1st innings New Zealand 441 (Taylor 129, Watling 65, Best 4-110) v West Indies
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Another day, another dropped catch from West Indies, and another New Zealand batsman making them pay. Had Tino Best not made a total misjudgment at deep midwicket, Trent Boult would have been gone for 3, and New Zealand would have been dismissed for 386. Instead, Best palmed the slog over the boundary, and the final pair of Boult and BJ Watling proceeded to thrash 58 runs at over a run a ball. By the time Watling missed a slog off Shannon Gabriel to be bowled for 65, New Zealand had surged to 441, an addition of 134 runs in 25.1 overs to their overnight 307 for 6. On day one, West Indies had put down Ross Taylor on zero and watched him make 129.
After rain delayed the start by an hour and 15 minutes, New Zealand's progress was largely down to Watling, who showed his versatility by constantly doing what the situation demanded. On the first evening, he had stonewalled to 8 off 47 as stumps approached. This morning, he and Tim Southee came out positive, attacking anything either too short and wide or too full.
Seeing Best go for 12 in the day's opening over, Darren Sammy brought himself on and soon had Southee holing out to deep square leg for a 14-ball 21. Just as they had done through the innings, New Zealand were to string together another useful stand, of 49 between Ish Sodhi and Watling. Sodhi was extremely competent for a No. 9. He defended solidly and duly put the loose ones away. Watling, seeing that Sodhi was in no trouble, turned the strike over as regularly as one would alongside a specialist batsman.
Shaking off their initial waywardness, West Indies targetted the fuller lengths they had largely missed on the first day. Gabriel, especially, was unlucky not to break through, going past the edge on a few occasions. But New Zealand were fast approaching 400.
Having batted with so much calm, Sodhi suddenly had a loose waft at a wide one from Best to depart for 27. Neil Wager lasted one ball, Best pitching it up for once and producing an edge to second slip. Boult easily dealt with the hat-trick ball, but nearly gave it away next over. After reining himself in and blocking five balls from Shane Shillingford, he swung the final one straight to Best in the deep, only to be reprieved.
Then began the entertainment from Boult. He charged Shillingford thrice in the offspinner's next over, cleanly striking a boundary down the ground each time, the last one sailing for six. Soon, the partnership had tallied 50 off just 47 balls, even though Boult hadn't had too much of the strike, Watling protecting him, especially against Best. The only time Watling couldn't - a flash not going wide enough of third man and resulting in only a single - Boult came on strike and promptly took ten off the next three balls from Best with two cuts and a straight drive. He would remain unbeaten on 38 off 27 as Watling fell to Gabriel. New Zealand will hope the workout with the bat has sufficiently warmed up their quick bowlers, following four days off after their exertions in Dunedin.
Watling, lower order boost NZ to 441
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Watling, lower order boost NZ to 441
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Watling, lower order boost NZ to 441
