New Zealand 231-9 as West Indies exploit bowler-friendly wicket

AFP/APP

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand reached 231-9 at stumps on a rain-shortened opening day of the first Test against the West Indies on Tuesday, after Justin Greaves triggered a middle-order collapse with the wicket of Kane Williamson.

New Zealand slumped from 94-1 to 148-6 on a bowler-friendly wicket after Williamson was dismissed for 52, his 38th Test half-century.

Michael Bracewell and Nathan Smith briefly steadied the innings with a 52-run stand for the seventh wicket. Smith eventually fell for 23 and Bracewell for 47.

After Matt Henry departed for eight, Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy were both unbeaten on four when bad light stopped play after 70 overs of a truncated day.

Bracewell and Smith’s partnership was New Zealand’s second face-saving stand of the day, after Williamson and Tom Latham added 93 for the second wicket following the early dismissal of Devon Conway on the third ball of the Test.

The green wicket and heavy cloud cover prompted West Indies skipper Roston Chase to give his pace attack first use of the new ball after winning the toss.

Following the early breakthrough from Kemar Roach, who removed Conway, the West Indies were forced to wait 29 overs for their next wicket.

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In the first session — extended by a 90-minute rain delay — Williamson and Latham cautiously took New Zealand to 17-1 in the 10.3 overs available before a second shower brought lunch.

After play resumed, the pair batted with greater freedom, with Williamson marking his first Test innings in a year by reaching fifty. But on 52, a rare lapse saw him edge a full delivery from Greaves to Alick Athanaze at second slip, sparking the collapse.

In his next over, Greaves removed Latham for a patient 24 off 85 balls, while Rachin Ravindra was bowled for three by Jayden Seales.

In the space of 21 deliveries, the West Indies claimed three wickets for nine runs, as New Zealand crashed from 94-1 to 103-4.

Will Young and Tom Blundell added 17 for the fifth wicket before Young, on 14, became Johann Layne’s maiden Test victim.

Blundell progressed to 29 before falling early in the final session as debutant Ojay Shields claimed his first Test wicket.

Shields — who earlier thought he had dismissed Williamson for 33, only for the delivery to be called a no ball — later removed Bracewell to finish with figures of 2-34.

Greaves took 2-35, while Roach claimed 2-47.