West Indies defeat defending champions New Zealand in T20 World Cup thriller
Shemaine Campbelle struck an emotional, unbeaten 90 as the West Indies defeated defending champions New Zealand by seven wickets with just one ball remaining in their Women’s T20 World Cup opener in Southampton.
- New Zealand 162-6 (20 overs): Halliday 40, Green 35; Alleyne 4-27
- West Indies 163-3 (19.5 overs): Campbelle 90*, Matthews 48; J Kerr 2-17
Chasing 163 for victory, the Caribbean side reached their target in dramatic fashion during a tense final over.
Experienced all-rounder Sophie Devine was tasked with defending six runs from the last six deliveries.
With the scores level, Campbelle handed the strike to 20-year-old Jahzara Claxton, and the pair scrambled a bye from the penultimate ball to seal a famous win.
Campbelle ends long wait for half-century
The match-winning knock held immense personal significance for the veteran wicketkeeper-batter.
Campbelle was visibly emotional upon securing the victory, having registered her maiden T20 international half-century after an astonishing 122 matches.
Her heroic innings was heavily supported by star captain Hayley Matthews, who capitalised on early fielding errors by the opposition.
The White Ferns will bitterly regret dropping the destructive opener on just nine, allowing her to build a crucial foundation with a rapid 48.
White Ferns falter despite competitive total
Earlier in the day, the defending champions posted a respectable 162-6 despite suffering a sudden top-order collapse.
The title holders slipped rapidly from 49-0 to 56-3 before middle-order batters Brooke Halliday and Maddy Green stabilised the innings.
Halliday top-scored with 40 and Green added 35, building on Izzy Gaze’s brisk 39 during the powerplay.
However, Aaliyah Alleyne proved to be the standout bowler for the Windies, claiming brilliant figures of 4-27 to restrict the scoring rate.
Group 2 blown wide open
This dramatic result immediately reshapes the landscape of Group 2, creating a highly competitive race for the knockout stages.
With tournament heavyweights England widely considered favourites to secure top spot, the battle for the second qualification place is now fiercely contested.
The Caribbean outfit have taken a massive step toward the semi-finals, leaving the reigning champions under immediate pressure in their title defence.
