Even Stevens after Day 2: WI vs. NZ

Edited by: Giovanni Dennis –

Yardie Sports Contributor

West Indies frustrated New Zealand with bat and ball but Ross Taylor’s unbeaten half-century helped to steer the Black Caps to safety on the second day of the third Test at Seddon Park Hamilton, today.

Edited by: Giovanni Dennis –

Yardie Sports Contributor

West Indies frustrated New Zealand with bat and ball but Ross Taylor’s unbeaten half-century helped to steer the Black Caps to safety on the second day of the third Test at Seddon Park Hamilton, today.

Taylor is undefeated on 56 and Kane Williamson was bowled by Sunil Narine for 58 as New Zealand closed the day on 156 for three, in reply to West Indies 367 all out, highlighted by centuries from Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Denesh Ramdin.

Taylor and Williamson added 95 to ease some of New Zealand’s pressure after their openers went cheaply on a slow wicket.

The Black Caps needed the stand after West Indies captain Darren Sammy celebrated his 30th birthday by pulling off two brilliant catches to reduce them to 43-2.

Opening the bowling, he stooped on his follow-through to pick up a low return catch to remove Hamish Rutherford and then used his sharp reflexes at leg slip to dispose of Peter Fulton.

Narine posed the biggest threat, occasionally bamboozling both Williamson and Taylor with his variations including the use of the carrom ball across the right-handers from round the wicket.

He trapped Williamson lbw for 58 before stumps after review upheld the decision by umpire Nigel Llong.

Taylor himself survived an early lbw shout that was referred to the third umpire and Brendon McCullum was with him on 11 at the end.

Earlier, the tourists added 60 runs for the final two wickets after Chanderpaul scored his 29th test century and later took their score beyond 350.

The 39-year-old Chanderpaul, who became the sixth highest run-scorer in Test cricket when he reached 98, was unbeaten on 122.

He drew level with Australian legend Don Bradman’s 29 Test hundred, eclipsed another Aussie, fellow left-hander Allan Border’s aggregate of 11,174 runs and for the 45th time in 260 innings succeeded in making sure the opposition failed to dismiss him.

Veerasammy Permaul and Tino Best both swung lustily with energetic Best adding a record 35-run stand for the final wicket against New Zealand.

Best made 25 and Permaul got 20, as the Caribbean side was dismissed about three minutes before the scheduled lunch interval.

Tim Southee finished with the best figures of 4-79 and now needs just two more wickets to reach 100 Test victims.

The Windies trail 0-1 in the three-Test series, following a defeat by an innings and 73 runs in the second Test and a drawn first test.