Cricket: West Indies scrapping to stay alive

The West Indies were scrapping hard to stay alive in the first test against New Zealand.

At stumps on the third day, having been asked to follow on 396 runs behind, the West Indies were 168 for two.

They still trail by 228 runs with two days remaining. Darren Bravo will start tomorrow on 72, in sight of a fifth test hundred, while Marlon Samuels is on 17.

Earlier veteran Shiv Chanderpaul was the one saving grace for the tourists as they were dismissed for 213. He hit 76, was barely troubled, until shouldering arms to be lbw to left armer Trent Boult.

That was the end of the West Indian resistance as they lost their last five wickets in the middle session for 39 runs in the space of 51 balls. Chanderpaul reached 11,000 test runs during the innings, the seventh batsman to pass the milestone.

Tim Southee and Boult did the bulk of the damage. Southee finished with four for 52 and Boult three for 40, while legspinner Ish Sodhi took two for 63.

Following on, the West Indies lost Kieran Powell early but half centuries from Kirk Edwards and Bravo put the innings on a firmer footing. At one point Bravo took four boundaries in successive Southee deliveries.

However Edwards went lbw to a smart piece of bowling from Sodhi for 59, having added 117 with Bravo. Samuels survived a tight lbw appeal from the same bowler, which used up New Zealand's two review appeals until the 80th over is completed.

The New Zealand bowlers also visibly tired, reigniting the debate over the wisdom of enforcing the follow on, as opposed to giving the bowlers a chance to put their feet up before the second innings.