By Alex Powell at Hagley Oval
More injuries have forced the Black Caps to wait for victory in the first test against the West Indies in Christchurch.
Chasing a record 531 for victory at Hagley Oval, the tourists reached stumps on day four at 212-4, 319 runs away from victory, in a gutsy fourth innings that has so far ground down the Black Caps’ depleted bowling stocks even further, on a pitch now offering the bowlers next to nothing.
With Tom Blundell ruled out after day one by a hamstring tear, New Zealand were further disrupted overnight when Nathan Smith was scratched by a side strain. The worst was yet to come, though, as bowling spearhead Matt Henry suffered a calf injury before lunch.
Although he was able to get through an eight-over spell while in clear discomfort, Henry succumbed to his injury after tea, and was sent to hospital for a scan on his right calf and was expected to play no further part in this test.
Those injuries come on top of the Black Caps missing Will O’Rourke (back) and Kyle Jamieson working to regain match fitness, and will ask serious questions of the side for next week’s second test in Wellington.
In Henry’s absence, Jacob Duffy led the attack with 2-65, to go with his 5-34 from the first innings. But with Duffy only having Zak Foulkes (0-28) for company in the frontline bowling ranks, the West Indies were able to be patient, wait the Black Caps out and score against the allrounders.
After day three, West Indies batting coach Floyd Reifer said simply taking the game into the final day would be a success in itself. Shai Hope ensured they’d do more than that, with a flawless 116 not out to keep his side’s survival hopes intact, and possibly even push for victory.
Hope’s innings, which contained 15 fours and one six, is his second century of the tour, after a masterful 109 not out in Napier during the ODI series. He was excellently supported by Justin Greaves (55 not out), as the pair put on an unbeaten 140 runs for the fifth wicket, but most importantly ate up 275 balls in their hope of avoiding defeat.
The Black Caps will need to make the most of the chance to regroup overnight, and return to take the last six wickets on the final day, with six overs until the new ball is due.
Even down two batters – Blundell and Smith – there was no sign of a Black Caps declaration overnight, despite the huge 481-run lead. As Kemar Roach (5-78) took the last three New Zealand wickets to complete his five-for, that declaration effectively came at 466-8, just over an hour into the day.
As the West Indies openers reached lunch at 20-0 in their chase of 531, New Zealand’s attention quickly turned to Henry, who spent the break bowling in the nets with coach Rob Walter and bowling coach Jacob Oram to prove he could continue in the afternoon.
But with the side down a bowler, Duffy stepped up to remove John Campbell (13), caught at second slip by Michael Bracewell, and first-innings half-centurion Tagenarine Chanderpaul (6), caught behind by Tom Latham. Bracewell (1-54) joined in not long afterwards, as Alick Athanaze (5) top-edged a pull straight to Zak Foulkes at mid-on, with the West Indies’ 20-0 becoming 55-3.
Henry returned to the bowling crease in the afternoon and was rewarded with the scalp of the West Indies’ captain when Roston Chase feathered behind to Latham for four.
However, that was where the wickets ended. With his top order gone, Hope stood tall and pressed on to his second half-century of the game.
The West Indies’ white-ball captain needed just 72 balls to raise his bat for the second time in the match, with nine boundaries for good measure, as a sign of a player who is much more capable than a batting average of less than 30 suggests.
As Henry left the ground for hospital during the tea break, the West Indies’ batters settled in during the final session. Hope and Justin Greaves added 50 runs in 93 deliveries, as New Zealand’s bowling stocks thinned.
Hope dealt with Duffy’s short-ball barrage with a series of pull shots, and moved through the 90s, before pushing Rachin Ravindra into the covers for a single to reach a well-deserved and expertly crafted century, his fourth in test cricket.
As the final hour of the day approached, the West Indies’ fifth-wicket pair carried on to raise their century stand off 173 deliveries, before Greaves passed his own 50 in 122 balls with a pull to the midwicket boundary off Duffy.
A final appeal against Hope off Duffy showed the Black Caps’ desperation to land one last blow, only for a review to show the ball brushed the batter’s arm, not the bat or glove.
New Zealand 231 & 466-8d (Ravindra 176, Latham 145; Roach 5-78)
West Indies 167 & 212-4 (Hope 116 not out, Greaves 55 not out; Duffy 2-65)
West Indies need 319 runs for victory, New Zealand need six wickets
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.