END OF OVER:50 | 12 Runs | WI: 262/6 (8 runs required, RR: 5.24)
- Romario Shepherd26 (19b)
- Justin Greaves38 (24b)
- Jacob Duffy9-2-48-0
- Matt Henry10-1-46-1
10:45pm That will be all from us for this game. Hope you enjoyed our coverage and until next time, from Alagappan, Raghav, Vairavan and myself (Shashwat), it is goodbye!
Daryl Mitchell, Player of the Match: It is always nice to get one at Hagley and to help the team win a game of cricket. Nice to do it in front of the family. Lot of hard work that goes in behind it (scoring runs). Special one for sure. (On the pitch and his thinking) It was a tricky surface in terms of the extra bounce. You could not be fluent. Trying to put pressure on them and then absorb it at other times. (On his injury and did it change his approach at the back end) Little bit of a niggle, so we will wait and see tomorrow, and then come up with a plan. Get as many runs at the end and get us to a score. Good to see the boys get the job done.
Mitchell Santner, New Zealand captain: (On winning a close game) Making it a habit, aren't we? At the turn, we were reasonably happy with the score. The bowlers were outstanding again. Did not get wickets, but squeezed through the middle and made it tough at the end. We know how much power they have, and they showed that again. (On Mitchell) He is a man for crisis. He played extremely well, on one leg at the end. To get us to a good score, with Zak there, there were some good partnerships and happy at the turn (of innings). We were smart to the sides. Trying to make them take tough options (by hitting to the bigger side). We did pretty well to close it out.
Shai Hope, West Indies captain: (Summation) We keep putting ourselves in positions to win, so have to take positives. I got out at a very crucial time. Few of us need to go a bit bigger. Credit to the bowlers for the fight they showed. Still some positives to take (from this game). (On Chase's bowling and him getting one wicket) I messed that one up a bit, could have given him two. Very economical today, but he played his part and made it easier for us to defend at the back end. Credit to him and all the other bowlers for chipping in. We need to find ways to score (against the short ball). Never seen a boundary that big. Hopefully the next conditions will be a little more even. Something (the short ball tactic) we need to look at (figuring out) in the next game.
10:31pm Phew. That was a bit of a slow burn, but gosh, did it ignite towards the back end. At one stage, it felt as if the hosts were lagging behind and were sinking into trouble. But Rutherford and the lower order then got stuck in, and nearly got the visitors past the finish line. Prior to that, Carty and Athanaze took their time, which in hindsight, was perhaps where the visitors fell too far behind. Hope tried to rectify it but his failure to kick on further complicated matters for WI.
NZ will be pleased with how they bowled and held their nerve, although their catching was far from satisfactory. They dropped a whole host of chances and that threatened to undermine the other good work they did with the ball. Jamieson picked up three, with the rest also doing their respective jobs. NZ now have a 1-0 lead in the series, and can seal the deal in a couple of days' time.
15 off 3. Shepherd needs to deal in boundaries now from a WI POV
Right. So it has all come down to this. 20 needed off the final six balls of the innings. Shepherd certainly is capable of pulling this one out of the fire, as is Greaves. Can Duffy hold his nerve?
END OF OVER:49 | 12 Runs | WI: 250/6 (20 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 5.10, RRR: 20.00)
- Justin Greaves37 (23b)
- Romario Shepherd16 (14b)
- Matt Henry10-1-46-1
- Jacob Duffy8-2-36-0