Follow UsEden Park, Auckland, is known to have big scores, but that was not the case on November 5 (Wednesday) as West Indies set New Zealand a modest target of 165. Shai Hope slammed a fifty, and useful contributions from Roston Chase (28) and Rovman Powell (33) gave West Indies a fighting total.
However, New Zealand looked down and out at 88/6 in the 13th over when their skipper Mitchell Santner walked in. They sank further, needing 56 from the last three overs with just a wicket in hand.
That's when Santner decided to take matters into his own hands. He first smashed Matthew Forde for 23 runs off the 18th over, and followed that up with 13 more off Jason Holder's next.
The BlackCaps suddenly found themselves in the game, but needed 20 off the final over. After a couple of dots, Santner smashed a six, a four, and then ended the match with another four, but New Zealand fell short by seven runs.
Santner remained unbeaten on 55 off just 28 - his second half-century in T20Is. As a result, he now has one of the highest scores by a batter at 8 or below, among players from full-member nations.
Isuru Udana 84* (48) vs SA, Centurion, 2019
Mark Adair 72(36) vs SCO, Edinburgh, 2023
Iftikhar Ahmed 60 (24) vs NZ, Lahore, 2023
Simi Sigh 57* (29) vs NED, Rotterdam, 2018
Mitchell Santner 55* (28) vs WI, Auckland, 2025
Santner's assault included eight fours and two sixes, and struck at a strike rate of 196.43. He is also just the second captain in T20I history to score a fifty at No. 8 or below. The only other player to achieve this feat was Lansana Lamin of Sierra Leone against Eswatini in 2024.
With this win, West Indies go 1-0 up in the five-match series. They will next collide at the same venue on November 6 (Thursday).