West Indies Seal Super Eight Berth with Thrilling Win Over New Zealand

In a thrilling encounter at Tarouba, West Indies secured their berth in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup with a hard-fought 13-run victory over New Zealand.

Sherfane Rutherford emerged as the hero for the hosts, smashing an unbeaten 68 off just 39 deliveries. His innings, which included six towering sixes and two boundaries, propelled West Indies to a competitive total of 149 for 9 after they had slumped to 76 for 7 in the 12th over.

In response, New Zealand's chase was derailed by the brilliance of Alzarri Joseph and Gudakesh Motie. Joseph, the pacer, claimed 4 for 19, while Motie, the left-arm spinner, returned with impressive figures of 3 for 25.

New Zealand's openers, Devon Conway and Finn Allen, were dismissed cheaply in the powerplay. Motie then played a pivotal role, dismissing Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson in quick succession. Glenn Phillips kept the Kiwis in the hunt with a 33-ball 40, but Joseph's late burst of wickets extinguished their hopes.

With three consecutive wins, West Indies have booked their place in the Super Eight stage. New Zealand, on the other hand, are on the brink of elimination after suffering back-to-back defeats.

Tags: #T20WorldCup, #WestIndies, #NewZealand, #SherfaneRutherford, #AlzarriJoseph