WELLINGTON, New Zealand: Kirk Edwards and Marlon Samuels made half centuries to guide the West Indies to 158-4 in reply to New Zealand first innings of 441 at stumps Thursday on the second day of the second test.
On a day when rain restricted play to 62 overs, Edwards and Samuels showed resilience at the top of the order, though the late dismissal of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (6) left the match tilted in the home team's favor.
After a rain-delayed start, New Zealand took only 25 overs to add 134 runs to its overnight total of 307-6 as wicketkeeper B.J. Watling made 65 to anchor a productive tail order contribution
Earlier rain prevented play between lunch and tea Thursday on the second day of the second test between New Zealand and the West Indies after the Black Caps had been bowled out for 441.
B.J. Watling made 65 and marshalled a defiant tail order that pushed New Zealand to a strong first innings total after having been sent in to bat. Light rain began to fall as the players left the field and continued into the afternoon, prompting the umpires to call an early tea.
The showers seemed to have passed by the tea break and fine weather was forecast late in the day.
New Zealand resumed at 307-6 after rain delayed the start of play by 75 minutes and added 134 runs at a rate five runs per over before the innings ended just on lunch.
Watling added 38 for the seventh wicket with Tim Southee (21), 49 for the eighth with Ish Sodhi (27) and, after Sodhi and Neil Wagner were out to consecutive balls, 58 for the last wicket with Trent Boult.
The stand between Watling and Boult was the largest by a New Zealand last-wicket pair against the West Indies.
Watling resumed at 8 Thursday, batting at No. 8, and was again the fulcrum around which the tail order could operate.
Southee, bent on all-out attack, carried his total from 9 overnight to 21 from 14 balls with four clubbed boundaries before he was out in the fifth over of the day with the total 334.
Sodhi then hit 27 from 35 balls with three fours, helping lift New Zealand to 383-8.
Tino Best had a chance to take a hat trick when he removed Sodhi and Wagner with successive balls. Sodhi feathered a catch to wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin and Wagner edged to Darren Sammy at second slip.
Boult faced and defended the hat trick ball, then went on to make 38 from 27 balls with five fours and two sixes.
The freedom with which he batted was further evidence of the inconsistency of the West Indies seamers, who were again guilty of bowling too short.
Tino Best, who lasted only two overs with the new ball on day one, had only one over at the start of play Thursday, conceding 12 runs and immediately being taken out of the attack before returning for his two quick wickets. He finished with 4-110 from 21 overs.
B.J. Watling made 65 and marshalled a defiant tail order before New Zealand was all out 441 in its first innings Thursday on the second day of the second test against the West Indies.
New Zealand resumed at 307-6 after rain delayed the start of play by 75 minutes and added 134 runs at a rate five runs per over before the innings ended just on lunch.
Watling added 38 for the seventh wicket with Tim Southee (21), 49 for the eighth with Ish Sodhi (27) and, after Sodhi and Neil Wagner were out to consecutive balls, 58 for the last wicket with Trent Boult.
The stand between Watling and Boult was the largest by a New Zealand last-wicket pair against the West Indies.
Watling resumed at 8 Thursday, batting at No. 8, and was again the fulcrum around which the tail order could operate.
Southee, bent on all-out attack, carried his total from 9 overnight to 21 from 14 balls with four clubbed boundaries before he was out in the fifth over of the day with the total 334.
Sodhi then hit 27 from 35 balls with three fours in a stand with Watling which lifted New Zealand to 383-8.
Tino Best had a chance to take a hat trick when he removed Sodhi and Wagner with successive balls. Sodhi feathered a catch to wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin and Wagner edged to Darren Sammy at second slip.
Boult faced and defended the hat trick ball, then went on to make 38 from 27 balls with five fours and two sixes.
The freedom with which he batted was further evidence of the inconsistency of the West Indies seamers, who were again guilty of bowling too short.
Tino Best, who lasted only two overs with the new ball on day one, had only one over at the start of play Thursday, conceding 12 runs and immediately being taken out of the attack before returning for his two quick wickets. He finished with 4-110 from 21 overs.
Although rain delayed the start by more than an hour Thursday, session times were readjusted and only three overs have been lost in the overall day's play.
