West Indies secured a thrilling seven-run victory over New Zealand in the series opener at Eden Park, Auckland, on Wednesday, November 5. This triumph marked their first outright win against the Kiwis in a T20I on New Zealand soil. Their only previous T20I victory in Auckland came via a Super Over in 2008. Defending 164/6, the Windies recorded the lowest total successfully defended at Eden Park in T20Is, excluding rain-affected matches. South Africa had previously defended 165/7 at the same venue in 2012. After posting a modest total, West Indies bowled brilliantly to restrict New Zealand, who fell short despite a strong start. Mitchell Santner's late heroics could not prevent the hosts from losing. The win ended West Indies' long wait for an outright T20I victory in New Zealand.
Historic Win and Match Summary
New Zealand won the toss and chose to field first, restricting West Indies to 32/2 during the powerplay. At the halfway stage, the visitors were 66/3. Shai Hope top-scored with 53 off 39 balls before departing soon after his half-century. Jacob Duffy and an 11-run final over helped West Indies reach 164/6. Chasing, New Zealand started aggressively, reaching 30/0 in three overs. They needed 89 runs from 60 balls with seven wickets remaining. However, Jayden Seales claimed two wickets after Akeal Hosein struck in his debut over. Roston Chase also grabbed two wickets in his fourth over, shifting momentum decisively towards West Indies despite Santner's late resistance.
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