New Zealand fight back against Windies
WELLINGTON: The West Indies claimed two wickets but dropped two chances to allow New Zealand to reach 79-2 at lunch Wednesday on the first day of the second cricket Test.
After winning the toss and sending New Zealand in to bat the West Indies secured the wickets of Peter Fulton (6) and Hamish Rutherford (11) to place New Zealand under intense pressure at 24-2.
But Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor joined in an unbeaten 55-run partnership which allowed New Zealand to recover from its poor start.
Williamson was 21 and Taylor, who made a double century in the first test, was 32 at lunch. Fulton and Rutherford both fell to catches behind the wicket but two dropped catches in the slips, one by Sammy, cost the West Indies a much stronger position.
New Zealand´s batsmen faced a stern test from the first ball of the day when Fulton was judged lbw to Tino Best, bowling upwind into a stiff northerly. The West Indies were jubilant that their decision to bowl had been so swiftly rewarded but Fulton called for a review of the decision and replays showed an inside edge onto his front pad.
Rutherford was then dropped by Sammy at second slip off Shannon Gabriel in the sixth over of the day, when he was 8 and New Zealand was 14.
Sammy had to dive forward to take the catch and the ball spilled through his fingers.
A much more costly error occurred when Taylor was dropped by Kirk Edwards at third slip off Best before he had scored. New Zealand was 26-2 when Edwards dived in front of Sammy to take a high chance which burst through his hands.
Taylor made the West Indies pay, reaching 32 from 52 balls before lunch. With his help, New Zealand recovered from its perilous position at 24-2 and scored at six runs an over through the last half hour of the session. (AP)
