Calypso collap-so
Black Caps on top after Wagner’s juicy haul
Super Saturday beckons, with New Zealand poised to put this test match away after the West Indies batsmen surrendered to the Basin Reserve bounce.
A stunning Neil Wagner spell of
7-39 – the fourth-best for New Zealand in tests – helped dismiss West Indies for 134, and the hosts begin day two of the first cricket test in the driver’s seat.
It wasn’t quite the perfect day after New Zealand lost the big wickets of Tom Latham (37) and Kane Williamson (1), but at 85-2 at stumps they trail by just 49.
Ross Taylor, looking composed and one short of matching Williamson and the late Martin Crowe’s New Zealand mark of 17 centuries, will resume on 12 with opener Jeet Raval (29 not out off
101 balls) to try hammer it home on a traditional good batting day, with a northerly forecast.
It’s been 10 tests and 22 years since West Indies won in New Zealand and if the home batsmen prosper the wait will continue to Hamilton next weekend.
Conversely, the Black Caps haven’t lost a NovemberDecember test at home since Pakistan beat them eight years ago, and are in position to extend that unbeaten streak to 10.
It was a dream day for Wagner, in his 33rd test. His career-high figures were the best on day one of a New Zealand test, beating Simon Doull’s 7-65 against India on Boxing Day, 1998.
Six of his seven wickets fell to short deliveries as West Indies incredibly lost 8-30 in a 10-over period either side of lunch.
Twice he was on a hat-trick and he kept bounding in as his 14.4 overs were delivered in one spell either side of the interval.
New Zealand badly needed his intervention as it looked like another toss win that got away.
With memories fresh of January when Williamson sent Bangladesh in and they scored
595-8, New Zealand’s bowlers generated no swing or seam as openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell added 59.
As Taylor said on test eve of the Basin: ‘‘It’s the bounciest wicket in the country, you get value for shots and you always feel like the bowler can get you out any time. You’ve got to be on your toes, even if you’re in.’’
Wagner wasn’t summoned till the 18th over and struck in his third, bouncing Brathwaite to a sharp catch by Henry Nicholls at short leg.
After Trent Boult adjusted his line and length to snare Powell (42) caught in the cordon, the fun WEST INDIES
First innings
K Brathwaite c Nicholls b Wagner ........... 24 K Powell c Raval b Boult .................................. 42 S Hetmyer c Latham b Wagner ................... 13 S Hope c Blundell b Wagner ........................... 0 R Chase c Raval b Wagner ................................. 5 S Ambris hit wicket b Wagner ....................... 0 S Dowrich run out .................................................. 18 J Holder b Wagner ................................................... 0 K Roach not out ....................................................... 14 M Cummins b Boult .................................................. 1 S Gabriel c Latham b Wagner ...................... 10 Extras (2b, 5lb) ............................................................... 7 Total (45.4 overs) .................................................. 134 Fall: 59, 75, 79, 80, 80, 97, 97, 104, 105,
134.
Bowling: T Boult 16-8-36-2, M Henry
11-1-39-0, C de Grandhomme 4-1-13-0, N Wagner 14.4-2-39-7.
NEW ZEALAND
First innings
T Latham c Roach b Holder ......................... 37 J. Raval not out ....................................................... 29 K. Williamson c S Hope b Roach ................ 1 R. Taylor not out ...................................................... 12 Extras (b4 nb2) .......................................................... 6 Total (for 2 wickets, 38 overs) ..................... 85 Fall: 1-65 T Latham, 2-68 K Williamson. Bowling: S Gabriel 10 2 22 0, K Roach 9
4 27 1, M Cummins 8 5 6 0, J Holder 9 4
19 1, R Chase 2 0 7 0.