BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – A dramatic final-over finish at Kensington Oval on Sunday delivered New Zealand a heart-stopping one-wicket victory over the West Indies in the fourth ODI of their five-match series, locking in an unassailable 3-1 series lead for the tourists ahead of Tuesday’s final fixture.
The match was played under the shadow of mourning, just days after the passing of West Indian cricket icon Garry Sobers at the age of 89 in his hometown Bridgetown. Widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder in the history of international cricket – with more than 8,000 Test runs and 200 Test wickets to his name – Sobers cut his teeth at Kensington Oval, where the venue’s main pavilion bears his name. To honor his legacy, both teams wore black armbands, official flags were flown at half-mast across the ground, two seats were left vacant in the Sobers Pavilion, and a minute’s silence was held before the first ball. West Indies had entered the match with a fierce determination to seal a series-leveling win as a fitting tribute to their legendary compatriot.
Play opened with New Zealand winning the toss and electing to bowl first, extending a curious trend that has seen the team bowling first claim victory in all four matches of the series so far. Batting conditions proved challenging from the first over, and West Indies collapsed to 81-6 before a resilient 81-run seventh-wicket partnership between wicketkeeper Amir Jangoo and spinner Gudakesh Motie dragged the hosts to a modest final total of 188 all out. Jangoo notched his first half-century of the series with a 71-ball 51, while Motie contributed a valuable 41 to the innings. For New Zealand, young pace bowler Matthew Fisher enjoyed a dream ODI debut with the ball, claiming 3 wickets for 40 runs including the prized scalp of West Indies captain Shai Hope, who fell to a searing cross-seamer that jagged sharply back into the top of off stump.
New Zealand’s chase got off to a disastrous start, with the tourists slipping to 6-2 inside the first six overs. A steady 65-run fifth-wicket stand between batsman Mark Chapman and all-rounder Michael Bracewell pulled New Zealand back into control, with Chapman hitting a fluent 80 to put the visitors on the brink of victory. When Chapman was dismissed, New Zealand stood at 142-5, requiring just 47 more runs with almost 25 overs remaining – a target that looked well within their reach for a comfortable win.
What followed was a breathtaking collapse that put West Indies on the cusp of a fairytale tribute win. A short rain break disrupted New Zealand’s rhythm, and Motie ripped through the tourists’ lower order, claiming Bracewell with his first delivery after the restart before quickly dismissing Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy and Matthew Fisher. Motie finished the innings with outstanding figures of 5 wickets for 47 runs, while fast bowler Alzarri Joseph kept the pressure on with economical line and length that yielded just 23 runs from his allocation.
New Zealand’s final pair of captain Mitchell Santner and No. 11 batter Jayden Lennox entered the match with the Black Caps needing just 8 runs to win. Santner inched the team within three runs of victory before a dropped catch off his own batting left the door open for a dramatic finish. When Santner left Lennox to face a full over from fast bowler Vitel Lawes, the last batter survived two separate reviews for caught behind and leg before wicket, turning aside confident West Indies appeals to stay at the crease.
Lennox’s survival allowed Santner to hit the winning run from the very first ball of the 45th over, finishing the innings unbeaten on 34 and sealing the nervy win with 35 overs still to spare. Speaking after the match, Santner described the closing stages as chaotic.
“It was pretty chaotic, especially the ending,” Santner said. “You try to chip off the total as much as you can. Even partnerships of 10 or 15 at that stage was going a long way. It probably shouldn’t have got that close but it was nice to get over the line.”
West Indies captain Shai Hope praised his team’s fighting performance despite the narrow loss, noting that the tense match was a treat for neutral fans. “It’s been a really good cricket game for the onlookers,” Hope said. “If you watch a game like this as a neutral you’re going to be really happy to see play like this. It was one that could have gone to either side. I must commend our guys for the fight they showed.”
After the match, New Zealand hold an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, having lost the opening fixture by seven wickets before claiming wins by five wickets in Game 2, six wickets in Game 3, and Sunday’s one-wicket thriller. The fifth and final match of the series will be held at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown this Tuesday.