[www.inewsguyana.com] – Career-best bowling from Sunil Narine was followed by another dramatic West Indies batting collapse in the final period, leaving New Zealand to chase 122 for victory in the third Test on Saturday.
Narine grabbed 6-91 from 42.3 overs, but Ross Taylor 131 – hit his third hundred of the series – as the New Zealanders were dismissed for 349 just before tea on the third day at Seddon Park to give the Windies a slender first innings lead of 18.
The Caribbean side then failed to ease concerns about their batting, as the Black Caps’ pacemen, led by left-arm swinger Trent Boult with 4-23 from 10 overs, bowled them out for 103 in their second innings just before the scheduled close.
West Indies captain Darren Sammy hit the top score of 24 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul made 20, but no other batsman reached that many, as Tim Southee captured 3-12 from 8.5 overs and left-arm medium-fast bowler Neil Wagner claimed 2-34 from seven overs.
The Windies then failed to make a breakthrough, as openers Peter Fulton and Hamish Rutherford carried New Zealand to six without loss before stumps were drawn.
A painful ankle that kept Kieran Powell off the field during the latter stages of the Black Caps’ first innings meant that Kraigg Brathwaite and Kirk Edwards were forced to open the batting for the visitors in their second innings.
In the twinkling of eye, all three were sent packing in a destructive opening spell from Boult that left West Indies wobbling on 13 for three.
The Windies trail 0-1 in the three-Test series, following a defeat by an innings and 73 runs in the second Test which ended last Friday at the Basin Reserve in the New Zealand capital of Wellington.
Rain forced a draw in the first Test which ended two Saturdays ago at University Oval in the South Island city of Dunedin.
