NAPIER – Shai Hope produced one of the most exhilarating innings of his career on Wednesday, thundering a century of rare command and clarity.
Yet even his blistering 109 from 69 balls could not prevent New Zealand from snatching a dramatic five-wicket victory in a rain-shortened second One Day International at McLean Park.
Persistent showers carved the match down to a 34-over contest and left both sides waiting three hours to begin. When the skies finally cleared, the stage belonged to Hope, until Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner seized it with a counterpunch of their own.
New Zealand ultimately overhauled West Indies’ 247 for nine, reaching 248 for five with three balls to spare to seal an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
A rescue innings for the ages
The early going bordered on calamity for the visitors. New Zealand’s new-ball pair, Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry, suffocated the top order with three maidens in the first four overs. Under pressure, John Campbell miscued an ambitious stroke and fell for four, and Keacy Carty quickly followed for seven.
Hope arrived with the West Indies wobbling at 15 for two and wasted no time asserting himself, hammering Blair Tickner for a pair of boundaries to close the 11th over. But the collapse continued: Ackeem Auguste (22), Sherfane Rutherford (13), and Roston Chase (2) departed in rapid succession, leaving the scoreboard at a precarious 86 for five in the 16th over.
What followed was a captain’s stand of rare quality. Hope engineered recovery partnerships of 44 with Justin Greaves (22), another 47 with Romario Shepherd (22), and 43 more alongside Matthew Forde (21). He reached his half-century from 42 balls and accelerated with breathtaking audacity, piloting the final 10 overs to a remarkable 117-run surge.
Hope unleashed a barrage of boundaries, three fours off Henry in the 29th over, two more off Tickner moments later, and a towering straight six off Jamieson to mark his 19th ODI century. In so doing, he became the second-fastest West Indian to 6,000 ODI runs (142 innings), trailing only Sir Vivian Richards by a single knock, and drew level with Brian Lara on 19 ODI hundreds.
New Zealand’s most successful bowler was Nathan Smith, who snared four for 42, while Jamieson added three for 44.
Conway leads the charge; Santner applies the finishing touch
Set a required rate exceeding seven per over, New Zealand launched their pursuit with crisp authority. Conway and Rachin Ravindra motored to a 106-run opening stand that applied immediate pressure to the Windies’ attack. Ravindra struck 56 off 46 balls, peppering the boundary with five sixes and four fours, before Greaves removed him with a sharp catch at point.
The home side stumbled briefly when Will Young (11) and Mark Chapman (0) departed in quick succession, and West Indies regained a measure of control when Conway, just 10 short of a superb century, slashed Shamar Springer to backward point after an innings studded with 13 fours and a six.
At 208 for five, New Zealand still required 40 runs from the final 18 deliveries. It appeared the visitors had the momentum, but Santner had other ideas.
A captain’s counterattack turns the match
Santner launched a blistering assault on the death bowling, punishing Forde for two fours and a six in an 18-run 32nd over. He followed with another surge off Springer, cracking a four and a six in an over worth 14, to tilt the match decisively.
With eight needed from the last over, Tom Latham sealed matters with composure. A head-high full toss from Jayden Seales soared over the keeper for four and was also ruled a no-ball; the remainder required only sensible rotation of the strike. Latham finished unbeaten on 39 from 29 deliveries, closing a 54-run partnership that carried New Zealand home.
The series concludes on Friday with the third and final ODI.
