In a nail-biting showdown, West Indies clinched a hard-fought victory over New Zealand by 7 runs in the first of a five-match T20I series on Wednesday at Eden Gardens. Asked to bat, West Indies posted a magnificent total of 164/6 in 20 overs, riding on an outstanding performance from Shai Hope, who anchored the innings with a 53-run knock. Roston Chase and Rovman Powell also made useful contributions, cracking 28 and 33 respectively.
New Zealand, in reply, mounted a chase but fell just short, finishing at 157/9 in 20 overs. Although in a losing cause, a notable effort came from captain Mitchell Santner, who showed resistance with an unbeaten 55 off 28. Notably, West Indies bowlers held their nerve under pressure to defend the total and backed their batters effectively. Jayden Seales and Roston Chase starred with the ball, returning with three wickets each and making the chase difficult for New Zealand.
Matthew Ford, Romario Shepherd and Akeal Hosein took one wicket each to limit New Zealand. The win is a morale-boosting start for West Indies on foreign soil as they take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.