New Zealand pacers strike back

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (CMC):

PACERS JACOB Duffy and Matt Henry ran through the West Indies’ batting to leave New Zealand firmly in control of the opening Test at the end of Tuesday’s second day of play.

Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Shai Hope both scored half-centuries, but unfortunately for the visitors they provided the only resistance, as they were skittled out for a paltry 167 in response to New Zealand’s first-innings total of 231.

With the pitch offering less support to the bowlers, New Zealand’s openers were hardly challenged during the final half-hour of play and eventually finished the day on 32 without loss, a healthy overall lead of 96 runs.

The West Indies started the day positively, with fast-bowler Jayden Seales needing just three balls to wrap up the home side’s innings without a run added when he had Zak Foulkes caught behind.

But the Windies soon found themselves under pressure when Foulkes had John Campbell caught at third slip in the second over of the innings with just one run on the board.

Alick Athanaze was dropped by Will Young at third slip off the bowling of Henry when he was four, but it proved not to be a costly miss as Henry returned in his next over to bowl the left-hander with an inswinger, to leave the score 10 for two.

Chanderpaul rode his luck after being dropped by Devon Conway twice at leg slip when he was five and 24, and together with Hope, carried the Windies to 68 for two at the lunch break.

After the resumption, Hope brought up his sixth Test half-century off 83 balls by first pulling Foulkes through midwicket for four, and then scampering three runs after driving him elegantly through cover.

Needing a breakthrough, New Zealand opted to go to the short ball against Hope, and it paid dividends almost immediately when he gloved a short ball from Duffy behind to the wicketkeeper.

DEFLECTION

The appeal was initially turned down, but a review by the home side clearly showed a deflection and Hope was forced to depart for a well-played 56 off 107 balls with four boundaries – the score, 100 for three.

The West Indies’ innings capitulated almost straight away, with Henry having both captain Roston Chase and Justin Greaves caught behind for ducks in the space of three balls to reduce them to 106 for five.

They limped to tea on 120 for five and after play resumed, Chanderpaul reached his second Test half-century off 165 balls with a single off Foulkes.

He and Tevin Imlach added 36 runs for the sixth wicket, before he pulled a short delivery from Foulkes into the hands of Conway at square leg to be out for 52 from 169 balls, inclusive of three fours.

Duffy then returned to clean up the tail by having Imlach caught behind for 14, while also accounting for the wickets of Johann Layne for a duck, Jayden Seales for two and Ojay Shields, also for a duck, as New Zealand claimed the last five wickets for just 27 runs.

Duffy finished with the impressive figures of 5-34, while Henry took 3-43 and Foulkes, 2-32.

Faced with a tricky 30-minute period, New Zealand openers Conway (15 not out) and Latham, who finished unbeaten on 14, were seldom troubled by at times wayward bowling by the Windies.