Andrew Alderson and Dylan Cleaver discuss Kane Williamson’s 251 run innings on the second day of the New Zealand-West Indies opening test in Hamilton. Video / Andrew Alderson
Dylan Cleaver provides five takeaways from day three of the first test between the Black Caps and the West Indies.
c Taylor b Southee 24
They're both up there among our finest individual cricketers but as a fielding-bowling combination they're inching ever closer to the best. When Shamarh Brooks edgedearly on day three it was the 24th time a batsman had been dismissed with the ball nestled in Taylor's hands after being delivered by Southee.
The Black Caps celebrate the wicket of Shamarh Brooks in day three of the first test against the West Indies. Photo / Photosport.
The New Zealand record is 27, held by the Coney-Hadlee combination, while the world record is the 77 catches Mahela Jayawardene took off Muttiah Muralitharan. Southee also holds the New Zealand record for wicketkeeper-bowling combinations, 70 with BJ Watling.
There's no way to sugarcoat this: that was a paltry Saturday crowd for a test that was nicely poised at the start of the day. It was even stranger given that there was a decent crowd on the Friday. Do New Zealanders only want to pay to see Kane Williamson bat these days? It's a shame if so, because this is a very "watchable" New Zealand team.
The long and long of it
There was nice symmetry when Jason Holder hooked Kyle Jamieson for four in the first session. Jamieson had done that to Holder the previous day.
As unremarkable as it might sound for a middle-order batsman to hit a change bowler for a boundary, when it's a two-metre-plus bowler digging one into a two-metre-plus batsman – 4.03m of moving parts in all – who has the lightness of feet to be able to swivel and hook, there's a beauty to it that perhaps only cricket lovers will understand.
With three test centuries and more than 100 wickets, Holder is a genuine all-rounder. It's premature to bestow that tag upon Jamieson yet (we did that Southee, remember?) but with the manner of his unbeaten half century on day two, the signs are promising.
Pitched battle
Neil Wagner celebrates the wicket of Jermaine Blackwood before the decision was reversed. Photo / Photosport
The West Indies might not agree but the Seddon Park surface has had redemptive qualities for the ground staff led by Karl Johnson.
Pilloried last season for producing a pitch that started slow and got slower, this Seddon Park wicket has had pace and carry through the three days.
Plenty of rain in the lead up had made preparation difficult and gave birth to the sort of emerald green wicket that gives visiting sides conniptions but rarely plays like it looks.
Johnson said he was very satisfied how the strip had played.
"Last year wasn't my best work," he said.
Opportunity knocks (five times)
Holder had himself a day. In the first innings he was recalled after being trapped plumb lbw by an overstepping Neil Wagner. He should have been caught at fine leg by Mitchell Santner, who messed up a skier. He finished 25 not out. In the second innings he was dropped in consecutive balls and when Santner did catch him at cover it was discovered Daryl Mitchell had overstepped. He capitalised on this extraordinary run of luck by... getting trapped lbw two balls later.
