1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

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**1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston **
Jun 8-12, 2014 (10:00 local | 15:00 GMT | 19:00 GST)

First test for new-look West Indies

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu
June 7, 2014
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Match Facts
June 8-12, 2014, Kingston
Start time 1000 (1500 GMT)
The Big Picture
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[TD=“class: stryPicCptn”]Chris Gayle is expected to play his 100th Test at home in Jamaica © WICB

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West Indies have undergone a shake-up since they last appeared in whites. Darren Sammy has retired from Tests, Denesh Ramdin is captain now and their bowling looks vastly different. Kemar Roach has returned to full fitness. The selectors have also recalled Jerome Taylor, who will hope to end a four-year wait since his last Test cap, and made a last-minute decision to recruit Jason Holder.
The penetrative ability of West Indies’ bowling has been a concern for a while but this squad - with Sulieman Benn and the returning Shane Shillingford as lead spinners - seems to have covered most bases. Sunil Narine was discounted from consideration after he could not meet an ultimatum to join the squad by June 1 owing to IPL commitments.
Shillingford has been a standout performer for his side of late - he has 51 wickets in his last nine Tests - but this series marks his return to international cricket since being suspended for a suspect action and New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has already voicedconcern over how he will be monitored.
Recently any West Indies attack has been left mopping up a below-par batting performance. In the last 12 months, they have gone past 300 only twice and have also been guilty of doing well in one innings and failing miserably in the next.
Chris Gayle, who is scheduled to play his 100th Test at his home ground, would be eager to prove his fitness and provide a display befitting the fanfare for the occasion.
For the visitors, combating spin will gain top priority. New Zealand’s batting - especially their in-form middle order of Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling - does have the capacity to rise above their mental block against quality spin.
Utilising spin is where the greater concern lies. The search for Daniel Vettori’s successor has been frustrating. Jeetan Patel complicated the situation when he remained with Warwickshire and withdrew his name from consideration for this tour. The result is that Ish Sodhi, with six Tests to his name, will feature as lead spinner. The 21-year old legspinner has shown some control and also glimpses of plotting a batsman out. To assist him is Mark Craig, a 27-year old offspinner who is yet to make his New Zealand debut.
Form guide
(Most recent first)
**West Indies **LLDLL
New Zealand DWWWD
Watch out for
The vacancy resulting from Sammy’s retirement has paved way for one of West Indies’ most promising fast bowlers to return to the national fold. Jerome Taylor has not played a Test since November 2009. A troublesome back and hip have cost him several opportunities, but he returned to first-class cricket this season and finished as Jamaica’s second-leading wicket-taker in the Regional Four Day Competition.
Kane Williamson](http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/277906.html) is New Zealand’s anchor. His technical purity assists in combating most adversities and swift and assured footwork ensures he is well-placed to tackle spin - he made 42 of the team’s 60 as Rangana Herath ran rampant in the World T20. A rich season in 2013-14 has identified him as one of the most dependable batsmen in the current Test circuit.
Team news
New Zealand drained the two practice games they had to the fullest as Jamaica Select XI’s openers batted twice in the second innings of the second match and the bowlers continued even after the home side was all out. Two notable positives were the performances of Sodhi, who picked up a five-wicket haul, and Craig, who claimed eight victims across two games. However, they suffered a pre-Test blow when Corey Anderson was ruled out with a neck injury. Concern also surrounds the opening combination. Both Peter Fulton and Hamish Rutherford have had lean seasons and Tom Latham, if picked, would be playing his second Test. Hesson had hinted at having settled on which two would head the batting order, but said it was a toss-up between Neil Wagner and Craig depending on how they assessed the pitch.
New Zealand (probable) 1 & 2 Two out of Hamish Rutherford/ Tom Latham/Peter Fulton, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Brendon McCullum (capt), 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner/Mark Craig, 11 Trent Boult
West Indies’ preparation for the series included a training camp in Barbados under the guidance of Garry Sobers, Curtly Ambrose and Richie Richardson. Gayle occupies the spotlight, both because of his landmark and for his fitness. He looked out of sorts in the IPL and had consulted a specialist in Germany regarding his back problem. Ottis Gibson, their coach, was hopeful of a full recovery. Gayle himself has said he is “fit, ready and raring to go.” A late call to include Holder in the squad also indicates he might feature in the XI if they decide against a second spinner.
West Indies (probable) 1 Kieran Powell, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Kraigg Brathwaite/ Kirk Edwards, 7 Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), 8 Jerome Taylor, 9 Sulieman Benn/Jason Holder, 10 Shane Shillingford, 11 Kemar Roach
Pitch and conditions
The surfaces in the Caribbean have got slower in recent times. West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin has already said that he will look to bat first if he wins the toss, and that there was something on offer for the spinners from both teams. Shane Bond, New Zealand’s bowling coach, felt the pitch at Sabina Park was conducive to all comers. “I think it’s a little bit damp at the moment, but if you look at the wicket it’s got pace, bounce and turn,” he said.In addition to ground conditions, the visitors would have to account for a hotter climate. West Indies, who had struggled with Dunedin’s chilly temperatures at the start of the 2013 series, would prefer the sun to be a more permanent fixture than the forecast of isolated thunder showers.
Stats and trivia

  • Chris Gayle is 67 runs shy becoming the eight West Indian to 7000 runs in Tests

  • Till 2000, spinners averaged 44.64 at Sabina Park. The number has since improved to 28.16

  • Ross Taylor averages 51.25 at No. 4, with 10 of his 11 centuries coming at that position. The last time he batted at a different position was against West Indies in the Kingston Test of 2012. He came in at No. 5 and made a duck

  • In three matches at Sabina Park, Jerome Taylor has taken 19 wickets, including a career-best 5 for 11

Quotes
“Put percentages of how fit I am aside, no matter what, I will be fit, ready and raring to go. I would like to make the fans at Sabina Park happy and that will be my aim for this landmark occasion”.
Chris Gayle is all set for his 100th Test

Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

what a way of celebration :smack2:

Spin-shy New Zealand and Gayle’s ton of Tests | Cricket News | West Indies v New Zealand | ESPN Cricinfo

New Zealand’s Test series against West Indies will be a huge test for their spinners, and of the ability of their batsmen to play spin
Bishen Jeswant
June 7, 2014
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[TD=“class: stryPicCptn”]West Indies will want to make sure that they see as little of Ross Taylor’s celebratory tongue as possible this time around © Getty Images

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Coming off a couple of torrid tours against India and New Zealand where they suffered three innings-defeats and never came anywhere near winning a single game, West Indies will now be looking to use their home advantage to set things right under Denesh Ramdin, their newly-anointed captain. For inspiration, they needn’t look beyond New Zealand’s previous tour to the Caribbean, when the visitors were beaten 2-0.
West Indies and New Zealand have played each other in only 12 Tests since the turn of the century, and five of these games have come after January 2012. By the end of this series, these teams would have played each other eight times in less than two years - a marked change considering they met only seven times in the 12 years before that. In the 12 games in the 21st century, New Zealand have had the upper hand, winning five and losing only two, while drawing the remaining five. However, in the 42 Tests the two teams have played against each other, West Indies have the edge with 12 wins against New Zealand’s 11. The contest has been fairly even in recent times, with both New Zealand and West Indies having won a couple of games each on their respective home turfs since January 2012.
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Span
Matches
NZ Wins
WI Wins
Draws
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Overall
42
11
12
19

Since Jan 2001
12
5
2
5

Since Jan 2012
5
2
2
1

The recent Test records of both teams have been dismal, with both having lost more than they have won since January 2012. West Indies have won a couple of games each against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and New Zealand in this period and have eight losses against the higher-ranked nations. New Zealand have had fewer wins than West Indies in this period despite having played more games. However, New Zealand’s victories include an away win against Sri Lanka (in Colombo), something that even South Africa have not been able to do since 2000. They also had a 1-0 series victory against India and a closely fought 1-0 series loss to South Africa, both at home.
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Team
Matches
Won
Lost
Draw
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West Indies
17
6
8
3

New Zealand
24
5
10
9

One department in which West Indies have suffered the most is pace. Till 2000, the West Indian pacers averaged 26.61, but since then it’s dropped to 37.03. This changing trend is also a reflection of the local pitches. Till 2000, spinners averaged 44.64 at the Sabina Park, the venue of the first Test in this series. The number has since improved to 28.16.
All through the 20th century, the West Indies were known for their pace bowling, to the extent that West Indies played 10 matches during that period where not a single over was bowled by a spinner. In that era, their fast bowlers took more than three times the number of wickets their spinners took; since January 2012, pace has accounted for only 15 more wickets than spin. The tables below brings out this difference.
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Bowling type
Players
Mat
Wkts
Ave
Econ
SR
5
10
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Pace
105
366
4016
26.55
2.69
59.10
161
19

Spin
82
356
1228
37.29
2.27
98.10
54
6

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Players
Mat
Wkts
Ave
Econ
SR
5
10
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Pace
9
17
135
34.62
3.28
63.2
6
1

Spin
12
17
120
30.20
3.02
59.9
8
2

While West Indian spinners have become more proficient, New Zealand’s spin battery for this series comprises of Kane Williamson, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig, all of whom average more than 40 at the first-class level. The New Zealand spinners took only five wickets, compared to 54 for the seamers, during the home series against West Indies in December 2013.
Also interesting is that opposition spinners have averaged 29.75 against New Zealand’s batsmen since January 2012. Zimbabwe are the only team against whom spinners have done better in this period. In conditions likely to favour spinners, New Zealand’s spin bowling and their batting against spin will both be put to the test during this tour.
Among the individuals players, West Indies’ Shane Shillingford has made a significant impact at the world stage. Among bowlers who have taken 50-plus wickets since January 2012, Shillingford is the only one who has played fewer than 10 games. He has taken two ten-wicket hauls in this period, with only Saeed Ajmal and Rangana Herath having taken more.
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Player
Mat
Inns
Mdns
Wkts
Ave
Econ
SR
5
10
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TA Boult
21
38
167
78
26.93
2.92
55.30
3
1

TG Southee
16
30
125
72
23.97
2.90
49.50
3
1

S Shillingford
9
15
89
51
25.60
2.89
53.00
6
2

N Wagner
14
26
98
50
35.00
3.48
60.30
1
0

KAJ Roach
9
18
59
42
22.69
3.18
42.70
3
1

DAJ Bracewell
15
27
66
34
44.26
3.50
75.80
0
0

TL Best
11
18
32
29
32.00
3.64
52.70
2
0

DJG Sammy
17
28
84
25
49.36
3.03
97.70
0
0

CS Martin
7
12
40
23
27.86
3.32
50.30
1
0

SP Narine
6
11
60
21
40.52
3.09
78.50
2
0

Among the batsmen, only one West Indian - Shivnarine Chanderpaul - features in the list of top 20 run-gettersin Tests since January 2012. The list does have a few New Zealanders though - Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson - which is partly down to the fact that New Zealand have played a fairly high number of Tests during this period. Only Australia and England have played more matches than New Zealand’s 24 in this period.
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Player
Mat
Inns
Runs
Ave
SR
100
50
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BB McCullum
24
42
1742
43.55
58.67
3
9

LRPL Taylor
21
37
1729
59.62
55.93
6
6

S Chanderpaul
16
27
1510
79.47
48.44
5
6

KS Williamson
23
41
1476
37.84
41.97
4
9

MN Samuels
14
23
1159
52.68
53.23
3
7

DM Bravo
14
25
856
37.21
44.81
2
2

KOA Powell
16
30
847
29.20
52.28
3
0

BJ Watling
15
23
847
40.33
44.00
3
5

D Ramdin
14
22
753
44.29
52.73
3
3

DJG Sammy
17
27
697
27.88
70.54
1
4

Chanderpaul’s batting average of 79.47 is the highest for any batsmen during this period (minimum 200 runs). The top five players in the above table have had more than ten 50-plus scores. There have been 19 such players in the world since January 2012. In the recent series between these teams in New Zealand, Ross Taylor was in belligerent form scoring 495 runs in three matches at an average of 247.50, including three centuries. Keeping him quiet will be one of the priorities for West Indies.
Chris Gayle is on the verge of reaching a couple of milestones during this series. The next Test match that Gayle plays will be his 100th, and he is also only 67 runs shy of 7000 runs in Tests. On a quirkier note, if Gayle does not bowl in this match (and this seems likely considering his recent injuries) and scores exactly 81 runs, both his Test batting and bowling averages will become exactly 42. As of today, no Test player (past or present) has the exact same batting and bowling average.

Bishen Jeswant is a stats sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here.
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Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

NZ :k:
**

West Indies v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kingston, 1st day**

Williamson ton builds strong platform

The Report by George Binoy
June 8, 2014
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New Zealand 240 for 2 (Williamson 105, Latham 83) v West Indies*
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[TD=“class: stryPicCptn”]Kane Williamson and Tom Latham held firm for most of the first day at Sabina Park © Associated Press

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The first Test match after two high-profile Twenty20 tournaments - the World T20 and the IPL - got off to a slow start at Sabina Park, as New Zealand’s run rate stayed below 2.65 an over throughout the day. The visitors, however, had the better time of it after Kane Williamson and Tom Latham adjusted to the pitch, whose strongest characteristic was its sluggishness, and put on a 165-run stand for the second wicket.
The spectators who came to the ground to see Chris Gayle bat in his 100th Test had to wait after West Indies’ new Test captain, Denesh Ramdin, lost the toss. Instead, they were witness to the comebacks of four bowlers from layoffs of varying lengths, and the discipline of two young New Zealand batsmen, who played with a patience that is becoming increasingly rare in international cricket.
Jerome Taylor, whose last Test was in November 2009, opened the bowling with Kemar Roach, who had been out of action for more than a year. Neither bowler hit the speeds they used to before their injuries, but that was probably due to the pitch. Moving the ball away from both the right and left-hand openers, Taylor was more effective than Roach, but on the whole they could have made the batsmen play more than they did. Their lengths too were shorter than ideal on this surface, whose slowness made it easy to play on the back foot.
New Zealand were cautious in the opening exchanges, with their newest opening combination Peter Fulton and Latham barely playing a forceful shot. Fulton was beaten by a couple of deliveries from Taylor that seamed away from off stump, and when one did not move as much, his poor footwork resulted in an edge to the wicketkeeper. It was the ninth consecutive inningsin which Fulton had failed to pass 15.
In the 10th over, Ramdin made a surprising bowling change. Darren Bravo had never bowled in any form of international cricket - he had bowled only 100 deliveries in first-class cricket - and yet here he was bowling medium-pace in a Test. His lengths were horrible and the experiment lasted only one over.
Benn, playing his first Test since December 2010, came on in the 12th over and immediately found turn and bounce to keep his two slips alert. New Zealand scored only 22 in the first hour.
Shortly after drinks Ramdin deployed spin from both ends, but it was Marlon Samuels that he turned to and not the other specialist Shane Shillingford. Samuels thought he had Latham lbw first ball and reviewed the umpire’s not-out decision, only to find the ball had hit both the inside edge and then the pad outside off stump.
Benn bowled five maidens in his first six overs and had a bat-pad appeal upheld shortly before lunch, but Latham successfully challenged it. New Zealand went into the break on 62 for 1, scoring at just over 1.90 an over.
In the first over of the second session, Latham drove loosely at a full and wide Taylor delivery and edged to Samuels at gully. He was on 39, and his partnership with Williamson was worth 55, but both received a lease of life when replays showed Taylor’s heel was not behind the crease.
In the next over - the 34th - Williamson cut Benn for four to take the run rate above two for the first time. It had taken Williamson 84 balls to hit his first boundary. He and Latham swept the spinners when they bowled fuller lengths, and when it was short they had enough time to go back and play square of the wicket. Every now and then, though, the odd delivery spun sharply past the outside edge.
Benn bowled 19 consecutive overs either side of lunch, far more than any other bowler. When he had finished his 16th, Shillingford was coming on to bowl only his fourth. Shillingford ripped an offbreak from leg and middle past Latham’s defensive prod but the batsman got to his maiden half-century a couple of balls later, off his 126th delivery.
Until the 54th over, not a single ball had been hit in the air, and then Williamson cut Roach over gully. He got to his half-century in the same over, by edging a drive through the same region. By tea time Williamson and Latham were using their feet, and the depth of their crease, with ease. They had scored 102 runs in the second session.
The old ball began to do things after tea. Taylor reversed it a bit, but Shillingford got it to spin big. Latham, on 83, closed the face too early to an offbreak and the ball lobbed back to the bowler off the leading edge.
It could have been tricky for the new batsman but the hard toil told on the West Indies bowlers, whose lines and lengths were shoddy. Williamson moved into the 90s by cutting a short and wide one from Roach for four, but then stopped scoring for 33 balls. During that time, Taylor kept New Zealand going, and when West Indies took the second new ball in the 85th over, he cut three wide ones from Roach for boundaries.
Just when it seemed Williamson might go into stumps a few short of a century, he snapped out of his scoreless trance and late-cut successive deliveries from Benn to bring up his sixth Test hundred.

George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

West Indies v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kingston, 2nd day Report : Neesham, Watling lead New Zealand to 508 | Cricket News | ESPN Cricinfo

Neesham, Watling lead New Zealand to 508

The Report by George Binoy
June 9, 2014
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West Indies 19 for 0 trail New Zealand 508 for 7 dec (Williamson 113, Neesham 107, Watling 89, Taylor 55) by 489 runs
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[TD=“class: stryPicCptn”]Jimmy Neesham and BJ Watling put on 201 runs for the sixth wicket © Associated Press

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West Indies were one wicket away from having a crack at New Zealand’s tail during the morning session of the second day at Sabina Park. They did not take it for 60.3 overs. The visitors’ last line of recognised batsmen, allrounder Jimmy Neesham and wicketkeeper BJ Watling, took advantage of tiring bowlers and a placid pitch to put on 201 runs for the sixth wicket, and all but erase West Indies’ hopes of winning Chris Gayle’s 100th Test.
Neesham was the first to attempt an aggressive approach on a sluggish surface and his methods made him the eighth batsman to score hundreds in his first two Tests. His partnership with Watling - compiled at 3.32 an over - was the fastest of the match, discounting the flurry from Tim Southee as New Zealand declared on 508 for 7 late in the day. The turnaround in tempo was remarkable, for New Zealand had scored only 59 in the first session for the loss of Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum.
There were shots played after lunch, which was a drastic change from New Zealand’s morning. Watling was strong square of the wicket, cutting and pulling, while Neesham’s preferred region was between long-off and wide long-on. Early in the session, he stepped out and hit Suliemann Benn flat over the fielder at mid-on.
A standout feature of Neesham’s innings was his inclination to use his feet on this slow pitch. He stepped out twice to hit Shane Shillingford over the straight boundary for the innings’ first sixes in the 137th over, and continued advancing against Shillingford and Marlon Samuels, targeting the wide long-on boundary. Neesham passed 50 off 103 balls and then accelerated, getting to 100 off 159.
Between the boundaries, Neesham and Watling rotated strike comfortably, taking advantage of fatigued fielders. With Benn and Shillingford having bowled more than 40 overs each, West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin turned to Chris Gayle, who had last bowled in a Test in November 2012, but had no luck.
After scoring 129 runs in the second session, New Zealand were slow initially after tea. Neesham was approaching his century and eventually got there with graceful cover-drives off Benn and Jerome Taylor.
His partner Watling was so adept at scoring behind and square of the wicket that he had got to 72 without scoring a single run in the V. He then pushed one to mid-on, before charging Shillingford and hitting him for a straight six. Watling’s success through point and square leg was an indication of the shorter lengths West Indies bowled to him. The quicks Taylor and Kemar Roach, in particular, had flagged after probing first spells.
Neesham’s attempt at slogging after his century was short-lived; he was caught behind off Benn for 107. His average after three Test innings was 138.50. West Indies finally had their breakthrough but got hit around by Southee until Watling holed out to deep midwicket and the declaration came.
The morning had been so different for the home side. They had controlled the run-rate and taken crucial wickets. Williamson had overestimated the turn and shouldered arms to a delivery from Benn, only to hear his off stump take a hit. Williamson had been so good at leaving the fast bowlers, but eventually added only 8 to his overnight score.
New Zealand were still in a healthy position at 259 for 3 but they lost their most experienced batsmen quickly. Shortly after reaching his fifty, Taylor chipped a flighted delivery from Shillingford straight to midwicket. In the next over, Benn got one to spin and bounce sharply on McCullum; the ball took the outside edge and bounced off Ramdin’s chest towards first slip, where Gayle took the catch. New Zealand had slipped to 279 for 5.
Neesham and Watling methodically batted out the remainder of the session, giving little indication of the dominance they would exert for the remainder of the day.
West Indies’ openers, Gayle and Kieran Powell, had nine overs of flat-out intensity to negotiate from New Zealand’s bowlers. Powell was lucky to survive, when he edged Tim Southee to third slip where Peter Fulton put down a simple catch. Gayle had no such scares, and it is him that most fans will flock to watch on Tuesday, hoping for a memorable innings in his 100th Test.

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Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

NZ on top, Windies have their work cut out, follow on look likely.

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Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

^ tomorrow will be Gayle's day!

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Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

Windies all out 262 NZ has not enforced follow on.

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Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

Chris Gayle made 64 in his 100th Test, but couldn’t prevent New Zealand from ending the third day in a dominant position at Sabina Park

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Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

..

West Indies v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kingston, 3rd day

Southee and Craig secure huge lead

The Report by George Binoy
June 10, 2014
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New Zealand 508 for 7 dec and 14 for 2 lead West Indies 262 (Gayle 64, Chanderpaul 84, Southee 4-19, Craig 4-91) by 260 runs*
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[TD=“class: stryPicCptn”]Mark Craig struck twice in an over and finished with 4 for 91 on Test debut © Associated Press

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The pitch at Sabina Park did not behave too differently on the third day. The pace, turn and bounce on offer was not significantly more than when New Zealand had batted in their first innings. The West Indian batsmen were woeful, and Tim Southeeand debutant offspinner Mark Craig exploited their loose techniques and lazy footwork to secure a 246-run lead. Brendon McCullum, however, chose to bat again and set the home side a large target on a surface that could deteriorate on the fourth and fifth days.
New Zealand inflicted the worst of the damage in two overs, on either side of lunch. Craig struck twice in three balls to raze the foundation built by a watchful opening partnership, and Southee also took two in three deliveries - ending Chris Gayle’s half-century - to reduce West Indies to 104 for 5 in the second session. It was left to Shivnarine Chanderpaul to whittle at the inevitable deficit and he played his shots, and gave the tailenders opportunities to play theirs too. That approach brought West Indies some boundaries, but it also brought New Zealand wickets, and Chanderpaul was stranded on 84 when Southee ended the innings with the second new-ball to finish with figures of 16.2-9-19-4.
The visitors’ second innings got off to a poor start when Peter Fulton nicked an outswinger from Jerome Taylor to depart for a duck, his second failure of the Test. Run scoring was slow once again, as Taylor and Kemar Roach bowled accurate spells, moving the new ball at pace. Kane Williamson thought he had off stump covered when he shouldered arms to a Roach delivery, but he did not. He had been bowled not offering a shot in the first innings too, to Sulieman Benn. New Zealand were 7 for 2, and though the day’s last half hour might not have indicated it -nightwatchman Ish Sodhi and Tom Latham were battling for survival - they were well ahead in the Test.
At the crux of New Zealand’s dominance was Southee, who bowled a faultless opening spell in which he sent down 29 dots out of 30 balls to Gayle. Most of those deliveries pitched around off, on a length that had Gayle prodding from his crease without moving his feet, and several angled across the left-hander to beat the bat. Gayle was fortunate to edge only one, and that did not carry to the cordon. To his credit, he did not play too far away from his body, and after 4.5 overs of dots from Southee, Gayle got a full and straight ball that he clipped off his pads for a single.
McCullum soon brought on his spinners in tandem. Craig got the ball to spin and bounce away from the left-handers and bowled 15 dots at Gayle, beating him on the cross-bat swipe a couple of times before getting pulled for four. Sodhi’s lengths were erratic; Gayle cut hard when it was short and drove straight when the bowler overcompensated.
The slump began after West Indies had reached 60. Powell prodded forward against Craig but played the wrong line, anticipating turn away from him. The ball slid on and hit him plumb in front. Two deliveries later, Kirk Edwards poked tentatively off the back foot and edged an offbreak to first slip. In the next over, Darren Bravo chipped a half-volley straight back to Sodhi. West Indies had slipped to 61 for 3 in 11 balls.
Gayle immediately launched his offensive. He swept and cut Craig, got a firm leading edge off Sodhi that went along the ground to the straight boundary, and punched Boult uppishly through cover to reach his half-century.
Southee had better luck after lunch. All morning he had gone past Gayle’s outside edge, and early in the second session he produced a delivery identical to many he had previously beaten the batsman with. This time Gayle nicked it, and his first dig in his 100th Test ended on 64. Southee then produced a big inswinger that Marlon Samuels was hopelessly late on to be lbw for a two-ball duck.
Chanderpaul’s unorthodox technique worked for him on this surface and he initially attacked the spinners with slog-sweeps and lofts over the leg side. Denesh Ramdin cut and swept, and wasn’t shy to drive despite the ball not coming on to the bat. They had put on a partnership of 72, repairing some of the damage, when Southee gave New Zealand more joy in the final over before tea by strangling Ramdin down the legside with a slower ball. West Indies were 133 away from making New Zealand bat again, and Chanderpaul only had the tail for company.
Chanderpaul was watchful against Southee, but scored freely against the other bowlers. He picked off Craig and Sodhi square of the wicket when their lengths were short, and very few of his runs came between mid-on and mid-off. He did not farm strike, though, and the tailenders attacked and perished. When McCullum took the second new ball as soon as it was available, Chanderpaul hit Boult for three fours in an over, and gave Southee a crack at Shane Shillingford. That contest lasted only two balls.

George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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10

Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

With a name like that, what did you xpect.

11

Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

are not u the one, who plays for newzland ?

12

Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

Haan ji

13

Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

then i will give u classes, u are a bad bowler

14

Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

Never too late to learn. Specially when the Prince himself offers coaching.

15

Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

haha. Really...! Tell me more, Megambo Khush hova... But what are u dning here on GS? You team is at war with west Indes

16

Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

We are batting now. So I get to surf. And I hear in GS there are some tough critics with good coaching xperience. Never miss a chance to get some e-coaching.

17

West Indies v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kingston, 4th day

Tim Southee and Debutant Mark Craig marvelous performance and NZ Won by 186 Runs. But I appreciate Shillingford and Benn 84 Runs partenership for the last wicket and can say “muqabla to dil-e-natwan nay buhat kia” … Especially Shilingford made 50 on 25 Balls Kallis holds the record of fastest fifty in Test 50 on 24 Balls

Congrats Black Caps!

West Indies v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kingston, 4th day Report : Debutant Craig stars in huge NZ win | Cricket News | ESPN Cricinfo

Debutant Craig stars in huge NZ win

The Report by George Binoy
June 11, 2014
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New Zealand 508 for 7 dec (Williamson 113, Neesham 107, Watling 89, Latham 83) and 156 for 8 dec (Latham 73) beat West Indies 262 (Chanderpaul 84, Gayle 64, Southee 4-19, Craig 4-91) and 216 (Shillingford 53*, Craig 4-97) by 186 runs*
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[TD=“class: stryPicCptn”]Shivnarine Chanderpaul was out padding up to Ish Sodhi © Associated Press

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Tim Southee and offspinner Mark Craig demolished West Indies for the second time in successive days at Sabina Park to record New Zealand’s second Test win in the Caribbean. Craig took four wickets in the final innings to finish with 8 for 188 in the Test, the best match haul by a New Zealand debutant.
West Indies were left to reflect on another abject batting performance. Their second-innings total of 216 was inflated by an 82-run stand for the last wicket between Sulieman Benn and Shane Shillingford, who swung merrily to score the second fastest Test fifty in terms of balls recorded. It only delayed the inevitable defeat.
After West Indies had been set 403 to win, Chris Gayle began the chase with two boundaries in the first over,from Trent Boult, becoming the eighth West Indian to pass 7000 Test runs. He then watched Tom Latham move lithely at short midwicket, diving forward to catch a low flick from Kieran Powell, giving Southee a wicket in his first over. In his second, Southee pitched a delivery on a good length around off and angled the ball away from Gayle. It was a delivery he had beaten Gayle with umpteen times in the first innings before finally hitting the edge. He did not have to wait at all this time. Gayle prodded from his crease with poor footwork and edged a low catch to the wicketkeeper BJ Watling, leaving West Indies on 11 for 2.
West Indies’ slump took a break for tea and then resumed unabated. Brendon McCullum brought on Craig in the 12th over and the offspinner struck with his second ball, dismissing Kirk Edwards for the second time in the Test, caught at leg gully after the batsman pushed forward too early. New Zealand’s fielding and catching had made West Indies’ efforts in the field look lethargic all through the Test, and two outstanding catches gave Craig two more wickets in the space of three balls. The wicketkeeper BJ Watling adjusted to the high bounce of an offbreak and caught the outside edge from Darren Bravo near his shoulder, and Latham dived quickly to his left at short leg to hold an inside edge from Marlon Samuels, who bagged his second two-ball duck of the Test. West Indies were 54 for 5.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Denesh Ramdin began to form a partnership but there was a sense of futility to their efforts, given the magnitude of the task ahead. Unlike in the first innings, when Chanderpaul was solid all through his unbeaten 84, he played shots and edged a couple of his early deliveries. And when he padded up to the legspinner Ish Sodhi, and the New Zealanders went up in prolonged appeal, umpire Rod Tucker gave him lbw. It was a marginal decision, because Chanderpaul had taken a long stride forward and the ball was turning big, but replays predicted it would have clipped the top of leg stump. A broken innings now lay shattered.
It was left to the new West Indian captain, Ramdin, to avert a four-day defeat, but when he missed a slog sweep and was bowled by Sodhi not long before stumps, New Zealand took the 30-minute extension to knock over the tail. What seemed a certain four-day finish, however, began to seem unlikely as Shillingford and Benn frustrated the bowlers with free-spirited, no-pressure hitting. One over remained in the day, and McCullum gave it to Kane Williamson. He needed four balls to have Benn caught behind; Watling capping a phenomenal match behind the stumps.
Before their batsmen failed for the second time in the Test, West Indies’ bowlers had produced a much-improved performance to slow New Zealand’s attempt to build on an overnight lead of 260. In the second over of the day, Jerome Taylor hit the back pads of nightwatchman Sodhi and Ross Taylor with consecutive deliveries. Both were dead lbw.
Ramdin brought on his spinners from the 10th over of the day, and while Benn was economical, Shillingford took a while to find a good length. Once he began to toss it up fuller, he became more effective, and eventually spun one through McCullum’s defences. New Zealand were 55 for 5 at that point.
Jimmy Neesham came out and played with the fluency that had brought him his first-innings century, and even charged Shillingford to hit him over the straight boundary. West Indies could have had Latham’s wicket had they reviewed an lbw appeal from Benn that was turned down. He was on 25 at the time, and gave West Indies no more chances.
New Zealand were slow in the first half hour after lunch, scoring only five runs. The partnership for the sixth wicket had grown slowly to 63 when Neesham miscued a loft against Shillingford and holed out to long-on.
The tempo picked up after Watling joined Latham. The batsmen rotated strike almost every other ball and Watling went on the offensive straightaway, sweeping and cutting Samuels for boundaries. In the first over after drinks, Latham played an uncharacteristically flamboyant drive and was caught at slip for 73, the first sign that the declaration was near.
Craig clobbered his first ball in Test cricket over the long-on boundary, and moments later McCullum called his troops in. He had given his team a little over four sessions to bowl West Indies out, a little over three if they wanted to watch the first match of the football World Cup, and a little over two if they wanted to catch the opening ceremony as well. Southee, Craig and Sodhi needed less time than that.

George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

It was obvious NZ would win. Winides now a days are at BD and Zim level.

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Re: 1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston

WIndies is most effected by the T20 onslaught. Their players rather play IPL/Big bash than play for their national team. Because they know where the money is. Too bad WICB has no control over their players. IMO, any player who chooses to play in these events over their contract obligation should be dropped, no ifs and buts.