New Zealand crushed West Indies by 323 runs in the third Test at Mount Maunganui, sealing a 2-0 series victory, with Jacob Duffy’s five-wicket haul proving decisive. The hosts set a target of 462 and bowled out the tourists for 138, completing the innings just four overs after tea following a dramatic collapse around lunch.
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Duffy finished with figures of 5-42, supported by Ajaz Patel’s 3-23. Opener Brandon King top-scored for West Indies with 67. Earlier, New Zealand’s Devon Conway scored 227 and 100 in his two innings, while captain Tom Latham made 137 and 101, marking the first time an opening pair in first-class cricket history recorded twin centuries in the same match.
The series began with a draw in Christchurch, followed by a New Zealand win in Wellington. “It was a pretty clinical performance,” Latham said, praising the team’s approach of batting first and accumulating a large total, then executing effectively with the ball.
Duffy and Patel posed constant challenges on the uneven surface, causing early breakthroughs. West Indies, starting the day at 43-0, collapsed from 87-0 to 112-8 either side of lunch. King’s early dominance of the innings was undone after Duffy and Patel systematically dismantled the batting order. Key dismissals included King caught by Glenn Phillips, John Campbell for 16, Kavem Hodge for a duck, and successive wickets of Alick Athanaze and Justin Greaves.
Roston Chase struggled throughout the series, scoring only 42 runs at an average of seven, marking one of the poorest performances for a captain dismissed six or more times in a Test series. Chase admitted he had a “below par” series and acknowledged letting both himself and the team down.
Patel also removed Shai Hope via a controversial lbw review, and Phillips and Rachin Ravindra claimed crucial wickets in the final session. Duffy finished the innings by bowling Jayden Seales, ending West Indies’ innings in disarray and cementing New Zealand’s dominant win.
The victory highlighted New Zealand’s strong batting depth and disciplined bowling attack, ensuring a commanding series finish and reinforcing their dominance in the home conditions.
