The West Indies pulled off a seven-run win against New Zealand in the first of five T20 Internationals, earning their first regulation win on New Zealand soil in 12 matches – their last victory came in a Super Over back in 2008.
Roston Chase was awarded Player of the Match for his 28 runs and three wickets as West Indies defended their total of 164-6 from 20 overs. The Black Caps were restricted to 157-9 in 20 overs.
Chase said the team spoke about how important it is to register a win early in the series. Captain Shai Hope also explained that communication is key in critical moments while defending a target.
“It was coming off good tonight. I was getting a bit of spin and a bit of bounce, so I just tried to use that to my well-being. We learned from what the New Zealand bowlers did, it was very difficult.”
“They hit the wicket hard and took pace off as well, so we just tried to emulate that and it worked out for us. It gives us a lot of confidence to start the series well with a win, and tonight something that we really spoke about is also to celebrate Jason Holder’s birthday. We wanted to give him a birthday gift, so the guys really went out there and fought hard and we won.” Chase added
Meanwhile, Captain Hope said he initially went too hard during his half-century.
“Personally, I probably went a bit too hard – expecting a 200-plus total – but that’s on me. We’ll reassess and look to be more clinical next time. Big thanks to the crowd and happy birthday again to Jason from all of us. We’ll rest up and go again tomorrow,” Hope said.
The West Indies Captain, said: “Communication is key, especially in those crucial moments. Everyone was clear about their roles and executed well. Credit to the bowlers – they stuck to the plan and delivered under pressure. [On their total] Definitely. We were a few runs short, but seeing how the surface played for both sides, it evened out in the end.”
The second T20I between New Zealand and the West Indies bowls off today, Thursday, November 6, at 14:15h Eastern Caribbean time.
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