Mark Chapman’s blitz innings powered New Zealand to a huge total which they just about defended it. Mark Chapman looked like a man possessed as his breath-taking innings was the cornerstone of New Zealand putting up such a big total. Put into bat first, Mark Chapman scored 78 off 28 balls and others chipped in as well as the Kiwis ended with 207/5 in 20 overs.
While defending the score, West Indies came close through Rovman Powell’s innings but the spin duo of Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi picked up 6 wickets between them to derail West Indies as the Kiwis held their nerves to win by 3 runs and level the series at 1-1 with 3 games to play.
Mark Chapman’s brilliant 78 off 28 balls powered New Zealand to 207/5.Â
Put into bat first, Tim Robinson and Devon Conway came out to bat for New Zealand while Jayden Seales had ball in hand for West Indies. Robinson got himself going by hitting a boundary to deep fine leg. Matthew Forde had ball in hand from the other end. Robinson managed to get a boundary by using his feet and smashed it straight down the ground for a boundary. Seales continued as Conway got into the act as he got down on one knee and ramped it over the keeper’s head for the maximum. Robinson also hit Seales for a boundary by thumping it over covers.
Forde continued as Conway was dropped by Hope who dived and put down a tough chance. Jason Holder came into the attack next and was greeted with a maximum as Robinson stood tall and flashed at it to fly over deep third man for the maximum. Robinson then whacked Holder over midwicket for a boundary. Forde continued and bowled the final over of powerplay. He bowled a decent over as New Zealand at the end of 6 overs were 47/0 at the end of the powerplay.
Romario Shepherd came into the attack post the powerplay. Robinson welcomed him with a streaky boundary by getting the outside edge to the third man fence as the 50-run stand came up between the two players and for the team as well in 6.1 overs. Forde got the breakthrough for the West Indies as he removed Conway for 16 off 24 balls with one six to his name.
Forde bowled a good length delivery angling into the batter. Conway moved his front leg a tad and whacked across the line but got beaten on the inside edge and the ball went on to hit the top of the middle and leg stump. Rachin Ravindra came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Forde finished his excellent spell. Shepherd continued as he removed Robinson for 39 off 25 balls with 5 fours and one six to his name.
Robinson bowled a Yorker at the off and middle stump line. Robinson was inside the crease and failed to get his bat down in time as the ball snuck through past the toe end of the blade and rattled the stumps. Mark Chapman came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Roston Chase came into the attack next. Chapman crunched him through the covers for a boundary. At the completion of 10 overs, New Zealand were 72/2 as we all paused for the Drinks Break at the halfway stage of the innings.
Jason Holder came back into the attack after the break. Holder bowled a miserly over. Chase continued as Ravindra was put down at deep midwicket by Auguste as it was a dolly. Shepherd came back into the attack. Chapman took the attack to Shepherd by hitting him for back-to-back sixes by first whipping it over the midwicket fence and then launched him over long-on as well. Chapman was in the zone as he danced down the track and drilled it down the ground for a boundary. Chapman then launched Shepherd over backward square leg for the maximum as the 100 came up for New Zealand in 12.5 overs. 26 runs came off the over.
Roston Chase struck as he removed Ravindra for 11 off 15 balls. Chase bowled an off-break on a length around off-stump. Ravindra took his front leg out of the way and looked to slog it across the line but got a top edge behind him. Hope behind the stumps moved back a couple of steps and took a good catch. Daryl Mitchell came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Chapman then launched Chase by smashing it down the ground over wide long-on for the maximum.
Seales came back into the attack. Chapman took the attack to Seales by hitting him for consecutive boundaries first by slicing it behind square for a boundary past deep backward point and then crunched past the covers for a boundary as he reached his fifty in 19 balls. Chapman made it a hat-trick of boundaries by pulling it between deep square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary. Chapman was on a roll as he hit Chapman slapped it up over covers for a boundary. He then launched Seales over forward square leg for the maximum. At the completion of 15 overs, New Zealand were 140/3 with 23 coming off the over.
Akeal Hosein came into the attack for the first time today. Mitchell welcomed him by going underneath it and lofted it over the wide long-on region for the maximum. Chapman then took the attack to Hosein by smashing maximums in consecutive balls first by going over midwicket region and then slog swept it over square leg for the maximum. Another big over ended as 23 runs came off the over. Holder returned to the attack and removed the dangerous Mark Chapman for 78 off 28 balls with 6 fours and 7 sixes to his name.
Holder bowled short outside off-stump. Chapman came down the wicket early and looked to slap it over the off-side but ended up skying it into the night sky. Holder called for it and moved to his right to take a good catch. Michael Bracewell came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary through an outside edge to the short third man fence. Chase came back into the attack and removed Bracewell for 5 off 6 balls with one four to his name.
Chase from around the wicket bowled a tossed up delivery on the stumps. Bracewell looked to loft it over long-off but checked his shot. He ended up chipping it to Forde who took a simple catch in the boundary line. Captain Mitchell Santner came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Chase finished his over and his decent spell as well. Holder continued as Santner takes him as he pulled it away over forward square leg fence for the maximum.
Jayden Seales came to bowl the final over of the innings as Mitchell greeted him with a boundary by pulling it to the left of deep midwicket for a boundary. Mitchell then got an educated edge to guide in the gap between keeper and short third man for a boundary. The 200 came up for New Zealand in 19.5 overs. Santner finished things off in style as he launched it over long-off for the maximum down the ground. Mitchell remained unbeaten on 28 off 14 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name while Santner remained unbeaten on 18 off 8 balls with 2 sixes to his name. 12 extras given by the fielding side as New Zealand finished with 207/5 in 20 overs.
Roston Chase was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/33 in 4 overs. Matthew Forde finished with 1/17 in 4 overs. Jason Holder finished with 1/34 in 4 overs. Romario Shepherd finished with 1/38 in 3 overs. Akeal Hosein only over went for 23 runs. Jayden Seales gave away 61 runs in 4 overs. So, West Indies now needed 208 for the win to take a 2-0 lead in the 5-match series.
Mitchell Santner & Ish Sodhi outshines Rovman Powell’s efforts as New Zealand level the series with nervy win.Â
Chasing 208 for the win, Brandon King and Alick Athanaze came out to bat for West Indies while Jacob Duffy had ball in hand for New Zealand. Duffy struck first blood for the Kiwis as he removed King for a bronze duck. Duffy bowled an away swinger on a good length well outside off-stump. King planted his front leg and threw his hands at it and looked to go over mid-off but got an outside edge and Conway behind the stumps completed a regulation catch. Captain Shai Hope came out to bat next.
Kyle Jamieson had ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a decent over. Duffy continued as Hope punched it between covers and backward point for a boundary. Jamieson continued as Athanaze scooped the ball over the keeper for the maximum. Athanaze was not done yet as he ramped it over fine leg fence for the maximum. Duffy continued and bowled a tight over. Zak Foulkes came into the attack to bowl the final over of the powerplay.
Athanaze took Foulkes on and whipped it away over backward square leg for the maximum. Athanaze charged down the track and threw his hands at it and got a thick outside edge down to short third man for a boundary. At the end of the powerplay, West Indies were 36/1 in 6 overs. Michael Bracewell came into the attack post the powerplay. Athanaze welcomed Bracewell by changing his stance and played the reverse sweep towards short third man region.
Hope took on Bracewell by launching hard over midwicket region for the maximum. Ish Sodhi came into the attack next. Sodhi struck straightaway as he removed Athanaze for 33 off 25 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes to his name. Sodhi tossed it up leg break on the stumps. Athanaze changed his stance to play the reverse sweep and got a top edge over short third man. Duffy back pedalled to keep his eyes on the ball and grabbed it before tumbling on his back. Ackeem Auguste came out to bat next and survived a caught behind appeal as New Zealand lost their review.
Auguste took on Sodhi by going for the sweep and got it away for a boundary. Bracewell continued as Hope slogged it away between deep square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary. Sodhi then gifted 4 byes as bonus to the batting side. Sodhi got another as he removed Auguste for 7 off 7 balls with a boundary to his name. Sodhi bowled a flighted delivery on the fuller side outside off-stump, Auguste tried to get underneath this one and lifted it over covers but got it off the toe end of the bat. Chapman from the boundary ran in and kept his eyes on the ball to grab it with a full length dive. Jason Holder came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
West Indies were 71/3 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the chase. Captain Mitchell Santner came into the attack next. He removed his opposite number Hope for 24 off 26 balls with 2 fours and one maximum to his name. Santner bowled an arm ball fuller in length quicker angled into the stumps. Hope cleared his front leg across and tried to drill it down the ground but she missed as the ball went onto rattle the stumps. Rovman Powell came out to bat next.
Sodhi continued as Holder took him on and launched him for back-to-back sixes first by smashing down the ground and then pummelled it over midwicket for the maximum. But Sodhi hit back by getting rid of Holder for 16 off 8 balls with 2 sixes to his name. Sodhi bowled a touch fuller and around the off-stump line and it was a googly that skidded off the surface as well. Holder cleared his front leg and aimed to send it into the stands but missed it completely this time as the ball went on to hit the top of the off-stump. Roston Chase came out to bat next.
Chase got off the mark with a boundary by sweeping it to deep backward point. Santner continued and got rid of Chase for 6 off 6 balls with a boundary to his name. Santner bowled fuller and just outside the off-stump. Chase gave himself some room and tried to smash it over covers but mistimed the stroke to Chapman at sweeper cover who took the catch. Romario Shepherd came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Sodhi continued as Shepherd launched him by pulling over midwicket for the maximum as the 100 came up for West Indies in 13.3 overs. Shepherd went big again as he smashed it over wide long-on for the maximum. Sodhi finished his spell. Santner continued as Powell thumped him flat and straight down the ground for the maximum. After 15 overs, West Indies were struggling at 117/6 in the chase and needed 91 runs off 30 balls.
Foulkes returned as Shepherd pulled it towards deep square leg for a boundary. Powell then pulled the bowler over square leg fence for the maximum. Powell was in the mood as he smashed back-to-back maximums over deep square leg and then over wide long-off as well. Santner continued as Shepherd took him on by smashing it down the ground for back-to-back sixes by launching down the ground and then over wide long-on for the maximum.
Santner hit back and got rid of Shepherd for 34 off 16 balls with 1 four and 4 sixes to his name. Santner bowled a low full toss a shade outside off-stump. Shepherd looked to dispatch it over the fence and swung hard at it but got the cue end of the bat as Bracewell in the deep ran in to dive and take a good low catch. Matthew Forde came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Jamieson came back into the attack as Forde took him on by pulling over deep square leg for the maximum. Powell then continued his power as he helped the full toss on its way over fine leg for the maximum. Forde once again shuffled across and ramped it up nicely over third man for the maximum. Duffy came to bowl the 19th over. Powell launched him down the ground over long-off for the maximum. Powell then flicked the ball towards deep fine leg for a boundary. Duffy came back well in the latter half of the over as West Indies now needed 16 off 6 balls.
Jamieson came to bowl the final over as Forde hit him for a boundary by slapping it towards wide long-off. Forde hit Jamieson for a boundary as the ball went away to the wide long-off fence. The bowler overstepped as well. The 200 came up for West Indies as well in 19.2 overs. Free Hit yielded only a single. Jamieson then removed Powell for 45 off 16 balls with one four and 6 sixes to his name.
Jamieson bowled a fuller and slower delivery just outside the off-stump. Powell got down on one knee and attempted a slog sweep but ended up slicing a thick top edge that soared high almost high into the night sky as Chapman at short third waited calmly waited for it and took the catch. Akeal Hosein came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. With 5 needed off 1 ball, Jamieson held his nerve and conceded just one as New Zealand eked out a 3-run win to level the series 1-1. Forde remained unbeaten on 29 off 13 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name while Hosein remained unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball. 9 extras given by fielding side. West Indies finished with 204/8 in 20 overs falling 3 runs short.
Mitchell Santner the captain was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/31 in 4 overs. Ish Sodhi bowled well for his 3/39 in 4 overs. Jacob Duffy finished with 1/21 in 4 overs. Kyle Jamieson finished with 1/51 in 4 overs. Zak Foulkes finished with 0/36 in 2 overs. Michael Bracewell finished with 0/22 in 2 overs. So, New Zealand win by 3 runs and Mark Chapman was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead.Â
The series is now well-placed at 1-1 with 3 games to play. The next game takes place on Sunday 9th November, 2025 at Saxton Oval in Nelson at 5:45 AM IST. Who will take the lead in this crucial game? It’s all to play for and the series now well set up after two thrillers in Auckland.
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