Published: December 10, 2025 at 1:53 pm
Blair Tickner, who was playing his first Test in two years, and debutant Michael Rae delivered a strong show for hosts New Zealand on the opening day of the second Test against West Indies in Wellington. The visitors were dismissed for 205 in 75 overs at the Basin Reserve and the hosts were 24 for no loss at stumps.
The only sour note for the hosts was Tickner being stretchered off late in the afternoon with a suspected dislocated left shoulder.
Tickner, who bagged four for 32, was the reason for turning a bright West Indies start into another disappointing score. The 30-year-old Rae, drafted into a severely depleted pace unit, complemented him with 3 for 67 in an energetic outing that gave the Black Caps the sting they had lacked in the early hour of the day. The first hour had belonged entirely to West Indies.
On a pitch far milder than the traditional green seamer,
Openers John Campbell and Brandon King had added 66 on a wicket which was milder than the traditional one. The Kiwis pacers Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes proved ineffective and that allowed scoring opportunities. Campbell drove through the line, King played compactly, and West Indies looked assured. But once New Zealand turned to Tickner and Rae the difference was visible. They operated either full or short but always at the stumps or the body, and the tone of the innings shifted dramatically.
Tickner was the first to strike when he had King in the 17th over. King, playing the Test after Tagenarine Chanderpaul picked up a side strain on the eve of the Test, and opening for only the second time in his Test career, was pinned lbw. Soon, Kavem Hodge was undone for a duck by a fuller ball from Tickner. The double-blow helped New Zealand quickly erase an indifferent start before lunch.
Rae, who had leaked runs in his first spell in Test cricket, made an impact after lunch. Coming around the wicket, he angled a full ball across Campbell, who leaned into a drive with firm hands and edged to first slip, and at 93 for 3, West Indies’ position was slipping.
Shai Hope and skipper Roston Chase attempted to restore stability with a 60-run stand for the fourth wicket. Hope scored freely but never convincingly. Hope reached 48, but Tickner finally cracked him with another rising delivery that he tried awkwardly to fend off, gloving a catch to Kane Williamson at third slip. Chase followed soon after, cramped by a Tickner delivery that jagged in sharply to catch the inside-edge on to leg stump for 29.
Justin Greaves, West Indies’ double-centurion in Christchurch, lasted 52 balls before Rae drew a faint outside edge with a tight off-stump line. Rae then trapped Kemar Roach lbw with a fuller delivery that kicked enough to beat the bat and straighten into middle stump, and at 184 for 7, the innings was in freefall.
However, disaster struck New Zealand soon. Tickner sprinted across from fine leg to stop a boundary-saving flick from Tevin Imlach and dived full-length near the rope. He landed awkwardly, stayed down, and the players signaled urgently as medical staff from both New Zealand and the venue rushed to him. After several minutes of treatment, he was stretchered off – sitting up, but in pain – to warm applause from the Basin Reserve crowd. He later left the ground in an ambulance, with early indications pointing to a suspected dislocated shoulder.
Glenn Phillips, the most prolific wicket-taker in New Zealand’s XI with 31 strikes coming into the game, then removed the last recognized batter, bowling Imlach with a fuller ball that straightened just enough to beat the inside edge.
Anderson Phillip was run out soon after attempting a risky single – first surviving a throw from Devon Conway but then succumbing when an alert Kristian Clarke broke the stumps on the rebound. Duffy ended West Indies’ innings by having Ojay Shields edge to third slip to end the innings at 205. West Indies lost their last seven wickets for just 52 runs.
New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Conway batted nine overs before stumps, with West Indies’ seamers asking questions occasionally and inducing a couple of edges that didn’t carry to the slip cordon. The 24 runs they added before stumps gave New Zealand the firm upper hand, now behind by only 181 behind going into the second day where batting promises to be easier.
Brief scores: West Indies 205 in 75 overs (Shai Hope 48, John Campbell 44, Brandon King 33, Roston Chase 29; Blair Tickner 4/32, Michael Rae 3/67) vs New Zealand 24 for no loss.
