A New Zealand team with a crowded medical ward met stiff resistance and was unable to finish off the West Indies on the fourth day of the first test, Friday, after setting the tourists 531 to win.
Shai Hope led the resistance with his fourth test century in an unbroken partnership of 140 with Justin Greaves, which began when New Zealand captured four wickets relatively quickly in the second session. At stumps, Hope was 116 not out, Greaves was 55 not out, and the West Indies were 212-4, trailing New Zealand by 319 runs.
New Zealand led by 530 runs when its second innings came to an end Thursday at 466-8. It was a moot point whether New Zealand declared or simply ran out of fit batters. Wicketkeeper Tom Blundell was unable to bat because of a hamstring injury, and all-rounder Nathan Smith was inactive with a side strain.
Matt Henry bowled 11 overs in the West Indies’ second innings before leaving to visit the hospital, handily adjacent to Hagley Oval, for scans on a painful calf muscle. With Henry and Smith out of action, Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes, with only two previous tests between them and in their first tests at home, were left as New Zealand’s only fit pacers.
To add injury to injury, Hope is still affected by a serious eye infection, which has forced him to bat in sunglasses in both innings, to make a half-century in the first innings and a century. He was unable to field for most of New Zealand’s second innings and needed antibiotic eye drops.
That made his effort throughout the fourth day all the more meritorious as the medical staff of both teams were kept busily employed. “I don’t want to give away too much, but it’s just about understanding what you have to do to overcome a situation,” Hope said. “They’ve got quality bowlers in test cricket, nobody’s a walkover in this format.”
New Zealand had no choice from the second session but to tie up one end with the spinners Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra, then rotate Duffy and Foulkes at the other end with the nagging wind at their backs. Bracewell bowled 22 overs, taking 1-54; Ravindra bowled nine overs, Duffy bowled 19 overs and took 2-65, and Foulkes bowled 13 overs.
