Jacob Duffy struck twice with the ball before Michael Bracewell and Matt Henry picked up one wicket apiece as New Zealand chipped away at the wickets with Shai Hope the only man showing resistance and has got an able ally in Justin Greaves. The concern for New Zealand though is Nathan Smith cannot bowl anymore due to lower back injury while Matt Henry towards the end of session has walked off with calf issue and is now in hospital that gives West Indies hope.
Jacob Duffy’s double strike and Michael Bracewell chipping in puts West Indies on back foot
John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul came out to resume for West Indies while Zak Foulkes had ball in hand for New Zealand. Foulkes bowled a maiden over to start things off. Jacob Duffy bowled from the other end as Campbell pulled him away to deep backward square leg for a boundary. But Duffy got his revenge removing Campbell for 15 off 38 balls with 3 fours to his name as he found the outside edge that carried to Bracewell at second slip.
Alick Athanaze came out to bat next. Foulkes continued and bowled another maiden. Duffy then got another as he removed Chanderpaul for 6 off 45 balls with a boundary to his name. Shai Hope came out to bat next. Duffy bowled a wicket maiden over. Foulkes continued as Athanaze got a streaky boundary away past the gully fielder through an outside edge. Duffy continued as Hope crunched him through midwicket for a boundary.
Michael Bracewell came into the attack next. He started with a maiden over. Duffy continued as Hope nailed the cover drive for a boundary. Bracewell continued and bowled a decent over. Matt Henry came back into the attack. Hope welcomed him back with a straight bat down the ground for a boundary. Bracewell bowled another maiden over. Henry continued as Hope showed wrist work and flicked it between mid-on and midwicket for a boundary.
Bracewell continued and got a bonus wicket as he removed Athanaze for 5 off 22 balls with one four to his name as the short ball did the trick which Athanaze mistimed it to Foulkes at mid-on. Captain Roston Chase came out to bat next. Chase showed brute power as he hoicked it over midwicket for a boundary. Henry continued as Hope punched him off the back foot for a boundary. West Indies were 64/3 in 25 overs when we paused for the official Drinks Break.
Roston Chase falls to Matt Henry; Shai Hope & Justin Greaves shows resistance to take the team to Tea
Michael Bracewell continued after the break as Hope rocked back and cut it hard through point off a short ball for a boundary. Henry continued and bowled another maiden over. Bracewell then pitched it up as Hope drove him through the covers for a boundary. Henry then got his first wicket as he dismissed Chase for 4 off 15 balls with one four to his name as he managed to find the outside edge as Chase pushed at it away from the body. Justin Greaves came out to bat next.
Bracewell continued and bowled a quiet over. Henry bowled a decent over as well. Bracewell kept it tight out there. Henry bowled another maiden over. Bracewell continued as Hope broke the shackles by slapping the ball to the left of extra cover for a boundary. Hope hit another boundary as he went deep in his crease and pulled it away to deep square leg for a boundary. Henry continued as Greaves punched it down the ground past mid-off for a boundary. Greaves hit another boundary by punching it between cover and point for a boundary.
Bracewell continued as Hope reached fifty again a fifty in each innings as he reached there in 72 balls as this was his 7th Test fifty. Jacob Duffy came back into the attack. He bowled a probing over. Bracewell continued and Hope then decided to take him on by clearing his front leg and launched it down the ground over long-on for the maximum. The 100 came up for West Indies in 38 overs. Duffy continued and bowled a decent over.
Rachin Ravindra came into the attack to bowl the final over before Tea. He bowled a maiden over. West Indies were 107/4 in 40 overs with Hope batting on 57* off 80 balls while Greaves was batting on 16* off 40 balls. All 4 wickets taken in this session with Jacob Duffy getting a couple of wickets while Michael Bracewell and Matt Henry picking a wicket each before Henry went off the field injured.
What Lies Ahead in Evening Session.Â
New Zealand are no doubt bossing the game and got 4 crucial wickets in that session of play but Shai Hope and Justin Greaves has shown tremendous grit and resolve to fight out there as West Indies reached 107/4 at Tea on Day 4. The problem for New Zealand is that they are two bowlers short in Matt Henry now with calf issues and Nathan Smith from the start with back issues. The pitch is flattening out and it gives West Indies to show resistance and maybe hang in for a draw tomorrow.
The evening session will be crucial for both sides and we have to wait and see whether West Indies can hold off a depleted New Zealand bowling line-up with more spin likely to be used now. Let’s see if New Zealand can close in on West Indies.
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