New Zealand held their nerves in Auckland and sealed a thrilling win in the final moments. The hosts beat West Indies by only 3 runs and brought the five-match T20 series level at 1-1.
New Zealand reached 207 for 5 after a stormy innings from Mark Chapman. He smashed 78 runs from just 28 balls. He hit 6 fours and 7 sixes. Daryl Mitchell added 28 from 14 balls. Mitchell Santner finished unbeaten on 18 from 8 balls with two sixes. Their late charge pushed the total past two hundred.
West Indies began the chase of 208 with hope, but the innings fell apart early. The scoreboard showed 93 for 6 when Roston Chase fell to Santner in the 13th over. The match looked finished.
Then Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd changed everything. They added 62 runs for the seventh wicket. Shepherd blasted 34 from 16 balls. He hit one four and four sixes. Matthew Forde joined after Shepherd’s dismissal and kept attacking.
West Indies needed 16 from the last over. Forde struck two fours in the first three balls. Powell was set at the other end. The pressure shifted to New Zealand.
But Chapman removed Powell at short third on the fourth ball. Powell scored 45 from 16 balls with one four and six sixes. Kyle Jamieson then gave away only two runs in the last two balls. The match slipped away for the visitors.
Forde stayed unbeaten on 29 from 13 balls. Alick Athanaze scored 33 earlier in the innings. West Indies finished on 204 for 8 and fell just short in a dramatic chase.
Scorecard:
New Zealand 207/5 (20.0)
Mark Chapman 78(28), Roston Chase 2/33
West Indies 204/8 (20.0)R
ovman Powell 45(18), Mitchell Santner 3/31
