Sun 21 Dec ’25 by KRISSANIA YOUNG
New Zealand 575 for December 8. & 306 for December 2. (Latham 101, Conway 100, Ravindra 46*, Hodge 2-80) beat West Indies 420 and 138 (King 67, Campbell 16, Imlach 15*, Duffy 5-42) with 323 runs
The West Indies’ three-match Test series against New Zealand ended with equal parts despair and promise. With all ten wickets from the second innings still intact, the visitors started the day with realistic hopes of a draw. Instead, they were bowled over for 138 and subjected to a crushing 323-run defeat, handing the hosts a 2-0 series win.
They lost 5 wickets for 11 runs and were restricted to 99 for 5 at the lunch break. The opening pair of John Campbell and Brandon King added 44 runs before variable bounce came into play on the fifth day wicket. King continued his rapid scoring from the previous day, bringing up his fifty in 63 balls. Campbell also seemed intent on blocking, as he had done late on Day 4.
They were eventually dismissed in successive overs. King fell to a short ball from Jacob Duffy for 67 before Campbell (16) fell victim to the aggression he had suppressed all innings and was caught with a big shot off Ajaz Patel’s orthodox turn.
There was no more Windies middle order fighting after that. Patel had first-innings centurion Kavem Hodge caught at short leg for a duck before player-of-the-series Duffy returned to remove Alick Athanaze (2) and Justin Greaves, also without scoring.
Skipper Roston Chase’s meager bit with the bat continued. He was the first to go for five after the break, another victim of Duffy’s short ball. Shai Hope and Tevin Imlach then put together Windies’ longest partnership (by balls) since the first wicket. The pair scored just three runs together in 54 deliveries earlier. Hope’s innings came to an end when he was adjudged LBW after review and Patel offered no shot after a 78-ball 3.
West Indies managed to extend the match into the final session, but 20 minutes was all New Zealand needed to wrap up the win, with Duffy adding the finishing touches with the wicket of Jayden Seales (0) for figures of 5 for 42. Imlach remained unbeaten on 15.
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