Scores Upcoming Results
09-Jun-2014 04:41:00 GMT
West Indies v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kingston

Williamson Ton Puts Kiwis on Top

Kingston: Kane Williamson's sixth Test century and Tom Latham's 83 were the high points for the Blackcaps as they finished day one in a strong position at 240-2 after winning the toss and opting to strap on the pads.

At the start of the day Brendon McCullum had some luck at the toss, as he got the call right and immediately chose to put his team, including debutant Mark Craig, in to bat. It was certainly not what the local Jamaican fans were after, as they were keen to see their famous son Chris Gayle come straight out to bat in his 100th Test.

There had been much debate over which openers would be selected for this match. In the end the Blackcaps went for the experience of Peter Fulton mixed with the youth of Tom Latham on a windy and overcast day in Kingston.

Unfortunately Fulton would be undone early for just one - Jerome Taylor getting him to poke at a ball caught by the keeper Denesh Ramdin.

In contrast, his fellow opener Latham went on to score 83 in only his second Test for his country. He had earlier survived three referrals – the first shown to be bat pad after an lbw shout, the next proved he had nothing on it after being given caught in close, and the third the most fortunate – a no ball after being caught at point.

But the referrals didn't rattle him as he went on to make his 50, before popping a return catch to Shillingford to end his innings on 83 from 206 balls. He had added 165 with Williamson for the second wicket. 

Williamson was playing his now-customary steadying role, and was very happy to get into a war of attrition with the home attack. He was patient to the extreme, typified by the 34 balls and 51 minutes he spent on 93. If he was nervous, he certainly didn't show it.

Ross Taylor was a little more action-packed, getting a life on four after a mix up between the wickets, scrambling to make his ground after a sharp stop and throw from Gayle at mid-wicket.

The arrival of the new ball upped the scoring rate, with Taylor tonking Roach for several boundaries through the off side.  Taylor was keen to get at the home bowlers in the gloomy late conditions, and before long the West Indies had reverted to their spin attack with a new-ish ball.

With Williamson not out on 105 and Taylor on 34, the Kiwis are in a strong position to bat once and bat big.

Brief scores
New Zealand -
240/2 (Williamson 105*, Latham 83)


Scores Upcoming Results
Related links

Top