Black Caps Celebrate 3-1 Victory After Duffy Stuns West Indies

Jacob Duffy couldn’t have scripted it better. The Dunedin seamer, backed by his hometown crowd, tore through the West Indies’ top order and left them struggling. 

The ball moved sharply in his hands, and he made every delivery count. When the pitch started behaving, the West Indies batsmen didn’t have much to say back.

Put in to bat, the visitors were all out for 140. Duffy’s 4 for 35 set the tone. He changed the momentum for his team. It felt like the kind of spell that wins not just a match but a series. And it did, sealing a 3-1 victory for the Black Caps.

“Beautiful summer’s day,” Duffy laughed later, the irony thick in the cold air. Dunedin looked postcard-pretty but played like a fast bowler’s paradise.

West Indies began brightly enough. A few crisp drives, a bit of intent. But when Shai Hope top-edged a pull, the slide began. Ackeem Auguste followed, then Sherfane Rutherford nicked behind, trying to charge. It was all happening in favor of New Zealand. You could almost feel the life drain from the West Indies dugout.

Duffy reached his 50th T20I wicket in that burst; only Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson got there faster. Not bad company for a lad from Southland. His strike rate of 13.8 now sits as the best among all New Zealand bowlers with 20 or more T20I wickets. Numbers aside, it was his energy that lifted the side. Every wicket brought a roar. Every cheer from the stands carried that hometown pride.

The West Indies, as always, never give up easily. Roston Chase and Jason Holder tried to fight back, adding 42 runs off 34 balls. For a brief moment, it seemed they might steady the innings. But then came the twist. Both fell within five deliveries. Suddenly, the innings looked fragile again. By the 14th over, it was 94 for 8. The writing was on the wall. Or maybe in the cold Dunedin wind.

The crowd felt it too. When the last wicket fell, they stood and applauded. It wasn’t just for the win but for how it came. The West Indies now leave with more questions than answers.

Chasing 141, New Zealand wasted no time. Young Tim Robinson played fearlessly, hitting 45 off 24 balls with five fours and three sixes. One lofted shot over cover showed his power and confidence. Devon Conway stayed calm with an unbeaten 47, reaching 1,000 T20I runs at home and finishing the chase with 26 balls left.

Duffy’s grin said everything. “Nice to do it here,” he said. It lifted the mood completely.

As the sun dipped behind the hills, Dunedin had one more reason to cheer. Their local boy had delivered again.