Black Caps assume control
If it was hard to pick a day-one winner in the second test between New Zealand and the West Indies, there’s far less doubt about how things sit now, after the Black Caps seized control in Hamilton yesterday.
On an action-filled day two at Seddon Park, the hosts put themselves firmly on the path to recording a 2-0 series whitewash, as late-order runs, then a concerted effort with the ball, put the tourists up against it once more, following their heavy first-test defeat in Wellington.
The Windies finished the day at 215-8 in reply to the Black Caps’ 373, staring down a big first innings deficit.
Like in the capital, the tourists did show some fighting qualities, but they tend to unravel in quick fashion, with both bat and ball.
Stand-in skipper Kraigg Brathwaite (66) led what was looking a reasonable fightback, the topscorer from the second innings at the Basin looking assured in crunching several boundaries off the back foot through the off-side. A two-hour rain break during the second session proved a vital turning point, as the hosts’ bowlers returned to hit some impeccable areas and get just enough out of
the Kookaburra which has hardly been moving off the straight in recent times.
Tim Southee was terrific in a spell of 1-5 off seven overs immediately following the rain delay, and it took just 16 balls after the resumption for New Zealand to strike, with Southee going wide of the crease and nicking off Shai Hope (15) to Ross Taylor at first slip to make it 90-3.
From there the West Indian innings was on a downward spiral.
Just three balls after he’d registered 1000 test runs, Roston Chase had his poles rattled by one de Grandhomme got to move away a touch, then poor old Sunil Ambris was unbelievably out hit wicket for the second time in just his third test innings, stepping on his stumps in a stunning carbon copy of his first-ball dismissal on debut in Wellington.
Then it was opener Brathwaite, who perished to a third stunning catch of the day – Trent Boult with a diving caught-and-bowled to dismiss Shimron Hetmyer (28), and Shai Hope with a flying effort in the gully to get rid of Neil Wagner (1) the others – spooning de Grandhomme to short cover where Southee parried up and then reached full stretch with his right hand to complete the dismissal.
Shane Dowrich blazed a quick 35 off 45 but soon enough skied a pull off Neil Wagner – who had been taken to earlier, going for 32 in his first four overs.
It all backed up what had been an entertaining late-order effort with the bat from New Zealand, as tailenders Trent Boult (37no) and Tim Southee (31) carted the bowlers round the ground to add a valuable 61 runs. It was second in the record books for Kiwi 10th-wicket partnerships against the West Indies – behind the unbroken 78-run effort from Boult and Tom Blundell in Wellington.
Resuming on 286-7, New Zealand lost Wagner quickly then Blundell carried on strongly from his century on debut, before
playing on for 28, as Shannon Gabriel finished with the pick of the figures for the Windies, with 4-119 off 25.
But just as the visitors sensed batting time, it was deja vu, and this time in more punishing fashion.