Windies ‘A’ flogged, Phillips and Seifert plunder hundreds
MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand (CMC) — West Indies ‘A’ found wickets hard to come, and openers Glenn Phillips and Tim Seifert gathered a purposeful hundred to lead strong New Zealand ‘A’ batting in the first four-day “Test” on Friday.
The Windies ‘A’ bowlers failed to make inroads into the New Zealanders’ batting, and Phillips hit 136 and Seifert supported with 111 to anchor the home team to 321 for three at the close on the second day of the contest at the Bay Oval, trailing by only one run.
The visitors may have eyed steady progress, after the Blackcaps’ reserves resumed from their overnight total of 10 without loss, but Phillips and Seifert put on 226 for the first wicket to douse their enthusiasm.
West Indies ‘A’ went wicketless during the morning period, and Phillips and Seifert, fresh from higher intensity tussles with Kieron Pollard’s Windies Twenty20 International side, carried New Zealand ‘A’ to 112 without loss at lunch.
After lunch, the grind continued for the Caribbean side, and Phillips reached his milestone, when he turned the 138th ball of his innings from leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr through square leg for a single.
West Indies ‘A’ endured the two New Zealander openers carrying on merrily to take the total past 200 before Walsh made the breakthrough, when he had Phillips caught and bowled in the last hour before the hosts reached tea on 237 for one.
After the break, the visitors met further resistance, when Seifert and Mark Chapman put on 80 for the second wicket to carry the total past 300.
Along the way, Kyle Mayers saw Seifert turn a delivery into square leg for a single to reach his hundred from 231 balls before West Indies ‘A’ grabbed two wickets in successive overs in the final hour of play.
Raymon Reifer had Seifert lbw playing forward to a wellpitched delivery that moved back, and Nicholas Pooran, playing a first-class match for the first time in six years and bowling off-spin, had Chapman caught at deep midwicket for 45 from a miscued pull.
Windies ‘A’ made no further headway, and Joe Carter, not out on eight, and Cole Mcconchie, not out on seven, batted through almost halfhour before stumps were drawn.