West Indies and New Zealand played out a thriller of a match in the second T20I of the five-match series at Eden Park in Auckland. The hosts came back into the series with a victory, and are now level 1-1, having lost the first game. However, this win did not come easily, as the West Indies' lower order made life difficult for them. Rovman Powell and Matthew Forde almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, but the Kiwis held their nerve to clinch a 3-run win. Powell and Forde went berserk with the ball and managed to break a massive world record, even though the West Indies lost.

Having lost six wickets for 93 runs at one point in time in the chase of 212, West Indies managed to put on 208 runs at the end of their 20 overs, losing by just 3 runs. In the last five overs, West Indies slammed 87 runs, with the majority being scored by Rovman Powell and Matthew Forde.

This is now the most runs put up by a team in the last five overs of an innings in a run chase. West Indies beat the record of England, who had scored 86 in the last five overs against them only in 2023.
West Indies hit 18 sixes in the run-chasee which is the joint most by any team in T20I history in a run chase by a full-member nation. England also hit 18 sixes against them in 2023 in St George's.

Mark Chapman Guides New Zealand To Tense Win
Mark Chapman produced a breathtaking blitz, smashing 78 off just 28 balls as New Zealand edged West Indies by three runs in a thriller at Eden Park on Thursday to level the T20I series 1-1. Chapman’s 19-ball fifty powered the Kiwis to 207/5 after being sent in, with 100 runs coming between the 9th and 16th overs.

Despite a late counterattack from Rovman Powell (45 off 16), Romario Shepherd (34 off 16) and Matthew Forde (29* off 13), the Windies fell just short at 204/8. Kyle Jamieson held his nerve in a tense final over, while Chapman’s all-round brilliance — including three catches — earned him the Player of the Match award.Kyle Jamieson held his nerve in a tense final over, while Chapman’s all-round brilliance — including three catches — earned him the Player of the Match award.