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Bridgetown, Barbados: Kensington Oval had dressed itself in tribute. Posters of Sir Garfield Sobers lined the stands, two seats were left empty on the pavilion balcony bearing his name, and both teams stood in silence before the first ball. This was always going to be more than a cricket match. When West Indies captain Shai Hope said his side would dedicate a win to the greatest all-rounder the game has ever seen, it was no platitude — it very nearly came true.
New Zealand arrived at Barbados with a 2-1 series lead and without Daryl Mitchell, ruled out with a hip strain, their most reliable run-scorer of the tour. They would need someone else to absorb the pressure when it came. They found exactly that man, but only after being pushed to the very edge by a West Indies side playing with everything Sobers would have demanded of them.
Motie’s Magic Almost Turned the Tide
West Indies were put in to bat by Santner and posted 188 all out in 44.4 overs — a below-par score on a flat Kensington surface, but one that briefly seemed enough. Motie, batting at number seven, had contributed a quickfire 41 to help rescue the tail after the top order misfired, with only a seventh-wicket stand of substance between Ackeem Jangoo and Motie holding the innings together past 143 for 6.
What happened in the New Zealand chase looked, for a long stretch, like a straightforward assignment. Mark Chapman was in imperious form, striking 80 off 82 balls and taking the tourists to 142 for 4, a position of near-total command. Then the rain came, and when play resumed, everything changed.
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Motie — the same man who had fought with the bat — turned destroyer with the ball. The left-arm spinner drew on the heavy atmosphere and the emotion in the ground and delivered the finest bowling performance of his ODI career. Chapman was the prized scalp, caught at point for 80 to trigger the collapse, and Motie systematically worked through the lower middle order to finish with 5 for 47. From 142 for 4, New Zealand somehow found themselves at 170 for 9 — still 19 runs short of the target — with Santner the last recognised bat at the crease alongside Jayden Lennox.
Santner Refuses to Yield
Lennox, who has been the bowler of the series with his off-spin, was not asked to bat for his wicket. That was Santner’s job. The New Zealand captain, who had given away little with the ball for his 2 for 36, now showed what captains are made of. Calmly, without flourish, he nudged and steered New Zealand through the danger zone. A two through the covers off Motie to the boundary brought the target within touching distance. When he flicked Matthew Forde for a couple through square leg to reach the door of victory, the New Zealand dressing room exhaled.
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New Zealand won by one wicket with 35 balls remaining — the scoreline barely doing justice to the drama of a collapse that could so easily have swung the game. Santner finished unbeaten on 34 off 56 balls, not the most destructive innings of the series, but arguably the most important.
A Tribute Unfulfilled, but a Performance to Honour
On the West Indies balcony, there was disappointment but also pride. Hope gathered his players in a huddle on the outfield at the final whistle, and later reflected that his team had made the great man proud even in defeat. Motie, for his part, had given West Indies everything — his five-wicket haul was the first of his ODI career and came on the most emotionally charged day the Caribbean cricket circuit had seen in years.
The series result, however, is a sobering reminder of where West Indies find themselves in the ODI cycle. Now 3-1 down with one match to play, they remain in danger of having to navigate the qualifying route to reach the 2027 ODI World Cup. West Indies’ batting across the series has repeatedly crumbled against New Zealand’s disciplined attack. Lennox, who is the leading wicket-taker in series, and the returning Chapman have underlined why this New Zealand side is one of the most balanced ODI teams in the world.
The fifth and final ODI takes place at Kensington Oval on Tuesday. For West Indies, it is a chance at consolation and a final tribute to Sobers on his home ground. For New Zealand, with the series already won, it is an opportunity to complete a perfect touring performance.
Score: West Indies 188 all out (44.4 ov) | New Zealand 189/9 (44.1 ov) Result: New Zealand won by 1 wicket; New Zealand lead the 5-match series 3-1 Player of the Match: Mitchell Santner (NZ) — 34* (56) & 2/36 Series top performer (bowling): Jayden Lennox (NZ) — 18 wickets in 8 matches
