The moving day of the Test match in Christchurch belonged to Rachin Ravindra and captain Tom Latham as they scored masterful daddy hundreds to put New Zealand in an extremely dominant position at the end of Day 3. They started their partnership at 100/2 and then took the game away from the West Indies. They got out in the final session but not before the damage was already done as New Zealand reached 417/4 in 95 overs with a lead of 481 runs.
It was a hard toil for the West Indies bowlers as they had their moments in the opening session but then were dominated in the last two sessions. Kemar Roach and Ojay Shields toiled hard and got their rewards getting 2 wickets apiece while the others struggled to have the right lines and lengths as New Zealand inch closer to another win.
West Indies strike twice to keep New Zealand under check in morning session.Â
Captain Tom Latham and Devon Conway resumed proceedings for New Zealand while Kemar Roach started the proceedings for West Indies. Roach bowled a quiet over. Jayden Seales took the ball from the other end as Conway drove him down the ground through long-on fence. Roach bowler a maiden and bowled probing lines and lengths. Seales too kept things tight. Roach bowled another maiden over as West Indies kept things under check.
Runs were coming in an occasional single and a lot of dot balls as well. Roach in particular bowled maiden after maidens. Johann Layne came into the attack for the first time in the innings. Conway broke the shackles by hitting a boundary by leaning into the extra cover drive for a boundary. Roach continued as the 50-run stand and for the team was raised in 15.3 overs. Layne bowled a tight over next.
Seales came back into the attack and bowled a maiden over. Layne continued as Latham got into the act as he drove him with a straight bat to the left of the bowler for a boundary. Seales bowled another maiden as New Zealand were 57/0 in 20 overs. Layne too started his spell well hardly giving anything away. Seales continued as Conway drilled him down the ground for a boundary past mid-off. New Zealand reached 63/0 in 22 overs when we paused for Drinks in the morning session with Conway on 33* off 67 balls and Latham on 27* off 65 balls.
Ojay Shields came into the attack for the first time in the innings after the Break. Shields bowled a decent over. Seales continued and bowled a maiden over. Shields gifted away 5 wides to the batting side as a bonus. Justin Greaves came into the attack next. He bowled a decent over as well. Latham managed to get a streaky boundary through the edge between slips and gully for a boundary. Conway got into the act as he pulled it well in front of square for a boundary.
Shields then broke the opening stand as he removed Conway 37 off 78 balls with 7 fours to his name as he was holed out to deep backward point where Kavem Hodge took the catch. Kane Williamson came out to bat next. Greaves continued as Williamson got off the mark by pulling it and getting a top edge over the keeper for a boundary. Shields bowled another good over. Greaves continued and bowled another decent over. Shields bowled another good over.
Greaves continued as Williamson hit him for a triple as the 100 came up in 32 overs for New Zealand. Kemar Roach came back into the attack and he removed Kane Williamson for 9 off 28 balls with one four to his name at the stroke of Lunch. Williamson looked to defend but got squared up to get the outside edge through to the keeper who made no mistake. Tom Latham remained unbeaten on 40 off 91 balls as New Zealand went to Lunch at 100/2 in 32.5 overs with a lead of 164 runs.
Tom Latham’s ton and Rachin Ravindra’s counter-attacking fifty drives New Zealand forward.Â
Rachin Ravindra joined Tom Latham at the crease as Kemar Roach finished the remaining ball of the over. Justin Greaves operated from the other end as Ravindra showed intent by flicking it down the ground past mid-on for a boundary. Ravindra hit another boundary as he slashed the ball behind square for a boundary. Roach kept things tight with a maiden. Greaves continued as Ravindra got a lifeline with Roach dropping a tough chance.
Latham got into the act by throwing his hands at it as the ball went away to deep backward point fence. Roach kept things under check. Ravindra hit Greaves for a boundary by driving through the covers. Ravindra got another lifeline off Greaves as Kavem Hodge dropped the catch at first slip. Roach bowled another decent over. Greaves kept things tidy.
Layne came back into the attack as Ravindra got a streaky boundary through the slip cordon via a thick outside edge. Ravindra carved it away past covers for a boundary. Seales continued as Latham reached his fifty in 118 balls his 32nd Test match fifty. The lead went past 200 now. Layne bowled a decent over. Seales continued as West Indies wasted a DRS call on Latham by burning the review when pitched outside the leg stump.
Ravindra slammed Layne for a boundary by pulling it behind square. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Seales continued and bowled a decent over. Latham hit Layne for a boundary via the pull through midwicket. New Zealand reached 163/2 in 47 overs when we all paused for the Drinks Break in afternoon session.
Ravindra climbed onto Seal after the break by hitting consecutive boundaries through deep square leg and point region. Ojay Shields came back into the attack and bowled decently. Roston Chase came into the attack next. Ravindra hit him for a boundary through backward point as he reached his fifty in 52 balls notching up his 5th Test fifty. Shields bowled a tight over. Chase too kept it tight. Latham then pulled Shields between deep square leg and deep fine leg for a boundary.
Chase continued as Ravindra pulled him to deep midwicket for a boundary as the 200 came up in 53.5 overs for New Zealand. Latham took the attack to Shields hitting him for back-to-back boundaries first driving down the ground and pulled it to deep backward square leg. Latham entered the 90s. Kemar Roach came back into the attack as Latham flicked him to the deep square leg fence. Chase changed ends and delivered a good over.
Roach continued as Ravindra dispatched it away by pulling the ball to deep midwicket for a boundary. Chase bowled another tight over. Latham finally brought up a century with a triple to get to his 14th Test ton. He got there in 179 balls. Ravindra hit the last ball before Tea through deep midwicket for a boundary. New Zealand reached 233/2 in 60 overs with Latham on 100* off 179 balls while Ravindra was batting on 70* off 75 balls when Tea was called with the lead at 297 runs.
Rachin Ravindra & Tom Latham falls after their tons as New Zealand march ahead into a commanding position.Â
Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra resumed for New Zealand while captain Roston Chase started the proceedings for West Indies. Ravindra was on a mission straightaway hitting a boundary through a cut shot to deep backward point as the lead went past 300 runs. Justin Greaves bowled from the other end as Latham drove the full toss through deep cover point for a boundary. Ravindra slammed Greaves straight down the ground for a boundary. Chase bowled another tight over.
The partnership soon passed 150 as Latham innovated to play the ramp shot over fine leg shuffling across for a boundary. Chase continued and dropped it short which Ravindra pulled it over deep midwicket for a flat maximum. Greaves bowled a decent over. Chase bowled a tight over. Ravindra showed his class as he punched Greaves down the ground for a boundary. Chase bowled another good over.
Greaves bowled a decent over as well. The lead swelled to 350 soon. Soon, the moment came as Ravindra reached his hundred off 108 balls his 4th Test hundred by the pull shot through midwicket for a boundary. Ravindra switched gears after reaching the landmark as he slog swept Chase over midwicket for a boundary. Ravindra got a triple as the 300 came up for New Zealand in 73.1 overs. Ravindra once again hit the pull shot and nailed it through midwicket for a boundary. Chase bowled another decent over.
Layne bowled a decent over as well. Chase too kept things under check. Ravindra then absolutely crunched Layne past covers for a boundary. Ravindra was not done yet as he flicked it behind square for a boundary. Chase continued as Ravindra swept hard to deep square leg for a boundary. Layne continued as Ravindra flicked it away to the left of mid-on for a boundary as the 400 lead came up for New Zealand. Ravindra got a triple as well as New Zealand reached 341/2 in 80 overs with second new ball due for the bowling team. Drinks was also taken at this stage in the evening session.
The new ball was straightaway taken as Jayden Seales came back into the attack. Ravindra drove him through the covers for a boundary. Kemar Roach came out to bowl from the other end as Ravindra slashed and slashed hard through cover point for a boundary as 150 came up for Rachin Ravindra and the partnership reached 250 between the two players. Ravindra was unstoppable as he stepped down the ground and slapped it through covers for a boundary.
Latham got into the act as he flicked it away to deep midwicket for a boundary. Roach continued as Tom Latham completed 6000 Test runs. Seales bowled a decent over. Roach too kept it tight as West Indies had gone on the defensive. Ravindra hit Seales by punching on the up through deep cover point for a boundary. Roach finally gave West Indies something to cheer about as he removed Tom Latham for 145 off 250 balls with 12 fours to his name. Latham drove away from the body and paid the price to get an inside edge through to the keeper.
Will Young came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary by punching it to sweeper cover fence. Seales bowled another quiet over as the lead reached 450 now. Justin Greaves came back into the attack next. He bowled a decent over. Ojay Shields returned to the attack as Young slammed him over midwicket for a boundary. The 400 came up for New Zealand in 90.4 overs. Young then pulled Shields away for a boundary to deep midwicket.
Greaves continued as Ravindra leaned into the drive through cover and mid-off for a boundary. Shields then dismissed Ravindra for a magnificent 176 off 185 balls with 27 fours and a six to his name as the pin point yorker at the stumps with Ravindra unable to get the bat down in time with the ball crashing the middle stump. Michael Bracewell came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Greaves continued and bowled a decent over. Shields bowled the last over of the day which was safely negotiated as New Zealand ended Day 3 at 417/4Â in 95 overs to lead by 481 runs. Young is batting on 21* off 15 balls with 3 fours to his name while Michael Bracewell is with him on 6* off 14 balls. 23 extras given by the fielding side.
It was a hard toil for West Indies bowlers as they went the distance and managed to take 4 wickets. Kemar Roach was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/61 in 19 overs while Ojay Shields has figures of 2/64 in 13 overs. The others went wicketless and went for runs as well.
What Lies Ahead.Â
New Zealand dominated Day 3 and is in total control of the match now. Tom Latham said they will bat again to pile on the runs with the lead at 481. West Indies are looking hapless in the field and waiting for declaration and then try and bat. They are out of the game and will do well to save the game. Let’s see how Day 4 unfolds for all of us.
Also Read: NZ vs WI: Tom Latham’s Magical Ton Puts New Zealand In Ascendancy