Half-centuries from the willow of Devon Conway and Mithcell Hay helped New Zealand extend their advantage after an absorbing day of the second Test in Wellington on Thursday.
The hosts grabbed a 73-4un lead and then struck twice to leave West Indies 41 runs behind with eight wickets on hand.
The visitors produced bursts of quality with the ball to keep pegging New Zealand back, and several home batters contributed to their own dismissals with loose shots. But the visitors also offered enough scoring opportunities for Conway and Hay to make valuable inroads.
Conway’s 60 – his first fifty against West Indies and 13th overall – anchored one end, while debutant Hay struck an enterprising 61 from No. 6. Their efforts allowed New Zealand to declare at 278 for 9, with the injured Blair Tickner not batting.
Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Ojay Shields and Anderson Phillip consistently challenged the hosts as the ball swung both ways and occasionally jagged off the surface. Conway, however, punished the loose deliveries, hitting eight fours. Tom Latham (11) and Kane Williamson (37) fell before the lunch break.
Rachin Ravindra – who made 176 in Christchurch – was caught behind off Roach while chasing a wide one. Conway himself was then caught down the leg side off a poor Justin Greaves delivery, thanks to a superb diving take from Tevin Imlach. At that stage, New Zealand seemed to be wobbling at 117 for 4.
A fifth-wicket stand of 73 between Daryl Mithell (25) and Hay – the latter playing in place of the injured Tom Blundell – brought New Zealand closer to West Indies’ first-innings score of 205. Mitchell was conservative, while Hay leaned on his white-ball instincts to score his runs, producing strong cuts through the offside and, when tested with short balls, pulling confidently over the leg side.
Mitchell was eventually strangled down the leg side off Anderson Phillip. Hay later fell to the short-ball tactic: after striking back-to-back fours behind square leg, he miscued a pull off Shields straight to Roach at deep-backward square and walked back bitterly disappointed.
New Zealand’s batting may have been patchy, but their bowlers restored control with a sharp ten-over burst late in the day. John Campbell fell in the seventh over, beaten by a Rae delivery that zipped in to hit off stump. Next over, nightwatcher Phillip initially survived a DRS review for caught behind off Duffy, but a second look confirmed he was lbw instead. Brandon King (15) and Kavem Hodge (3) saw out the final few minutes, but West Indies still face a steep challenge when play resumes on Friday.
Brief scores: West Indies 206 & 32/2 vs New Zealand 278/9 decl (Mitchell Hay 61, Devon Conway 60, Kane Williamson 37; Anderson Phillip 3/70).
