New Zealand Take 1-0 Series Lead With Nine-Wicket Win In Wellington Test

 

 

After a win slipped out of their reach in the first Test of the three-match series, New Zealand managed to emerge triumphant in the second game with a nine-wicket win over the Caribbean side at Basin Reserve, Wellington, on Friday, December 12. New Zealand’s pace unit dished out a brilliant effort to bundle out the opposition on a low score in both innings, with Jacob Duffy taking six wickets in total. Blair Tickner also bowled an impressive spell in the first innings with four scalps before being ruled out of the match.

 

Winning the toss, New Zealand invited the visitors to bat. Their pace bowlers soon unleashed a quality spell, with Blair Tickner taking four wickets and Michael Rae taking three. The Blackcaps bundled out West Indies on 205 thanks to a collective effort. Shai Hope (47) and John Campbell (44) got to starts, but none of them converted them into big scores. New Zealand responded with a total of 278 as Devon Conway (60) and Mitchell Hay (61) scored fifties. Thanks to the half-centuries from the duo, New Zealand gained a 73-run lead in the first innings. Anderson Phillip picked up three wickets for the West Indies.

 

In the second innings, West Indies batters had no answers to the tough questions asked by the Kiwis. Jacob Duffy picked a five-wicket haul, and Michael Rae dismissed three batters to all out the visitors on 128. Only four batters managed to score in double digits, and Kavem Hodge was the highest run-scorer with a knock of 35 runs.