admin 
Mark Chapman blasted 78 off just 28 balls for New Zealand. (Photo via CMC)
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, CMC – Mark Chapman bludgeoned a half-century, while captain Mitchell Santer and Ish Sodhi came good with the ball, as New Zealand recorded a nail-biting three-run win over the West Indies in the second T20I here on Thursday.
Chapman clobbered 78 off just 28 deliveries to lead the home side to a challenging 207 for five from their 20 overs, after they were sent in to bat at Eden Park.
The West Indies seemed down and out at 93 for six in the 13th over, but herculean efforts from Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd and Matthew Forde, got them within sight of victory before they were eventually restricted to 204 for eight off their allotted overs.
While it was a heartbreaking loss for the visitors, it helped New Zealand level the five-match series at 1-1 ahead of Saturday’s third T20I in Nelson.
The Windies endured a horrible start in their run chase when the out-of-form Brandon King edged pacer Jacob Duffy’s third ball of the innings behind to the wicketkeeper without a run on the board.
Alick Athanaze and skipper Shai Hope then came together to add 49 runs for the second wicket in seven overs, albeit well below the required run rate of 10.35 runs an over.
Just when he looked to be finding a rhythm after a slow start, Athanaze miscued his reverse sweep off leg spinner Ish Sodhi and was caught at short third man for 33.
Ackeem Auguste only made seven before he was spectacularly caught by a diving Chapman running in from deep backward point off Sodhi, to see the Windies slip to 68 for three.
Hope, who never got going, was then bowled by Santner for 24 off 26 deliveries, Jason Holder hit Sodhi for two massive sixes before he was undone by a googly from the same bowler and Santner snared the wicket of Roston Chase for six to put the home side in firm control at 93 for six.
With the required run rate hovering at 18 runs an over, the contest seemed all but over.
However, Powell and Shepherd put on 62 runs in four overs to keep the Windies in the match, punctuated by the pair clobbering Zak Foulkes for 24 runs in the 16th over.
After hitting Santner for two sixes to begin the 17th over, Shepherd picked out Michael Bracewell at long on three balls later to be out for 34 off 16 balls, to leave the score 155 for seven.
Forde then joined Powell at the crease and looked to have done the impossible during a 47-run partnership in just under three overs, that took the West Indies to the brink of a memorable victory.
The pair combined to hit Kyle Jamieson for three sixes in the 18th over that yielded 22 runs and Powell began the penultimate over by smashing Duffy for a six and a four in consecutive deliveries.
Needing 16 runs off the last over bowled by Jamieson, Forde installed his side as favourites by swatting him for two fours off the first three balls.
With six runs required from the last three balls, Powell’s heave found the outside edge and ballooned to short third man where Chapman took an easy catch to dismiss him for 45 off 16 balls, laced with six sixes and one four.
New batter Akeal Hosein scampered a single off the next delivery to give Forde the strike off the last ball, however, he too could only muster a single to see the Windies fall just short.
For New Zealand Santner took 3-31 and Sodhi 3-39.
Earlier, Player-of-the-Match Chapman led New Zealand’s batting attack in a scintillating knock that contained seven sixes and six fours.
They were given a good start by openers Tim Robinson and Devon Conway, who put on 55 runs in seven overs.
West Indies struck twice in the space of four runs to dismiss them both, with Conway bowled by Forde for 16 while Robinson had his stumps rattled by Shepherd to be out for 39.
Chapman started slowly, scoring 12 runs off his first 10 balls, but then hit Shepherd for three sixes and a four off consecutive deliveries in the 13th over.
He then hit Roston Chase for a six and followed that up by belting pacer Jayden Seales for 23 runs in the 15th over on his way to bringing up his half century in 19 balls, as New Zealand motored to 140 for three.
When he eventually lost his wicket, caught and bowled by Holder, Daryl Mitchell scored an unbeaten 28 off 14 balls and Santner hit 18 off eight to help their side finish with a flourish.
Zazeannah Walker 
