By Alex Powell at Hagley Oval
Black Caps captain Tom Latham accepts the rough with the smooth of cricket’s decision review system (DRS), after his side fell painfully short of victory in the first test against the West Indies in Christchurch.
Despite setting the visitors a record target of 531 in just over five sessions, the Black Caps struggled on a docile Hagley Oval pitch, and claimed just six wickets in more than 163 overs.
Not aiding New Zealand’s cause, was a mounting injury toll. Of the 11 players named on day one, only eight reached stumps on day five, as Matt Henry (calf), Nathan Smith (side) and Tom Blundell (hamstring) fell one by one.
The losses of Henry and Smith in particular proved monumental, as Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes were left as the only frontline bowlers in the fourth innings.
In response, an unbeaten 202 from Justin Greaves, 140 from Shai Hope and 58 not out from tailender Kemar Roach blunted New Zealand, before a draw was called.
However, the Black Caps more than had their chances. In particular, day five saw Latham use his final two DRS appeals on chances that proved futile.
An appeal for a catch of Tevin Imlach was turned down when replays showed the ball hit his body instead of the bat or gloves. A second against Roach, an appeal for LBW, found the ball to have pitched outside leg stump.
And to rub salt in the wounds, Michael Bracewell should have had Roach out twice, once LBW, and the second caught behind by captain Latham - who was unable to challenge the incorrect calls.
Roach went on to play out 233 deliveries, as part of a partnership with Greaves that added an unbeaten 180 runs, in 410 balls.
But asked after the end of play to explain the process around the premature reviews, Latham explained he did what he felt was right in the moment.
“It would have been nice to have one more,” he professed. “But in the moment, you try to gather as much information as you can around whether you use it or not.
“There’s been many test matches where you’ve left a couple in the tank and they haven’t needed to be used.
“Hindsight’s a wonderful thing. We thought at the time it was the right option to go for the reviews.
“You run the risk of losing one if it’s not quite there. Unfortunately, that’s the way things roll with the review system.”
Regardless, the two sides’ reactions tell the story of who should claim bragging rights.
Winless in tests on Kiwi soil since 1995, the visitors head to Wellington with the series locked at 0-0.
And as captain Roston Chase compared this draw to feeling almost like a victory, Latham conceded it’s similar to a defeat.
“When you have a draw in that sort of fashion, where you’re so close to winning it, it sort of does have that feeling,” he said.
“It would have been nice to come out on the right side, but from an effort point of view, I certainly can’t fault the effort that the guys put in throughout the last two days.
“Being a couple of bowlers down, the work that Zak and Duff were able to put in on that surface was a massive effort.
“It’s just unfortunate that we weren’t quite able to get across the line.”
Regardless of the result, what happened over the past week at Hagley Oval showed this Black Caps side’s resolve.
Across the board, players stepped up. From Latham himself taking the wicketkeepers’ gloves to go with captaincy and opening the batting, to Bracewell getting through 55 overs bowling in the fourth innings.
Even Daryl Mitchell spent four days as a sub fielder, despite failing a fitness test and being ruled out of the series opener.
And while the injuries to Henry, Smith and Blundell of course played a part, Latham’s pride at his team’s efforts in Christchurch is clear to see.
“When things happen like that, we want to keep giving to the group as much as we can,” he said.
“The guys managed to give as much as they could over the last two days. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.
“But we know if we do that as a group, and keep doing that, we’ll give ourselves a chance in test matches moving forward.”
The Black Caps are expected to name reinforcements for the second test of the series later on Sunday.
Wicketkeeper Mitch Hay has already been called in to replace Blundell, while Phillips has also been named to join the squad fulltime.
Two further bowlers are also expected to be named, with medical results for Henry and Smith still to be released.
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.