Two Kemar Roach wickets had West Indies looking Sunday at a potential victory on the final day of their first Test against New Zealand at North Sound. The Black Caps were 225 for 5 at lunch, just 54 ahead. The tourists’ chances were fading after Roach dismissed captain Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson in the morning session, though Neil Wagner was offering resistence still at the crease with 13.
Paceman Roach bowled Taylor following a rain delay – when Taylor was given out lbw when an angled ball hit him low on his pads. In his next over Roach then bowled Williamson for a duck, finding his off stump. Quite apart from losing the two wickets the Black Caps, who had a 171-run first innings deficit to make up, made only 26 runs from as many overs in the first session of the day as their challenge looked to be on the wane having stood 170 for 1 at one stage prior to Saturday’s loss of Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum.
West Indies thanked a fine 150 from the returning Chris Gayle and a ton from Kieran Powell as they made 522 all out in their first innings. Earlier, New Zealand were up against it at stumps on the fourth day of their second Test after two breakthroughs for the hosts left them at 199 for 3, just 28 runs ahead. Looking to erase a 171-run first-innings deficit, opener Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum strove manfully to move the Black Caps towards positive territory but both fell after taking the tourists to 170 for 1 at one stage in the final session.
West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, who pulled out a maiden five-wicket Test haul in the first innings, made the first breakthrough in the second innings after trapping Daniel Flynn lbw for 20 in an early blow for the Kiwis. But thereafter Guptill, who just missed a century in the first innings, and McCullum piled on the runs before falling for 67 and 84 as Narine and Kemar Roach claimed their respective scalps.
Guptill and McCullum had put on 123 for the second wicket before spinner Narine had opener Guptill caught by Assad Fudadin at short leg.
Kemar Roach then bowled McCullum to leave nightwatchman Neil Wagner on four not out with skipper Ross Taylor on 11. West Indies had earlier made the Kiwis’ opening tally of 351 look modest as they made 522 all out with skipper Darren Sammy instrumental in helping his compatriots to pass the 500 mark for the first time since Mumbai last year. Sammy helped himself to a six over deep midwicket to bring up his third Test half-century before falling next ball to Daniel Vettori.
They reached the mark when Narine hit a boundary off Vettori before getting himself run out two balls later. It then fell to Doug Bracewell to end the West Indies’ first innings as he trapped Ravi Rampaul lbw for one before Guptill, who scored 97 in the first innings for the New Zealanders, and Flynn padded up to start chasing down the target.
