Windies lead by 171
The West Indies earned a sizeable 171-run lead as they were all out for 522 in reply to New Zealand's first innings 351 as was lunch was called on the fourth day of the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua yesterday.
Resuming the day on 442 for six, the overnight pair of Narsingh Deonarine and skipper Darren Sammy extended their partnership to 69 runs till Deonarine was bowled by Chris Martin for 79. Sammy however continued till he reached 50 and was ninth man out giving a return catch to Daniel Vettori. The innings folded six runs later. Martin was the visitors' best bowler with three wickets, while Vettori and Doug Bracewell took two each.
On Friday, Chris Gayle marked his return to five-day cricket by hitting 150 as the recalled opener blasted his team towards a healthy lead.
Fellow opener Kieran Powell was the other centurion before Assad Fudadun and Deonarine weighed in with half centuries to give the home side a solid edge as the Black Caps struggled even given some swing from the new ball.
Deonarine ended the day on 54 and had Sammy on eight for company after Fudadin fell to the bowling of Williamson for 55.
Gayle, who was playing his first Test for more than 18 months due to his stand-off with the West Indies Cricket Board following comments he made about officials in a radio interview, smacked 17 boundaries and four sixes as he made his mark in a 206-ball inning before falling to the bowling of Kane Williamson.
The 32-year-old enabled the hosts to put on 254 for the first wicket alongside Powell before Brendon McCullum took the catch in the deep.
Earlier, Gayle had brought up his 14th Test ton by smashing Chris Martin for six over midwicket, having earlier hit four successive boundaries off the same bowler.
Powell also made a century pull to the boundary through square leg off Neil Wagner before going caught behind for 134 including 22 boundaries and a six of 288 deliveries as Wagner bagged his first Test wicket.
But the West Indies carried on regardless of having their openers back in the pavilion as Fudadin and Samuels took them through to 352 for 2 at tea, a run ahead.
Martin Guptill laid the foundation for what appeared a solid first innings score for the Black Caps with a spirited 97 but spinner Sunil Narine took a maiden five-wicket haul, finishing with five for 132, to undermine the tourists.
Gayle and Powell then set the stage for an exciting denouement.
Comments