New Zealand secured a hard-fought one-wicket victory over the West Indies at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, clinching an unassailable 3-1 lead in their five-match series. The match, played in remembrance of Sir Garry Sobers, saw the visitors overcome a challenging two-paced surface to chase down a target of 189.
Captain Mitchell Santner played a match-winning role, anchoring the lower order with an unbeaten 34. His partnership with number 11 Jayden Lennox proved vital, with Lennox successfully defending 10 deliveries to support his captain. The hosts had a golden opportunity to shift the momentum when Santner skied a delivery from Jayden Seales, but a collision between Ackeen Auguste and Justin Greaves resulted in a dropped catch. Further drama unfolded in the 45th over when an lbw appeal against Santner was denied, and he eventually hit the winning runs off Seales.
Mark Chapman was instrumental in the middle phase of the chase, scoring 80 off 82 balls. After entering the game with New Zealand struggling at 6 for 2, Chapman stabilized the innings before launching a counter-attack that included a 65-run partnership with Michael Bracewell. His innings was eventually halted by a sensational catch from Sherfane Rutherford at deep backward square leg, triggering a brief collapse as New Zealand reached 149 for 6. Gudakesh Motie was the standout bowler for the West Indies, claiming 5 for 47, including the wickets of Jacob Duffy and Matthew Fisher.
Earlier, the West Indies innings struggled for consistency. Despite a resilient 81-run partnership between Amir Jangoo, who scored 51, and Motie, who added 41, the team was eventually bowled out for 188. Matthew Fisher led the bowling attack for the visitors with figures of 3 for 40, while Santner contributed 2 for 36. Although the hosts hoped to honor Sir Garry Sobers with a win, their failure to bat out the full allotment of overs ultimately left them short of a defendable total.
