New Zealand vs West Indies | West Indies tour of New Zealand, 2025 | 3rd Test

Right then, that concludes the West Indies' tour of New Zealand, which saw the Black Caps comprehensively win the series across all three formats. Both teams will now take a well-deserved Christmas break. Following that, cricketing action resumes as the West Indies head to South Africa, while New Zealand tours India. Cheers for joining us, and goodbye for now.

Tom Latham, New Zealand's skipper, reflected on New Zealand's clinical performance throughout the five-day match, particularly given initial uncertainties regarding team balance on Day 1. He emphasized the strategy of maintaining pressure for long periods, believing that securing one wicket on the difficult pitch, characterized by variable bounce, could create further opportunities. This approach proved effective as New Zealand consistently took wickets in clumps, a trend evident even later on the final day. Latham praised the collective effort of the squad in overcoming adversity and injuries, noting the valuable experience gained by debutants and players featuring in their first home games. He expressed satisfaction that the team's ability to adapt to a surface different from their usual playing conditions bodes well for the future of New Zealand cricket and sets a strong benchmark for how they intend to operate.

West Indies skipper, Roston Chase, reflected on a challenging series, attributing the team's poor results to an inability to maintain good performance for extended periods despite showing promise in patches. He noted the difficulty in adapting quickly to a pitch that was drastically different from the previous two, identifying this as a key learning experience from the tour. Chase also highlighted the positive impact of having the experienced Kemar Roach back in the side, who he felt led from the front both on and off the field. Ultimately, Chase believes the team needs to improve its ability to seize critical moments in games, an area for development he feels could have led to different results in all three matches.

Player of the Series Jacob Duffy reflected positively on his successful year, expressing contentment at his consistent wicket-taking ability and acknowledging the trust placed in him by his captain. He made it clear that he is always willing to bowl long spells at the skipper's discretion, stating he would never say no to his captain and that he considers it a privilege to be allowed to bowl more overs, which he feels increases his chances of taking more wickets.

Player of the Match, Devon Conway, expressed that the magnitude of the victory hadn't quite set in yet and believed it would take some time to fully register what had transpired during the game. He gratefully acknowledged that the team had capitalised on the favourable conditions by batting well on Day 1. Conway reiterated his consistent philosophy of maintaining a positive mindset and focus on fulfilling his role for the team, adding that while opportunities to play in other leagues were welcome, his priority would always be his availability for the New Zealand side.

PRESENTATION ...

Once that partnership was eventually broken, the floodgates opened, and the situation deteriorated rapidly for the West Indies. Wickets kept tumbling, and they found it increasingly difficult to stay in the contest for long. Despite flashes of resilience throughout their batting order, it was not enough to withstand the relentless pressure from the New Zealand bowlers. The Kiwis wrapped up the innings efficiently, sealing a well-deserved victory and an emphatic series win by 323 runs.

However, the match slipped further away when New Zealand came out in their third innings with the clear intent to stretch their already significant lead. A clinical display saw both Conway and Latham incredibly register another century each, effectively batting the West Indies out of the contest entirely. The visitors' primary objective shifted to simply batting for a draw. The grind began well with a gutsy effort from King and John Campbell, whose partnership towards the end of Day 4 and beginning of Day 5 offered a glimmer of hope that they might just hold on.

In reply, the West Indies displayed commendable fighting spirit and had a fair go at the total. It was Kavem Hodge's batting heroics that truly stood out. Grinding hard at the crease, he scored a brilliant 123, leading a solid batting effort throughout the order, which helped the visitors post a hard-fought 420 in reply. Jacob Duffy was the standout bowler for the Kiwis, picking up four crucial wickets, supported well by Ajaz Patel and Michael Rae. This response from the West Indies provided a flicker of hope that they might be able to salvage something from the match.

New Zealand have clinched a spectacular series triumph, clinching the third Test with a resounding 323-run victory. A 2-0 win that screamed dominance. Their conquest began with a titanic first innings, where they batted voraciously for most of the first two days, piling up an imposing 575. The cornerstone of this fortress was a behemoth 323-run stand between Devon Conway and Tom Latham. Conway thundered to a majestic double ton, Latham hammered a ton of his own, and together, they left the West Indies reeling.

A new ball will be available for the hosts to take now. New Zealand have opted for the new ball straightaway. Jacob Duffy will have a go with the new ball first up.