MOUNT MAUNGANUI: New Zealand crushed West Indies by 323 runs in the third Test at Mount Maunganui on Monday, sealing a 2-0 series victory, with Jacob Duffy’s five-wicket haul pivotal in the visitors’ dramatic collapse. Chasing a massive target of 462, West Indies were bowled out for 138, folding in just four overs after tea following a middle-order meltdown.
Read More: West Indies 43-0, need 419 more to win after Conway joins elite
Duffy finished with 5-42, backed by Ajaz Patel’s 3-23, while West Indies opener Brandon King top-scored with 67. New Zealand’s batting stars Devon Conway and captain Tom Latham had earlier set up the win with twin centuries—Conway scored 227 and 100, while Latham made 137 and 101, marking the first opening pair in first-class cricket history to record twin centuries in the same match.
A strong start to New Zealand’s #WTC27 campaign 🙌
More from the #NZvWI series📲 https://t.co/1eslGLc9qx pic.twitter.com/jM91wt4WNL
— ICC (@ICC) December 22, 2025
Jacob Duffy signing off for 2025 in style.#NZvWIN pic.twitter.com/2TuJJgQ2oB
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 22, 2025
The West Indies innings began positively, reaching 87-0 before lunch, with King dominating early. However, Duffy broke the stand after the break, dismissing King and triggering a flurry of wickets. Patel added to the carnage, removing John Campbell and first-innings centurion Kavem Hodge, while Duffy continued to pick off the tail, including Alick Athanaze, Justin Greaves, and Roston Chase.
Chase admitted his own struggles, calling his performance “very below par” and acknowledging that he had let both himself and his team down. Other wickets were taken by Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra, completing West Indies’ collapse.
New Zealand’s captain Latham praised the team’s performance, describing it as “a pretty clinical performance” that followed a perfect blueprint of batting first, setting a massive total, and then exploiting the cracked surface with disciplined bowling.
Read More: Hodge edges towards century as West Indies 310-4, trail by 265
The series began with a draw in Christchurch, followed by a New Zealand win in Wellington. The hosts’ dominant bowling and record-breaking batting ensured they maintained full control throughout, leaving West Indies searching for answers ahead of future series.