Jacob Duffy produced a career-defining performance as New Zealand crushed the West Indies by 323 runs in the third Test, sealing the three-match series 2-0. On a sharply deteriorating fifth-day pitch, Duffy claimed 5 for 42 to skittle the visitors for 138.
In the process, he broke a 40-year-old national record by surpassing Sir Richard Hadlee’s tally of 80 wickets in a calendar year. Duffy ended the series with 23 wickets at an exceptional average of 15.4, including three five-wicket hauls, and bowled over 154 overs as the tireless leader of a depleted pace attack. Named Player of the Series, he admitted the magnitude of the achievement would take time to sink in, especially given the illustrious names he joined in the record books.
Record-Breaking Partnerships Dominate The Test
The match itself turned into a statistician’s delight, driven by monumental batting efforts from New Zealand’s openers. Devon Conway and Tom Latham stitched together a mammoth 323-run stand in the first innings, setting the tone for the contest. Conway’s 227 and Latham’s 137 powered New Zealand to 575 for 8 declared.
The pair then followed it up with centuries in the second innings, adding another 192 runs before a declaration at 306 for 2. Conway became the first New Zealander to score both a double century and a century in the same Test, while the duo became the first opening pair in Test history to register centuries in both innings of a match. Across two innings, they amassed 515 runs together, a new record for an opening partnership.
West Indies Resistance Fades On Final Day
Chasing an imposing 462, the West Indies showed early resilience through Brandon King and John Campbell, who survived testing conditions late on day four and into the final morning. However, once both fell in quick succession, the innings unravelled rapidly.
Duffy struck repeatedly before lunch, exploiting uneven bounce, while Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra chipped in to maintain pressure. After lunch, Duffy removed key batters with hostile short-of-a-length deliveries, returning to finish the innings with his fifth wicket. Despite flashes of competitiveness across the series, including long rearguard efforts in earlier Tests, the West Indies were ultimately outclassed by New Zealand’s depth, discipline, and record-shattering performances.
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