New Zealand claimed an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the fifth T20 International on Thursday, sealing the five-match series with a comfortable 3-1 final scoreline. The win was set up by a streak of brilliance from local pacer Jacob Duffy, who finished with figures of 4-35, disrupting the top order and earning him the Player of the Series award for his 10 wickets across the competition.
After the tourists were put in to bat on a pitch offering pace and movement, Duffy tore through the top order in the third over, dismissing captain Shai Hope for 11, Ackeem Auguste for 8, and Sherfane Rutherford for a duck. This three-wicket burst saw the West Indies slump quickly to 21 for four. He returned later to neutralize the threat of Romario Shepherd, who had provided a late fightback with 38 runs off 22 balls. The West Indies were ultimately bowled out for a modest 140 in 18.4 overs.
New Zealand’s response was swift, chasing 141, the Kiwis reached the target in the 16th over with eight wickets to spare. Opener Devon Conway anchored the innings, carrying his bat for an unbeaten 47 runs. Conway shared a 69-run opening partnership with Tim Robinson, who smashed 45 runs from just 24 balls, including five fours and three sixes.
Duffy, who became the third-fastest New Zealand bowler to reach 50 T20I wickets in just 38 matches, credited his natural strengths for the success. "I guess in Twenty20, a huge asset of mine is that swing up top and taking wickets in the power play is always pretty important," Duffy said. This performance left him with the best strike rate among New Zealand bowlers with at least 20 T20I wickets.
The win marked the end of the T20I leg of the tour. The closely fought series saw the first three matches decided in the final over, while the fourth was abandoned due to rain. The two teams will now shift focus to the one-day international format, with the three-match ODI series set to begin on Sunday at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The West Indies will be bolstered by the return of top-order batter John Campbell for the ODI series.
