New Zealand vs West Indies, 2nd T20I - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

That's the end of this one. We will be there for the third game on the 9th of this month. This was a cracker of a game. Do join us for that one. We will see you there. For now it's bye bye.

Mitch Santner | New Zealand captain: Not a close game. Probably a little bit too close. But yeah, I think we've seen West Indies in every other game, especially with the power they've got. (what was the plan in the last five overs?) At the end, the cutters seemed to skid on a little bit. But I think, yeah, when you've got the talent of their batters or the power, you've got to try and mix it up. If they know where you're going to put it, you're going to probably put it out of the ground. So yeah, I think the boys held their nerve really. Still using your bumpers at the end was outstanding. Obviously, KJ had to close it out after a tough start at the end. But yeah, I think with the West Indies boys, you're not out of it until the end. So yeah, obviously a nice win at the end. (happy with the improvements in this game?) I think, again, West Indies bowled well in the powerplay. Fordie, again, three in the powerplay was pretty tough at it. And then I think it's always that middle period. But Chappie was brilliant. The intensity he showed from the start, obviously he was using his feet and kept the scoreboard ticking. And I think it's one of those ones where you get in and he just kept going. And that, I think, changed the game. He’s got that license to keep going, and that’s exactly what he did. To get 70 off 20 is pretty good. (what does this win mean to your side?) I think you look over the two games, different guys stepping up at different times. Obviously, Chappie today was outstanding. You put yourself in those positions. Obviously, pressure situations. You're only going to learn from it. And, I mean, even player can gain some from it and should be. Bowling at Eden Park against hitters like Powell and Shepherd - that's probably as hard as it's going to get. So, credit to Foulkesy, Duffy and KJ for closing it out brilliantly. It really doesn’t get any harder than that.

Shai Hope | West Indies captain: Well, too close, we didn't cross it this time. Credit must be given to Chapman for the way he cleared those boundaries. Kind of took the game away from us. We didn't really finish as well as we wanted to with the ball. With the bat, maybe a few areas that we could do a bit better, especially at the top there, myself included. But great fight there from Rovvie, Sheppy, and Matthew Ford to give us a good chance of winning that game. We just felt as though if we got a couple of sixes in there we were bringing the equation a lot lower. Especially on a ground like this, you don't think it is ever over. Especially with the shorter boundaries. The power that we possess as well in the bottom line-up is very strong. We never feel as though we've done enough. So there's always positive energy coming through the rest of the room. Just unfortunate we didn't cross it this time today. (on bowling Akeal for just one over) The way how Fordy was going, he always said he was up in the zone with Devon at the start. We wanted him to utilise that new ball there in that situation. He just felt he bowled really well. It was tough to take him off. It's one of those things, you've just got to gamble and hope that it pays off for you and get it in. And then Akeal, the way how the two lefties were going, I think it was pretty difficult to bring him in that situation. So it was a tough one there. But just trying to play the situation and match-up as best as we could. That's the way I went about it today.

Mark Chapman | Player of the Match: It's always nice to strike a few out of the middle. Obviously I wasn't the only one today, there were a few contributions throughout. I thought Devon and Robo did a great job seeing off the new ball, it looked pretty tricky up front. (on your innings) I guess just trying to throw a few punches and trying to take it on a little bit more. Obviously smaller boundaries here, so you have to play a bit more of a fearless brand of cricket. So yeah, just thankful it came off today. I mean with the West Indies boys, they're so strong, they're never really out of the game. So it was amazing that the boys held their nerve at the end. I thought we had a great powerplay to start, and then the spinners through the middle were outstanding. Ish came in, hasn't played for us for a little bit now, he's come in and taken three wickets.

Highest scores in Overs 16-20 in T20I runchases
87/2 - WI vs NZ, Auckland, 2025
86/1 - ENG vs WI, St George's, 2023
84/1 - Bulgaria v Serbia, Sofia, 2022
80/0 - AUS vs IND, Guwahati, 2023
78/0 - SA vs IND, Guwahati, 2022
*where ball-by-ball data available

200-plus totals in a T20I chase with no individual 50-plus score
208/6 - IND vs NZ, Hamilton, 2019
204/8 - WI vs NZ, Auckland, 2025
202/8 - Slovenia vs Serbia, Belgrade, 2025
200/6 - ENG vs IND, Durban, 2007
200/6 - Guernsey vs Belgium, Waterloo, 2024

200-plus totals for WI without an individual 50-plus score
220/8 vs SA, Johannesburg, 2023
205/9 vs AUS, Basseterre, 2025
204/8 vs NZ, Auckland, 2025

Two 40-plus stands for 7th wicket or lower in a T20I innings
South Africa vs Pakistan, Lahore, 2021
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Sylhet, 2024
West Indies vs New Zealand, Auckland, 2025

Most sixes for WI in T20Is
149 - Nicholas Pooran
137 - Rovman Powell[/b]
136 - Evin Lewis
124 - Chris Gayle
99 - Kieron Pollard
Rovman Powell’s 137 sixes in T20Is are the most for anyone from No.4 or lower in the format, followed by David Miller’s 126.

18 sixes by West Indies today are the joint- most for a full-member side in a T20I run-chase, alongside as many for England against them at St George's in 2023.
Today was the second instance that NZ spinners collectively bagged six wickets (the most) in a home T20I. The first was against Bangladesh at Mount Maunganui in 2017:Sodhi (3/36), Kane Williamson (2/16), Mitchell Santner (1/14).

22:48 Local Time, 09:48 GMT, 15:18 IST: Forde screams in disappointment as he punches the bat. He knew it was there for the big hit but couldn't hit it well. New Zealand somehow survive this late charge from West Indies. The visitors were down and out at 93/6 but Powell, Shepherd and Forde nearly took them home. With 20 off 10 needed it was West Indies' game and also when Jamieson overstepped in the final over to leave it at 7 off 4 but Jamieson kept his nerve and despite slot balls, managed to use his slower-ball to help his side win. Earlier, West Indies were slow to start off as Duffy bowled 9 dots in a row at one stage. Hope struggled and when Chase went at 93 in the 13 over, the equation seemed daunting with Santner and Sodhi outstanding during that period. But Powell and Shepherd slammed sixes for fun and got it back within range. At one stage they hit 5 sixes in 6 balls and suddenly New Zealand were under pressure. Also West Indies would feel had Powell got strike for the last over, they might as well have won it. Anyway New Zealand hang on. Stay tuned for the post-match stuff...

4 for the Super Over. 6 for West Indies will win it. Forde ties his shoelaces. He then adjusts his gloves. Santner has a chat with Jamieson. What a finish we have here.

Another chat between Jamieson and Santner.

Jamieson to Powell, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Another discussion between Jamieson and Santner.

A free-hit coming up for West Indies. Santner has a word with Jamieson.