Sport
New Zealand climbed to second place on the ICC World Test Championship points table after registering a commanding 323-run victory over the West Indies in the third and final Test at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. The comprehensive triumph saw New Zealand leapfrog South Africa in the standings, with only Australia now above them, and capped a dominant series performance that underlined the Black Caps’ strong start to the current WTC cycle.
Sport Duffy leads bowling demolition, breaks Hadlee record
New Zealand wrapped up the match midway through the final session, with left-arm seamer Jacob Duffy claiming the final wicket to seal the result. Duffy’s spell of 5/42 in the second innings dismantled the West Indies, who were bowled out for 138 while chasing an imposing target of 462.
Add Zee News as a Preferred Source
The performance crowned an outstanding series for Duffy, who finished with 23 wickets and was named Player of the Series. In the process, he also etched his name into New Zealand cricket history by surpassing Richard Hadlee’s long-standing record for most wickets by a New Zealander in a calendar year, moving past the previous mark of 80 with his third five-wicket haul of the series.
“I saw that list at lunch time, and there were some cool names on there,” Duffy said. “To be up there on any sort of list with those sorts of names was special.”
Sport Conway, Latham script history with the bat
New Zealand’s bowlers were well supported by a monumental batting display, led by openers Devon Conway and captain Tom Latham. The pair made history by becoming the first opening combination in Test cricket to each score two centuries in the same match.
Conway’s effort stood out even further. Scores of 227 and 100 saw him become the first New Zealander, and only the 10th player in Test history, to record both a double century and a century in the same Test. He was duly named Player of the Match. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” Conway admitted. “It will take some time to get my head around what happened in this Test match, but I’m really glad we got the win.”
Sport What’s next for both teams?
New Zealand’s next assignment is a three-match World Test Championship series against England, scheduled for the middle of next year, a contest that could further shape the WTC standings. The West Indies, meanwhile, remain ninth on the table and will return to action at home next year, with series lined up against Sri Lanka and Pakistan as they look to revive their Test fortunes.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news andworld News on Zee News.