SOUTHAMPTON, England (CMC) — Shemaine Campbelle saved her best-ever Twenty20 International (T20I) performance for the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, propelling West Indies Women to a stunning seven-wicket victory over defending champions New Zealand Women here at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

The 33-year-old’s spectacular, unbeaten 90 off 62 balls, inclusive of seven fours and three sixes, overshadowed Aaliyah Alleyne’s haul of 4-27 as the Windies Women chased down New Zealand’s target of 162 for six, finishing on 163 for three with one ball remaining.

What made the outcome even more impressive was the fact that the West Indies did it without Stafanie Taylor and the injured Chinelle Henry, two of their best players.

New Zealand did themselves no favours by dropping at least six catches to go along with wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze’s two missed stumpings.

After producing a decent performance with the ball to limit New Zealand to 162 for six, following their win of the toss and electing to field, West Indies Women did not get off to the best of starts.

They lost Qiana Joseph by the run out route in the second over with only 12 runs on the board, following a mix-up with Captain Hayley Matthews.

In the next over, Matthews should have been back in the pavilion after scoring just nine, but Izzy Sharp dropped a sitter at deep backward square.

Campbelle, who batted at number three, and Matthews carried their side to 35 for one at the end of the powerplay — well below the 8.15 required run rate at the start of their innings.

Matthews was then given a second lifeline on 21 when Maddy Green failed to hold on to a catch offered at cover.

Campbelle — who survived a leg before wicket (lbw) appeal early on by reviewing, was mis-stumped on 18, and dropped on 26 — made the Kiwis pay dearly.

Together with Matthews they put on 74 runs for the second wicket to keep the Windies in contention.

Matthews too rode her luck, surviving another dropped opportunity when she was on 42 before eventually holing out to long on off the bowling of Jess Kerr after scoring 48 off 37 balls.

Campbelle pressed on, eventually bringing up her maiden T20I half-century off 39 balls in her 155th T20I by hitting Amelia Kerr for two sixes in the 14th over.

She dominated a 40-run partnership with Deandra Dottin, who made six, before Jess Kerr took a spectacular catch at long on to dismiss the latter and leave the score 126 for three after 16 overs.

With the Windies requiring 37 from 24 balls and World Cup debutant Jahzara Claxton at the other end, Campbelle smashed Devine for four and clobbered Amelia Kerr for six while also picking up much-needed singles and twos.

With 14 runs needed from 12 balls, the pair gathered 10 runs from the penultimate over bowled by pacer Rosemary Mair.

Campbelle then sliced Devine to backward point for two runs off the first ball of the last over, and after picking up a single she scampered home off a leg bye with just one ball remaining in the match to help the Windies complete the second-highest run chase at a Women’s T20 World Cup.

Earlier, Alleyne wrecked New Zealand’s top order with her steady medium pace.

Openers Gaze and Georgia Plimmer plundered 49 runs inside six overs to put the regional side on the backfoot, but Alleyne broke the stand by having Plimmer caught at deep backward square for eight.

She then struck twice in the eighth over by having both Melie Kerr and Gaze caught by Karishma Ramharack at mid-on to leave them 56 for three.

Devine and Brook Halliday steadied the innings during a partnership of 45 before Matthews dismissed Devine for 22.

New Zealand’s eventual total was mainly due to the efforts of Halliday, who top-scored with 40 off 32 balls, and Maddy Green who scored an unbeaten 35 off 22 balls.