Suzie Bates top scored for the White Ferns in the win over the West Indies. Photo: PHOTSPORT
The White Ferns secured their first win of the T20 series against the West Indies by six wickets in a match that went down to the penultimate ball.
New Zealand won the toss and sent the West Indies in to bat in Antigua.
The home side reached 107-5 from their 20 overs, with number three batter Kyshona Knight top scoring on 42 from 48 balls.
Hayley Jensen and Eden Carson were the White Ferns' best with the ball. Jensen picked up three wickets from her four overs and Carson took 2-12 from her allocated overs.
The White Ferns struggled to score early in their innings, with captain Sophie Devine the first wicket to fall, caught and bowled for 8 off 20 balls in the 10th over.
Opening batter Suzie Bates did the bulk of the scoring for the New Zealanders bringing up 54 runs before she was bowled in the 17th over.
Amelia Kerr scored 21 runs but after Kerr and Maddy Green were dismissed by consecutive balls it was down to the middle order to get the visitors to the required total.
Eighteen-year-old Georgia Plimmer and Lauren Down needed to score seven runs off the final over.
The duo calmly ran two singles, then ran two off the next two balls before Down hit the winning run with one ball left in the innings.
The series is level heading into game three of the five match T20 series on Monday morning.
