West Indies storms into Super Eight after beating New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2024

The West Indies secured their place in the Super 8 of the T20 World Cup 2024 after defeating New Zealand by 13 runs on Thursday at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad. This victory propelled Rovman Powell’s team to the top of the standings, having won all three of their matches so far. In stark contrast, the Black Caps are languishing at the bottom of the table, facing the imminent threat of elimination.

Opting to bat first, the West Indies found themselves in a precarious position early on, reeling at 23 for 4 during the powerplay. The co-hosts appeared to be in deep trouble, with Nicholas Pooran’s brief cameo of 17 runs off 12 balls being the only resistance against the Kiwi bowlers in the initial overs. During his innings, Pooran surpassed Chris Gayle to become the leading run-scorer for the Caribbean in T20Is. However, his attempt at an aggressive shot led to his dismissal by Tim Southee, who had replaced Matt Henry in the lineup. Southee, along with Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson, wreaked havoc on the West Indies batting order.

Amid the collapse, Sherfane Rutherford staged a remarkable recovery, steering the West Indies to a total of 149 for 9. Rutherford played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 68 off 39 balls, featuring 2 fours and 6 sixes, and injected crucial momentum into the innings by scoring 37 runs in the final two overs. Contributions from Akeal Hosein, Andre Russell, and Romario Shepherd provided valuable support lower down the order.

Trent Boult emerged as the standout bowler for New Zealand, delivering figures of 4-1-16-3, while Southee and Ferguson claimed two wickets each.

Chasing a target of 150, Devon Conway was dismissed early, giving the hosts an early advantage. However, Finn Allen was determined to improve New Zealand’s Powerplay performance compared to the Windies’. He scored 26 off 23 balls before being caught by Russell at deep backward square leg, leaving the Black Caps at 36/2 after the first six overs.

The rest of New Zealand’s lineup struggled to find form, with Kane Williamson (1 off 2) and Rachin Ravindra (10 off 13) failing to make significant contributions. The hosts tightened their grip when Motie delivered a superb ball that clipped the top of middle stump, dismissing Daryl Mitchell.

With five overs remaining, New Zealand needed 65 runs to win. Glenn Phillips and James Neesham attempted to regain momentum, but their hopes dimmed when Alzarri Joseph induced Neesham to sky a ball, which Brandon King safely caught.

Mitchell Santner's late effort of 21 off 12 balls wasn’t enough to change the outcome, and New Zealand fell short of the target.