West Indies bowler Daren Powell (left) and Daren Ganga celebrate a dismissal during day two of the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington. - Reuters
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP):
STEPHEN FLEMING was out in the 90s for the sixth time in his Test career as New Zealand built a commanding first-innings lead on the second day of the second Test against the West Indies.
Fleming fell for 97 after sharing a 165-run third-wicket partnership with Peter Fulton, which rebuilt New Zealand's innings and put it in charge of the second match of the three-Test series they lead 1-0.
New Zealand wrapped up the West Indies' first innings for 192, quickly capturing the last two wickets after the visitors' resumption at 182 for eight.
PLAYED DILIGENT ROLE
Fleming's 41st Test half century, Fulton's first and Nathan Astle's 23rd carried New Zealand to 335 for seven at stumps, an overall lead of 143 with three wickets in hand and three days remaining.
Fulton played a diligent role as Fleming's junior partner, more briefly as Astle's, making 75 before losing his wicket to the first ball after tea. Astle went on, with the steadiness and composure his team has come to expect, to make an unbeaten 65 and to share an 86-run seventh-wicket partnership with Daniel Vettori, who was the last man out for 42.
Fleming played another of the good-news, bad-news innings which have characterised his career.
He transformed the New Zealand innings and the match after the home team had slumped to three for two with the loss of openers Hamish Marshall (three) and Jamie How (0) in the second and third overs of their reply.
QUALITY STROKEPLAY
His strokeplay had the qualities of authority, grace, judgment and technical proficiency which have marked him, at his best, among the world's best left-handers.
He favoured the cut shot and the West Indies, in their discomposure as the New Zealand total rose, gave him plenty of chances to use it with wide and short-pitched bowling.
He played crisp and well-timed drives with the short backlift, minimal follow throw and economical footwork which are also hallmarks of his batting when he is in form.
But Fleming was also tempted to cut once to often, when he had come within three runs of his ninth Test century, and he was caught on the third man boundary by Dwayne Bravo off Fidel Edwards.
Fleming highlighted the worst feature of his record the imbalance between his 42 half centuries and eight centuries. He retains one of the worst conversion rates among top batsmen of 50s to hundreds.
New Zealand progressed to 207 for three at tea, then quickly lost Fulton for 75, after he had batted for almost four hours, Scott Styris for eight and Brendan McCullum for 23.
Those three wickets, within 10 overs, heartened the West Indies, but Astle and Vettori won back the advantage for New Zealand with their late partnership.
SCOREBOARD
West Indies first innings
(Resumed at 182-8)
I. Bradshaw not out 20
D. Powell c How b Mills 16
F. Edwards c Fleming b Mills 0
Extras (2b, 1lb, 3nb) 6
TOTAL (all out - 61.4 overs) 192
Fall: 1-43, 2-45, 3-49, 4-80, 5-102, 6-108, 7-142, 8-165, 9-186, 10-192.
Bowling: Chris Martin 14-1-66-2 (1nb), James Franklin 20-7-53-5 (1nb), Kyle Mills 19.4-7-53-3 (1nb), Daniel Vettori 5-2-13-0, Nathan Astle 3-2-4-0.
New Zealand first innings
H. Marshall c Chanderpaul b Bradshaw 3
J. How b Edwards 0
P. Fulton c Ramdin b Powell 75
S. Fleming c Bravo b Edwards 97
N. Astle not out 65
S. Styris c Morton b Powell 8
B. McCullum c Ramdin b Powell 23
D. Vettori c Chanderpaul b Edwards 42
J. Franklin not out 2
Extras (4lb,1w,15nb) 20
TOTAL (for seven wkts - 90 overs) 335
Fall: 1-3, 2-3, 3-168, 4-207, 5-219, 6-246, 7-332.
Bowling: Fidel Edwards 14-1-64-3 (6nb), Ian Bradshaw 19-2-97-1 (3nb), Daren Powell 17-4-69-3 (1nb), Chris Gayle 13-3-37-0, Rawl Lewis 26-8-57-0 (5nb), Runako Morton 1-0-7-0.
