New Zealand defeated West Indies by nine runs in the third T20I at Nelson on Sunday, extending their lead to 2-1 in the five-match series. Electing to bat first, the hosts posted 177/9 in 20 overs, courtesy of Devon Conway’s 56 off 34 balls and Daryl Mitchell’s 41 from 24.

West Indies’ chase began on a shaky note as Jacob Duffy struck twice in his opening over to dismiss Amir Jangoo and captain Shai Hope. Ish Sodhi’s spell saw him bag wickets of Alick Athanaze and Rovman Powell, as the Windies collapsed to 88/8 in the 13th over. But the lower order once again fought back. Romario Shepherd and Shamar Springer put together a sensational 78-run stand off just 39 balls for the ninth wicket, the highest for West Indies in T20Is.

With 12 required from the final over, Kyle Jamieson, just like in the previous game, held his nerve to dismiss Shepherd for 49 and seal another last-over win for New Zealand. Duffy (3/36) and Sodhi (3/34) were the pick of the bowlers, while Shepherd’s heroic innings went in vain.

Devon Conway led New Zealand’s batting attack with a 56-run knock. The southpaw reached his 12th T20I fifty in just 32 balls, and gave his team a solid start. His partnership with Rachin Ravindra (26 off 15) accelerated the scoring in the middle overs, particularly when they took 16 runs off Alick Athanaze’s over. 

Ish Sodhi once again showed why he is one of New Zealand’s most reliable match-winners in the T20 format. His 3/34 turned the game in New Zealand’s favour after the West Indies had made a decent start. He dismissed Alick Athanaze, Rovman Powell, and Matthew Forde, breaking the backbone of the Windies’ middle order. The performance also saw him climb to third on the all-time list of wicket-takers in men’s T20Is, behind Rashid Khan and Tim Southee.

• Romario Shepherd and Shamar Springer’s 78-run stand for the ninth wicket was the West Indies’ highest ever in T20Is, surpassing the previous record of 72 between Shepherd and Akeal Hosein against England in 2022. It was also the third-highest partnership for the ninth wicket or lower in men’s T20Is and the highest for a full-member team.
• Ish Sodhi’s three wickets took his tally to 156, placing him third among all-time wicket-takers behind Rashid Khan (182) and Tim Southee (164).

Veteran spinner Sodhi, for his crucial spell of 3/34, was named Player of the Match. His wickets at a crucial time stopped the opposition’s momentum and played a big role in the hosts’ win.

The series now moves to the fourth T20I, where West Indies will look to bounce back and level the series, while New Zealand will look to seal it 3-1. The fourth game is set to be played at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Monday, November 10.