In an emotionally charged ODI match played at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval just 48 hours after the passing of Caribbean cricket legend and national hero Sir Garfield Sobers, New Zealand have secured an unassailable 3-1 series lead over the West Indies, clinching a dramatic one-wicket victory in the fourth fixture of the five-match tour. The low-scoring thriller ended with the Black Caps edging over the line to reach 189 for nine, holding on despite a spectacular five-wicket haul from West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie that kept the hosts in the match until the final overs.
Sent in to bat first on a pitch that offered significant turn and assistance to bowlers from the opening over, the West Indies top order struggled to find consistent rhythm. Opener Amir Jangoo stood out as the home side’s top scorer, hitting a polished 51 off 73 deliveries, while Ackeem Auguste contributed 33 from 50 balls and Motie added a valuable quickfire 41 from 56. The hosts were ultimately bowled out for 189, a total that captain Shai Hope later acknowledged was well under the par score required to challenge the world’s second-ranked ODI side. New Zealand’s bowling attack shared the wickets evenly: Matthew Fisher picked up three wickets for 40 runs, while Michael Bracewell and Man-of-the-Match Mitchell Santner claimed two wickets each. A late turning point came when a potential match-winning catch for the West Indies was dropped after Justin Greaves and Ackeem Auguste collided in the outfield, a moment that proved costly for the home side.
Chasing the modest target of 189, New Zealand lost wickets at steady intervals throughout their innings, with Motie’s spin turning the pitch into a tricky battleground. Mark Chapman top-scored for the visitors with 80, and Bracewell added 32, but it was Santner’s unbeaten 34 off 56 balls that guided New Zealand across the finish line, securing the narrow one-wicket win that sealed the series.
Speaking after the final ball, Jangoo, who was pleased with his personal half-century but acknowledged the team’s underperformance, said the result was a difficult outcome to process. “Of course it was a very difficult result and a tough pill to swallow but yeah it just wasn’t good enough on the day, so (we) just have to keep going,” he said. Despite the series already being lost, crucial ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup qualification points remain on the line, and Jangoo said the side is determined to end the tour on a positive note, buoyed by strong local support from fans in Barbados. “We have one more game of cricket to play and we got some amazing support from the Bajan supporters. I think we need to come out, play with pride and get a win. It’s pretty difficult because we know how much was at stake in this game, it’s all about understanding where we went wrong. We know the quality we have in our team.”
Jangoo also paid tribute to the West Indies bowling unit, which he said delivered a outstanding effort to keep the side in the match. “They gave heart and soul for the team, it’s so good to see Gudakesh get those five wickets, Alzarri (Joseph) bowled with some serious pace. The type of quality that this team has, we don’t deserve to be going to the qualifiers, but that’s the position that we are in.”
West Indies captain Shai Hope reflected on the match, noting that batting first in Caribbean conditions always presents a unique challenge, but admitted his side must improve their ability to adapt quickly to changing pitch conditions. “I still feel as though we need to apply ourselves a lot better. We’re still not really understanding and adapting to the conditions as fast as we should. I just believe that as elite batters that we want to call ourselves, guys who’ve been playing for quite some time, we still need to show a bit more impetus, especially at the top. We still need to take more responsibility, myself included. But yeah, it’s definitely not a 180 surface. It’s still challenging here at Kensington; we still gave the New Zealanders a fight. But 180 is not going to be enough when you’re playing against the second-best team in the world.”
The fifth and final match of the ODI series is scheduled to get underway at Kensington Oval this coming Tuesday.