By Alex Powell at Hagley Oval
Days one and two of the first test between the Black Caps and the West Indies were for the bowlers. Day three belonged to the bat.
As sunshine covered Hagley Oval for the first time in the test, a pair of contrasting centuries all but guaranteed that, whatever happens over the next two days, New Zealand will not lose the series opener.
A 279-run stand between captain Tom Latham (145 off 250 balls) and Rachin Ravindra (176 off 185) has given the Black Caps a 481-run lead into day four, leaving the West Indies with no hope after the home side reached stumps at 417-4.
Without a test century since the end of 2022, Latham’s hundred – his 14th in tests – included having to navigate a tricky period to end day two, before cashing in on day three, and top 6000 test runs for good measure.
The skipper raised a chanceless three-figures in 179 balls, continuing a test in which he’s led from the front in every sense after also standing in for injured wicketkeeper Tom Blundell with the gloves.
At the other end, Ravindra dominated the bowling attack, and made the West Indies pay for giving him lives on eight and 13. The 26-year-old needed just 108 balls to reach his fourth test century, in a blitz of boundaries that saw him overtake Latham en route to 150 in 152 deliveries.
Ravindra’s knock gives him 150-plus scores in back-to-back tests, after his unbeaten 165 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo earlier this year, at better-than and close to a-run-a-ball.
So emphatic was their partnership, Latham and Ravindra’s efforts have challenged the West Indies to create history for victory, and achieve not just the highest chase at Hagley Oval but the highest of all time, anywhere.
For the tourists, Kemar Roach (2-61) and Ojay Shields (2-64) did what they could with the ball, but ultimately couldn’t replicate their side’s same success. Making things worse, should the Black Caps declare overnight, the West Indies will be without Shai Hope until No 7 at the earliest, after their usual No 4 spent time off the ground for an eye infection.
Having lost Devon Conway (37) and Kane Williamson (9) in the morning, and reaching lunch at 100-2 with a 64-run lead, Latham combined with Ravindra in the afternoon to bat the West Indies out of the contest.
Once Latham reached 50 in 118 balls, Ravindra unleashed a stinging array of shots, and needed only 52 balls to raise his bat for 50. As runs continued to flow, and the lead continued to swell, the stand passed 100, as the West Indies had no answers to the pair of left-handers.
Latham gently pushed Kemar Roach down the ground for three to end a wait of 39 innings to celebrate a century against a red ball. While it took Latham 118 balls to notch his first 50 runs, his second came in just 61.
With the score at 233-2 at tea, any pitch demons from the first two days had been exorcised.
A Ravindra punch to cover for a single raised both the 150-partnership, and New Zealand’s 250, as Latham began to up his tempo at the other end – notably scooping a boundary over the keeper next ball.
Dispatching a short ball over midwicket, Ravindra registered the first six of the test as he seamlessly worked through the nervous 90s, before he hammered Johann Layne over midwicket for another boundary that took him past 100 for the second time this year.
After arriving at the wicket when his captain was on 40, Ravindra went past Latham’s score when he swept Chase for his 21st boundary, and he pushed the lead past 400 with a whip through midwicket off Layne.
The new ball was greeted with a drive to the cover point boundary to raise Ravindra’s 150, but Latham perished when he was caught behind off Roach, and left to a standing ovation from his hometown crowd.
The partnership, 279 runs, surpassed the 241 by Martin Crowe and John Wright from Wellington 1987, with only the 387 runs scored by Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis in Georgetown in 1972 ahead of it for New Zealand against the West Indies.
With potential thoughts of a second test double-century, Ravindra finally fell for 176 when he was bowled by Shields. However, those two dropped catches had cost the West Indies 168 runs.
Will Young (21 not out) and Michael Bracewell (six not out) reached the close without further loss, with eyes on Latham for an overnight declaration.
New Zealand 231 & 414-5 (Ravindra 176, Latham 145; Roach 2-61)
West Indies 167 (Hope 56, Chanderpaul 52; Duffy 5/34)
New Zealand lead by 481 runs
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.