NZ vs WI 3rd T20I: Ish Sodhi Becomes 3rd Leading Wicket Taker In T20Is As New Zealand Clinch 9-run Thrilling Victory

New Zealand vs West Indies 3rd T20I Match Result: New Zealand defeated the West Indies by 9 runs in the third T20I match at the Saxton Oval in Nelson on Sunday. They have taken a 2-1 lead in the five-match series as the West Indies fell short in the run chase in the thrilling contest.

Kyle Jamieson wrapped things up with Romario Shepherd's wicket on the second last ball of the match. The visitors needed 10 runs in the last two deliveries, but the dismissal of Shepherd for 49 runs broke the hearts of West Indies fans. He smashed four boundaries and three sixes. The Men in Maroon were bowled out for 168 runs in 19.5 overs in the challenging run chase.

After opting to bat first, the Blackcaps posted a promising total of 177/9 in their 20 overs on the back of Devon Conway's fifty. He was the top run-getter for the hosts with a 56-run knock in 34 balls, having smashed six fours and two sixes. On the other hand, Daryl Mitchell came up with a fiery contribution of 41 runs in 24 balls, hitting two fours and three sixes.

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Chasing the target, the West Indies never got going with a partnership. After an already disappointing start, they were reduced to 68/6. New Zealand continued their magnificent bowling, and the visitors lost two more wickets and were struggling at 88/8 in 12.3 overs.

The recovery was made by Shepherd and Shamar Springer as their partnership kept the West Indies in the contest. They added 78 runs for the ninth wicket. Springer's dismissal ended up being the game-changing moment as Jacof Duffy took an important catch off his own bowling.

Despite early contributions from Alick Athanaze (31) and Ackeem Auguste (24), the West Indies couldn't get over the line.

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For the hosts, Duffy and Ish Sodhi picked up three wickets each, whereas Jamieson, Michael Bracewell and skipper Mitchell Santner found a scalp each as well.

Ish Sodhi has now become the third-highest wicket-taker in the history of men's T20I cricket. With 156 scalps under his belt, he is only behind Rashid Khan (182) and Tim Southee (164).

Most wickets in Men’s T20Is

182 - Rashid Khan

164 - Tim Southee

156 - Ish Sodhi

155 - Mustafizur Rahman

149 - Shakib Al Hasan

"It’s been nice to come in and contribute over the last couple of games. It’s always special playing here at Saxton Oval - the wicket’s probably a bit drier than what we’re used to in New Zealand, so there’s definitely a bit there for the spinners. You could see that today with us bowling ten overs of spin. (working on lately) I think it’s just about rhythm. You bowl ten-over spells in the Ford Trophy, get into that groove. In T20s here in New Zealand, especially early in the season, you can sometimes go two or three weeks without bowling in a game. So, getting that consistency in my run-up and release has been really helpful - that’s something I’ll keep building on," Ish Sodhi said after being adjudged as the Player of the Match.