Lunch West Indies 286 for 5 (Ambris 18*, Dowrich 3*, Henry 3-57) and 134 trail New Zealand 520 for 9 by 100 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kraigg Brathwaite‘s resistance was ended, Shai Hope was caught at gully, and New Zealand resumed their march towards a big win, on the fourth morning in Wellington. West Indies, still 100 runs behind, have only five wickets remaining – Sunil Ambris and Shane Dowrich the pair at the crease. To make New Zealand bat again would be a decent effort; to set them a testing score, an improbable eventuality from here.
It was the wicket of Brathwaite that set West Indies’ slide into motion in this session. Having begun on 79, he had progressed without incident into the 90s, thanks in part to New Zealand’s decision to rest their frontline quicks so that they might be deployed only after the second new ball became available. Brathwaite lost his wicket before the 80th over rolled around, however. Having nudged a legside Mitchell Santner delivery to the fine leg boundary, he misjudged the pace of the very next Santner delivery, allowing it to brush his back pad before he hit it with his bat. The ensuing lbw appeal was turned down on the field, but the batsman was given out upon review. Only 17 runs had been added to the overnight score at that stage.
Hope, whose innings had been measured, continued to bat with reticence following Brathwaite’s exit, leaving and defending often. The New Zealand quicks now operating with a shiny new ball, Hope largely reserved his more violent strokes only for the short ball – hitting two fours square on the legside. It was a defensive shot, in the end, that got him out – a rising delivery from Trent Boult taking the edge and finding the hands of Kane Williamson. Roston Chase, who had hit Boult for consecutive boundaries to get his innings under way, did not last long following Hope’s exit. Seeing a wide Matt Henry delivery, he attempted to cut the ball, but wound up only inside-edging the ball into the stumps.
Dowrich and Ambris had roughly eight overs to see out together before the break. They have plenty to do in the afternoon session, if West Indies are to finish creditably in the Test.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo