A five-wicket haul for Kemar Roach and an unbeaten 64 from opener Chris Gayle saw West Indies beat New Zealand by nine wickets on Sunday to win the first Test of their two-match series at North Sound.
After dismissing the tourists for 272, the hosts raced to their target of a measly 102 for the loss of just Kieran Powell as Assad Fudadin hit the winning single to put the West Indies 1-0 up in the two-match series.
Gayle had already laid the foundation on his return to five-day cricket after more than 18 months due to his stand-off with the West Indies Cricket Board following comments he made about officials in a radio interview by smashing 150 in the first innings – Powell adding a ton of his own for good measure.
The 32-year-old followed up with 64 off 49 balls and although Doug Bracewell took the wicket of Powell for 30, Dean Brownlie taking the catch, Fudadin bagged the winning single in the 20th over at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Despite Roach’s and Gayle’s efforts it was Sunil Narine who bagged the man of the match honours with his 3/91 giving him match figures of 8/223.
The Black Caps, just 28 ahead overnight after the West Indies pummelled their way to 522 in response to the visitors’ first innings tally of 351, only added 26 more runs before lunch and their chances faded away as Roach dismissed captain Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson in the morning session.
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.
Kruger van Wyk gave Roach – who had earlier also accounted for Brendon McCullum and Neil Wagner – his fifth wicket to end the New Zealand innings and Gayle and Powell then set up the victory by putting together a partnership of 77 before Fudadin applied the coup de grace.
