Sodhi, Duffy three-fors trump late Springer-Shepherd blitz in thriller

Nov 09, 2025 Sports

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ESPNcricinfo – The series that keeps on giving. After two humdingers in Auckland, the third T20I between West Indies and New Zealand in Nelson was shaping up to be a more one-sided contest, with the visitors having slipped to 88 for 8 in 12.3 overs, chasing 178, staring at a comprehensive defeat. Surely game over, right?

Shamar Springer and Romario Shepherd, however, had other ideas. In a stunning rearguard action, the duo added 78 runs for the ninth wicket off just 39 balls to keep West Indies’ chase alive. From 90 off 45, they brought the equation down to 13 off seven. But New Zealand, just as they did in the second T20I, held their composure in the end.

Jacob Duffy pulled off a stunning return catch off the final ball of the 19th over to send back Springer. And with 12 needed of the final over, Kyle Jamieson stepped up for the second game running to dismiss Romario Shepherd. New Zealand won the third T20I by nine runs to go 2-1 up in the five-match series.

Electing to bat, New Zealand recorded 177 for 9 in their 20 overs on the back of Devon Conway’s 56 off 34 balls and Daryl Mitchell’s 24-ball 41. The final score was threatening to be a lot more, but three run-outs and Matthew Forde and Jason Holder’s two-fors denied New Zealand a late charge.

Ish Sodhi’s 3 for 34 and Duffy’s two-wicket opening over had West Indies on the mat, before the visitors threatened to pull off the improbable again. In the end, they fell short… again.

Shepherd and Springer spring a surprise

The game was done, the writing was surely on the wall, but Shepherd and Springer proved otherwise. When the duo got together, West Indies were in all sorts at 88 for 8 in the 13th over. Springer slog swept Sodhi over deep midwicket first ball. Shepherd soon joined him, smashing Duffy for six over fine leg and then slicing him over point. At the time, a comprehensive New Zealand win felt just two mis-hits away, but these mis-hits never came.

Both Springer and Shepherd found the boundaries regularly. Springer muscled Mitchell Santner over long-on, and then walloped Jamieson for back-to-back fours. By the time the 18th over from James Neesham was taken for 19, West Indies believed. With 24 needed of 12, it was their game to lose, especially when Duffy was sent out of the stadium for a 103m six over long-on by Shepherd.

But Duffy, who had struck two telling blows earlier, dove low to his left and plucked out a stunner as Springer fell for a superb 20-ball 39. Jamieson, who had defended 16 in the previous match, was now tasked with defending 12 in Nelson. He went the hard-length way, rattling Shepherd with the extra bounce. With the equation down to ten off two, Jamieson bowled a shin-high full toss that was miscued to only as far as Mitchell at long-off, as a third-straight last-over finish went New Zealand’s way.

West Indies slip and tumble

Much before the Shepherd-Springer mayhem, West Indies looked in complete disarray. Jamieson conceded three fours in his opening over, but as Duffy had all series, he kept at it. He bowled Amir Jangoo, chopping back onto his stumps first ball. Three balls later, he had Shai Hope caught at deep backward square leg. At the other end, however, Jamieson continued to bleed runs and also put down Alick Athanaze, as West Indies breezed past 50 in 6.3 overs.

Sodhi’s introduction flipped the script. He had Athanaze caught behind with a long-hop, while Michael Bracewell sent back Sherfane Rutherford. Sodhi then found Rovman Powell swinging for the hills, but Powell missed instead and saw his stumps in a mess. By the time Sodhi trapped Forde lbw for 4, West Indies had lost 6 for 35 in less than six overs.

Forde shines, others disappoint

Earlier, Conway – managing to avoid his series nemesis Forde in the opening over – got into his groove, pumping Akeal Hosein over deep midwicket for a huge six. Forde himself was tight with his lines and conceded just 14 in his three overs in the powerplay. This spell included getting rid of Tim Robinson, who was looking to turn the fast bowler around the corner, but popped a straightforward return catch instead.

However, West Indies bled runs at the other end. Hosein’s two overs went for 21, while Shepherd conceded 11 runs, as New Zealand reached 47 for 1 after six overs.

Scores: New Zealand 177 for 9 (Conway 56, Mitchell 41, Forde 2-20, Holder 2-31) beat West Indies 168 (Shepherd 49, Springer 39, Sodhi 3-34, Duffy 3-36) by nine runs.

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• Duffy, New Zealand, Shepherd, Sodhi, Springer, West Indies

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