Master blaster batters Windies
FORGET this push for four-day cricket tests. This one will likely end in three, after Colin de Grandhomme led a New Zealand batting blitz yesterday and West Indies again hoisted the white flag.
With three days to play New Zealand are 447-9, a mammoth lead of 313, and there should be only one result in this first test in Wellington.
After Ross Taylor (97) and Henry Nicholls (67) helped dent the tourists’ spirit, the dynamic duo of de Grandhomme and debutant Tom Blundell crushed it.
In a breathtaking 90-minute onslaught, de Grandhomme hit New Zealand’s second-fastest test century off 71 balls and Blundell, on debut, helped him add 148 for the seventh wicket.
Blundell, on his Basin Reserve home track across the road from his old school Wellington College, followed Brendon McCullum and Luke Ronchi as New Zealand glovemen to make half-centuries on test debut. His was impressive and busy, but relatively sedate, off 83 balls.
De Grandhomme has cut loose at the Basin before, smashing a window at the Cricket Museum with one monster strike. The power hitter arrived at the perfect time with the West Indies on the brink. He muscled Miguel Cummins across the line for four, from his second and third deliveries, and shoulders quickly slumped in the outfield.
His first half-century came up off 44 balls, then with part-time spinners Roston Chase and Kraigg Brathwaite tossing them up, it became help yourself. The second 50 took just 27 as the grass hill rose as one, de Grandhomme hitting 11 fours and three sixes in his maiden test century.
He sits behind only McCullum’s 54-ball century against Australia in February 2016, and relegated another McCullum Christchurch special to third: his 74-ball effort against Sri Lanka in December 2014.
De Grandhomme was finally gone, caught at long on for 105 off 74 balls, but Blundell stood firm and was 57 not out at the close to try and swing hard in the morning.
A young West Indies side have talent and a recent test victory in England, but remain a work in progress, prone to going missing in action when the heat goes on. Their 22-year wait for another test win in New Zealand will extend to Hamilton next weekend, but on current evidence it’s series over.
Only a staunch two days of batting, on another excellent surface with pace, will revive West Indies as Neil Wagner will charge in again and try to bounce the startled visiting batsmen into submission. Coach Stuart Law warned their Friday batting horrors wouldn’t be repeated, but