‘a’ after top-order collapse

innings coming in boundaries in a counter-offensive with Moseley.

They carried Windies A to within reach of the 50-run mark before left-hander Pooran was caught on the fine leg boundary from a miscued hook at a short delivery from Blair Tickner in the eighth over after tea.

Allen joined Moseley and tried to keep the momentum going, taking advantage of loose bowling, particularly from leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, upon whom fortune smiled.

Allen, trying to hit the leg-spinner out of the attack, was caught at mid-on from a mistimed pull to leave the visitors’ innings in disarray.

Earlier, West Indies A toiled to make the breakthrough, and Michael Bracewell, starting the day on 93, and Ravindra, resuming from 30, batted through the first hour comfortably.

During this period, a delivery from Romario Shepherd was steered to third man for three to carry Bracewell to his hundred from exactly 200 balls before Cornwall had the left-handed batsman caught at long-off about half-hour before lunch, ending a 161-run, fifth-wicket stand with Ravindra.

It was the only success for Windies A before the interval and New Zealand A reached 373 for five with Ravindra on 76 and Fletcher on 13.

After lunch, the Caribbean side failed to stop Ravindra and he crossed the threshold, when he pulled his 155th ball, from leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr, to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Cornwall bagged a couple easy scalps for West Indies A with the Blackcaps reserves eyeing a declaration.

The off-spinner had Fletcher lbw for 48, essaying a reverse sweep, ending a sixth-wicket stand of 107 with Ravindra, and Doug Bracewell caught at mid-off for five, charging down the pitch and miscuing a lofted off-drive to bring the innings to a close.

Windies A trail 0-1 in the two-match series, after they crashed to an innings and 143 runs defeat in the first “Test”, which ended last Saturday at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.