Black Caps add another ‘W’
Windies dismissed, just like so many other test-playing nations before them
And so it rolls on. The Black Caps’ test-match machine continues downhill, gathering pace as it blitzed the West Indies by an innings and 12 runs.
Day four at the Basin Reserve was a simple mopping up operation from the moment Tim Southee shaped a perfect outswinger past the edge of Jason Holder’s bat, but not past the edge of the off stump.
Holder’s 61 was part of some impressive lower middle-order resistance that included debutant wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva (57), Alzarri Joseph (24) and even Chemar Holder (13 not out), but it was much too little, much too late to move the needle on the match and series.
That’s nine wins in the last 10 home
tests. That’s 15 unbeaten. Of the 11 victories in those tests, a staggering seven have been by
an innings.
Southee added Joseph to his list of scalps for thematch with a planned legside strangle, while Neil Wagner trapped da Silva plumb in front — the review called for in desperation, rather than expectation.
The test ended with an appropriately pumped Wagnerface after the left-armer shattered the stumps of Shannon Gabriel, who must be a candidate for worst batsman currently playing elite cricket.
New Zealand won the series 2-0 and kept alive their hopes of making the World Test Championship final.
New Zealand went ahead of England into third, having collected 62.5 per cent of points available to them. Australia and India hold the top two spots but are about to face off in a four-match series which will help one team and hurt the other.
It would take too many words to fully explain how the Black Caps can make another Lord’s final but, as a rough guide, they need to beat Pak
istan 2-0, hope India don’t win more than one test in Australia, and that England have only limited success in their upcoming tours to Sri Lanka and India.
If those scenarios come to pass, it should be an all-australasian final in the Mother Country.
Oh, and they’re equal on points with Australia in the world test rankings, too, though the enemy retains top spot because you have to pass them to take No 1. That also could happen later this month.
For those of you loving these numbers, wait, there’s more. That’s nine wins in the last 10 home tests. That’s 15 unbeaten. Of the 11 victories in those tests, a staggering seven have been by an innings.
With the West Indies brushed aside inside four days, eyes turn to Pakistan. They unquestionably have a more accomplished batting lineup than the West Indies but, even so, they might soon find themselves wishing they had taken Shoaib Akhtar’s advice and packed up their toys and left.
But we’re getting ahead selves here.
This is time instead to reflect on what’s becoming common place: New Zealand celebrating another big test win on home soil. — NZ Herald
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