New Zealand overpowered West Indies by nine wickets in Wellington to go 1-0 up in the three-match Test series, as a makeshift Black Caps attack led by Jacob Duffy’s superb five-wicket haul turned a potentially tricky contest into a commanding statement victory on day three.

At the Basin Reserve, where conditions can flip a match inside a single session, New Zealand’s seamers seized control early and never let go, leaving the West Indies batting lineup searching for answers and the tourists’ series hopes hanging by a thread.

Jacob Duffy celebrates taking a wicket for New Zealand against West Indies in the Wellington Test
Jacob Duffy leads a depleted New Zealand attack with a five-wicket haul at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. (Image: BBC Sport)

Series Context: Black Caps Seize the Initiative

Coming into the second Test, the three-match series was finely poised. New Zealand, traditionally dominant at home, were dealing with absences in their first-choice attack, while West Indies arrived with renewed belief after a spirited showing earlier in the tour. Wellington, however, has often been a fortress for the Black Caps, and this victory reinforces why.

With this result, New Zealand take a 1-0 lead, leaving West Indies needing a win in the third Test to square the series. The Basin Reserve surface offered classical Kiwi conditions: helpful seam movement, enough bounce, and a premium on disciplined line and length—conditions New Zealand’s bowlers exploited far more effectively than their Caribbean counterparts.

  • Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington
  • Result: New Zealand won by 9 wickets (three-day finish)
  • Series: New Zealand lead West Indies 1–0 in the three-Test series
  • Player of the Match (expected): Jacob Duffy (5-wicket haul)

Jacob Duffy’s Five-Wicket Masterclass in Wellington

Filling in for missing frontline stars, Jacob Duffy delivered the performance of his Test career, ripping through the West Indies order with a combination of nagging accuracy, late movement, and sharp bowling intelligence. In conditions that demanded discipline, Duffy hit the seam relentlessly and asked constant questions.

New Zealand’s seam blueprint: full, probing lengths and unwavering discipline under cloudy Wellington skies. (Representative image)

His spell not only dismantled West Indies’ resistance but also set the tone for a ruthlessly efficient team display. With the attack short-handed, New Zealand needed someone to shoulder the workload; Duffy did more than that—he tilted the entire Test.

Jacob Duffy – Key Bowling Figures vs West Indies (2nd Test, Wellington)
Innings Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Economy
West Indies 2nd innings — — — 5 —
“We talked about embracing the responsibility. With a couple of big names missing, it was about sticking to our plans and trusting the wicket. Once we found that perfect length, it all clicked.”

That “perfect length” was the difference: a yard fuller than the West Indies quicks, dragging batters into dangerous strokes and forcing them to play almost every ball.


Makeshift, Not Weak: New Zealand’s Depleted Attack Steps Up

The narrative before the Test centered on who New Zealand did not have: premier quicks and key first-choice options were unavailable, raising questions about depth. The response from the Black Caps’ dressing room was emphatic.

  • Disciplined new-ball spells that immediately put West Indies on the back foot.
  • Effective use of the short ball without losing the fuller attacking length.
  • Consistent support from all seamers, ensuring no let-up during spells.

Rather than relying on one superstar, New Zealand produced a collective effort with Duffy as the spearhead. That kind of depth is exactly what coaches and selectors look for in a World Test Championship cycle.

Cricket fielders celebrating a wicket together
A unified bowling group: New Zealand’s support cast delivers under pressure. (Representative image)

West Indies Batting Struggles: Technique, Temperament, or Preparation?

For West Indies, this defeat will sting because it exposed familiar issues: collapses in seaming conditions, failure to build partnerships, and difficulty adapting to the discipline demanded in New Zealand. On a surface that rewarded patience, too many dismissals came from hard hands and indecisive footwork.

  1. Top-order instability against the moving ball.
  2. Middle-order failing to convert starts into substantial scores.
  3. Lack of a stabilizing innings that could anchor either innings.

Yet there were flashes of resistance—strokes that hinted at the talent within this lineup. The challenge for the tourists is turning sporadic brilliance into sustained, session-long resilience.

“We’ve got to own this. Conditions are tough here, but that’s Test cricket. The standards we expect of ourselves are higher than what we’ve shown. The response in the next Test has to be stronger.”
Batsman beaten by a swinging delivery in a cricket game
West Indies batters again found life uncomfortable against quality swing and seam. (Representative image)

Turning Points: How Day Three Became a Rout

The match didn’t simply drift towards a New Zealand win; it pivoted sharply on a handful of crucial passages of play on day three.

  • Early Breakthroughs: New Zealand removed both West Indies openers inside the opening exchanges, shattering any plans of a long, grinding rearguard.
  • Duffy’s Double-Strike: A rapid pair of wickets in one spell exposed the middle order and handed the hosts full control.
  • Lower-Order Squeeze: There was no late-order fightback; the tail was wrapped up clinically, denying the tourists a defendable total.
  • Calm Chase: New Zealand’s top order made light work of the target, avoiding the kind of wobble that could have emboldened the visitors.
Scoreboard at a cricket ground displaying match figures
The scoreboard told the story: West Indies never put enough runs on the board to apply pressure. (Representative image)

Match Snapshot: New Zealand vs West Indies, 2nd Test, Wellington

While the full scorecard offers every detail, the core of this Test can be seen in how New Zealand dominated both with the ball and in the chase.

New Zealand vs West Indies – Key Match Numbers (2nd Test, Wellington)
Team Innings Totals Result Margin Series Score
New Zealand — & 9-wicket chase Won by 9 wickets NZ lead 1–0
West Indies — & modest 2nd innings total Bowled out inside three days Trail 0–1

For full ball-by-ball details and official scorecards, visit:


Human Element: Opportunity, Pressure, and a Breakthrough Performance

Beyond the numbers, this Test will be remembered as a story of opportunity taken. For Jacob Duffy and several of New Zealand’s supporting cast, this was a chance to prove they belong at the highest level—and they responded under the glare of home expectations.

For West Indies, the emotional toll is different: a mix of frustration and determination. Many of these players grew up dreaming of winning tough away Tests like this, and the gap between aspiration and reality can be painful. How they mentally rebound before the third Test will be just as crucial as any technical adjustment.

Cricketers shaking hands at the end of a Test match
Respect at the close: two teams at different stages, both chasing consistency in Test cricket. (Representative image)

What This Means for the Decider: Tactical and Psychological Edges

Heading into the third Test, New Zealand hold every tangible advantage: momentum, home conditions, and the comfort of a series lead. But Test cricket often rewards teams that respond hardest when backed into a corner, and West Indies now have nothing to lose.

  • New Zealand’s priorities: manage workloads in the makeshift attack, stay ruthless with the new ball, and avoid complacency.
  • West Indies’ focus: build first-innings runs, lengthen partnerships, and identify a clear tactical plan for handling seam and swing.
  • Key battle: West Indies’ top order vs. New Zealand’s opening quicks in the first hour of each innings.

The question now is simple but compelling: can West Indies recalibrate quickly enough to punch back, or are New Zealand on course for a clinical series win that underlines their status as one of the toughest home assignments in Test cricket?

However it plays out, the decider promises another gripping examination of temperament, technique, and tactical nerve in classic Test-match conditions.