Cricket: Taylor hints at changes for second Windies test

New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor has hinted a personnel shake-up might be on the way for the second and final test against the West Indies, beginning in Jamaica on Friday (NZT).

The Kiwis were soundly beaten by nine wickets in the first test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua yesterday on the back of strong individual efforts from West Indians Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kemar Roach and Kieran Powell.

New Zealand's bowling attack failed to trouble the West Indian batting line-up throughout the test, while the visitors suffered due to their inability to convert their starts into centuries.

With the series moving to a different part of the Caribbean, Taylor said there could be a shake up.

"It'll definitely be a different wicket. There could be a few changes," Taylor said.

"To win the next game we need to take 20 wickets so we need to bowl nice and straight. We've got to take our chances in the field, and hopefully the top order can continue to score the runs that we did and the middle order players can score some runs and help them out."

As for who could come in to the New Zealand side for the next test, BJ Watling may be given a run in place of Dean Brownlie in the middle order.

Watling missed the first test with a quad strain but has put up remarkably consistent numbers across all forms of the game during the past eight months. His last test innings was an unbeaten century against Zimbabwe in Napier in January.

Seamers Trent Boult and Tim Southee don't appear to be a better option than Chris Martin, Doug Bracewell and first-test debutant Neil Wagner.

Martin claimed three wickets in the West Indies' first innings total of 522, while Bracewell's useful lower-order batting will give him an edge over the challengers and it would be unfair to discard Wagner after one test.

The South Africa-born 26-year-old might not have produced startling figures as he finished with a match analysis of 1-144 from 38 overs, but he looked threatening and steamed in throughout the test.

Leg-spinner Tarun Nethula could force his way in to give Daniel Vettori support after Vettori struggled in Antigua.

The left-armer got through 51 overs in the first innings but picked up only 1-124 and barely figured in the second.

In five tests in 2012, Vettori has picked up only five wickets in 183.3 overs at an average of 87.8 with a strike rate of one wicket per 220 balls.

Vettori's place in the side is more assured than New Zealand wearing whites for the second test though and, despite his recent struggles with the ball, he won't be dropped given his track record and batting prowess in the lower order.