West Indies middle order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan (left) punishes New Zealand's fast bowler Shane Bond through the off-side during day two of the first Test match at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand yesterday. Bond eventually dismissed Sarwan for 62, in the West Indies' first innings score of 257 all out. - PHOTO BY GORDON BROOKS/DIGICELAUCKLAND, New Zealand (CMC):
AN UNDERMANNED West Indies team displayed discipline and commitment in a heartening final session on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand at Eden Park yesterday.
Having recovered from the early dismissals of star batsman Brian Lara and captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul to reach within 18 runs of the Black Caps' first innings total, the tourists then reduced the home team to 98 for four in their second innings by the close, a lead of 116 runs going into the third day.
Ian Bradshaw, who took three wickets on his first day of Test cricket the day before, and fellow Barbadian Fidel Edwards claimed two victims apiece to put New Zealand on the back foot after half-centuries by vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo lifted the tourists from the discomfort of 90 for five to a final total of 257 on the stroke of the tea interval.
UNBELIEVABLE TWO-HANDED CATCH
Bradshaw, who is the least athletic in the field for the West Indies, stunned his teammates and maybe even himself when he leapt high at long-leg to pull down an unbelievable two-handed catch to remove first innings centurion Scott Styris just before stumps.
The all-rounder, shaken up after being struck on the left side of the jaw by another skidding bouncer from Edwards the over before, hooked powerfully and looked around in disbelief to see the lanky 31-year-old pulling down the catch almost on the edge of the boundary rope.
However the Caribbean side's enthusiasm was tempered by the fact that they had only themselves to blame for Stephen Fleming still being at the crease going into Saturday's play.
The New Zealand captain was put down by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin down the leg-side off Dwayne Smith before he had scored.
The left-hander then twice edged boundaries at catchable height through the slip cordon, leaving the West Indies to hope that he had used up all of his good fortune in reaching 19 not out in partnership with nightwatchman James Franklin.
TAYLOR INJURED
The fact that the home side's top order was never allowed to dominate through the 34 overs bowled in that last session was a testament to the effort of a West Indies bowling line-up again deprived of the services of Jerome Taylor.
The Jamaican pacer, who bowled only eight overs in the first innings before leaving the field with a left hamstring strain, managed just one over in the second innings and already there will be a question mark over his fitness for the second Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington in six days' time.
When the Windies had resumed batting in the morning, after getting off the mark with a trademark cover-driven boundary off Franklin, Lara miscued an attempted pull to the first delivery he faced from Shane Bond and the young Auckland player hung on to the straightforward catch at squad-leg as if his life depended on it.
When Chanderpaul then touched a leg-side delivery from Franklin into wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum's gloves, a collapse seemed imminent. But Bravo justified the decision to play him as a batsman, joining Sarwan in an 89-run sixth-wicket partnership that was full of pleasing strokes.
Sarwan, missed on 42 when he drove a firm catch back to the bowler Chris Martin, brought up his 24th Test half-century just before lunch off 71 balls with eight fours. Bond, who dismissed the Guyanese right-hander twice playing the pull shot during New Zealand's pivotal Test victory in Barbados four years ago, was summoned immediately after the interval and served up a quick bouncer that Sarwan, on 62, could not resist, his top-edged hook finding Franklin on the long-leg boundary.
Undaunted by his demise, Bravo (59) proceeded to a fourth fifty off 95 deliveries with eight fours, supported by Smith in a 58-run seventh-wicket stand.
As in the one-day series, Smith continued to amaze with the sheer power of his shot-making, striking seven fours in 38 off 43 balls before being caught in two minds and giving catching practice to McCullum off Martin. His departure at 237 for seven triggered a final collapse in which the last four wickets fell for just 20 runs.
