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Barbodos: Mid-innings wobbles again hit the Blackcaps as they struggled to a below par score of 293 on today's opening day of the third and final Test against the West Indies at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
With several players getting starts but failing to push on, Jimmy Neesham and Mark Craig performed an admirable rear guard action to rescue the innings somewhat.
Brendon McCullum won the toss and chose to bat, as he did in the first two Tests. There was just one change to the Blackcaps XI for the match with seamer Neil Wagner replacing spinner Ish Sodhi, while the West Indies made two changes bringing in debutant Jason Holder and Shane Shillingford for Shannon Gabriel and Jermaine Blackwood.
The Blackcaps openers Tom Latham and Hamish Rutherford started positively despite the West Indies pacemen getting the ball to swing in the cloudy and windy conditions. Kemar Roach soon got the better of Rutherford as he drove in the air straight to Shivnarine Chanderpaul at mid-on – dismissed for just four runs.
And not long after Roach also claimed Latham lbw for 14. Our in-form opener had survived one lbw call, which he asked for the review on, but the next time he was walking.
From 28-2, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor steadied the innings to take the Blackcaps to 95-2 at lunch and the classy pair looked very comfortable on the way. They were sadly both undone shortly after lunch with Williamson edging Sulieman Benn to Darren Bravo at first slip for 43. Benn also removed Taylor with a brilliant catch in the gully to give Roach his third wicket of the day.
McCullum and Neesham ripped through a 50-run partnership at one day cricket pace before McCullum played a shot to a Benn delivery that he'd rather forget. The ball flew skyward and was caught by Bravo, the skipper departing for 31. BJ Watling, the leader of the second Test fightback, couldn't repeat his efforts today going for one and it looked like the entertainer Tim Southee was about to follow when Denesh Ramdin took a diving catch down leg, but replays showed he'd grassed the catch and Southee was recalled.
He was only able to add six before a quicker delivery from Benn clean bowled him. At tea the Blackcaps had reached 217-7 thanks to a very well-played half century from Neesham in only his fourth Test.
Neesham went along breezily, finding the boundary regularly all around the wicket until he hesitated over a quick single and was run out at the bowler's end for 78 after a review. Craig dug in and was happy to take his time and occupy the crease with Neil Wagner, the only member of the side without a Test 50 to his name.
Wagner went to a leg side strangle for two, caught by Ramdin from Roach. Trent Boult went on the attack, putting Benn back over his head for six, and Roach for four through the cover boundary. It wasn't to last, and he was stumped coming down the wicket to Benn, to give him a well deserved five wicket bag.
The Blackcaps came out to bowl for an interesting period of play under some cloud cover. Chris Gayle got off to a shaky start and was almost stranded between the wickets in the first over, but Neesham was unable to make the pick up and throw for the run out.
Boult and Southee got some movement through the air, and were able to put pressure on, but were unable to make the breakthrough. With two overs remaining Craig and Wagner were given an over each, but the opening pair survived to stumps to go into day two with all 10 wickets in hand.
Brief scores
New Zealand - 293 (Neesham 78, Benn 5-93, Roach 4-61)
West Indies - 32-0
Status - West Indies trial by 261
