which also brought up his fifty in 38 balls. But Zakary Foulkes cleaned him up the very next ball to break the 54-run partnership between Hope and Roston Chase. The skipper walked back after hitting three sixes and four fours in his 39-ball 53. However, Rovman Powell’s enterprising cameo and his crucial stand with Chase ensured that the visitors ended their innings at a competitive 164/6. He smashed two sixes and two fours during his knock of 33 off 23 balls as the Windies amassed 63 runs in the last six overs. For the Kiwis, Jacob Duffy was the standout bowler with figures of 2/19 in four overs, while Foulkes also picked up two wickets.

The chase started in excellent fashion, with Tim Robinson smashing pacer Jayden Seales through covers in the first ball after the restart. Robinson had three fours in the first three overs, while Conway picked up after a slow start with two boundaries off Jason Holder in the third over. Although Conway was dismissed, Robinson kept the scoreboard ticking as the Kiwis reached 48/1 after the mandatory powerplay of six overs. The boundaries dried up once Robinson departed in the seventh over as the equation rose to 99 off the last 11 overs with eight wickets in hand. But the home side endured a shocking collapse, which saw them slip from 70/2 to 107/9. Off-spinner Roston Chase and Seales ran through the middle order with spells of 3/26 and 3/32 in their respective four overs. However, captain Mitchell Santner came up with a stunning rearguard action to bring his side back in the contest. With 56 runs needed off the last 18 deliveries, the all-rounder smashed four fours and a six in a 23-run over from Matthew Forde. He continued to haunt the visitors with three more fours in Holder’s next over, bringing the equation to 20 in the final over. But medium pacer Romario Shepherd was successful in restricting the New Zealand skipper to just 12 runs to hand his side a narrow win.

What a win!

50 and gone

True

LOL

Finally

Superb

History

Captain fantastic

Big one

One and only

 

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