2 weeks ago
1 The West Indies have once again had the best of conditions in the series against New Zealand after winning the toss on another green monster this time at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.
The first Test pitch made worldwide news last week with the strip looking indiscernible from the rest of the ground in scenes that would have made most batsmen shudder with fear.
Watch Australia v India Test Series Live & Ad-Break Free During Play with the Fox Cricket commentary team. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >
Sent in to bat, New Zealand plundered 7/519 declared with Kane Williamson hitting 251, before West Indies were bowled out twice in the innings and 134 run win early on day four.
And nothing has changed for game two, as it moved from Hamilton’s Seddon Park to Basin Reserve, there was more of the same.
While Kane Williamson isn’t playing this match to be at the birth of his first child, the situation was the same with the Windies sending New Zealand in again.
The West Indies were more successful on day one of the second Test but it didn’t stop Henry Nichols from hitting his sixth Test century with 117 not out at stumps as New Zealand scored 6/294 off 84 overs as the side again tamed the tough conditions by stumps on day one.
On top of the green pitch, fans were nearly getting blown off their seats with gale force winds of 120km/h.
New Zealand has a strong history of swing bowlers with the conditions in the Land of the Long White Cloud perfect for sideways movement from quicks.
More than that, senior Stuff.co.nz journalist Aaron Goile explained the green tops are necessary to get a result.
“But we’ve seen time and again that that’s what the pitches in NZ really have to be like to make a game of things, as in this part of the world they just don’t deteriorate late in the piece, as the climate just isn’t that harsh,” senior Stuff.co.nz journalist Aaron Goile wrote in the site’s blog.
The pictures may not have gone as wild as they did last week with the ability to just barely make out the edge of the pitch in the second Test.
It could have been a much better day for the West Indies but the skipper Jason Holder also delivered one of the highlights of the day.
Dropped catches stopped the Windies from taking advantage of the conditions, but Holder reeled in a stunning grab.
Williamson’s replacement Will Young got an outside edge through the third slip region, with second slip Holder going full length for Shannon Gabriel’s 150th wicket.
It came two overs after Nicholls, who hit the century, was dropped on 47.
English (United States)