A steady spell of rain disrupted the second session of West Indies versus New Zealand Test match at Port of Spain, Trinidad. West Indies were 138 for the loss of three wickets when the match was stopped due to rain. When the play resumed, Darren Bravo and Kraigg Brathwaite were batting in the middle for the West Indies. West Indies ended the second session at 209 for three.
In fact, Tim Southee got the ball to move away Darren Bravo in the second session and beat him a few times. However, surprisingly, he didn’t look to bowl much from around the wicket to the left-hander. Bravo himself played some fine strokes. The shot of the day was perhaps when he played on the up to thump Mark Craig, the off-spinner for a boundary. Bravo then, went onto complete his half-century. Brathwaite is playing a steady hand and at the end of the second session he is on 85.
Earlier, West Indies resumed on their overnight score of six for one and went onto make 124 for the loss of three wickets at the end of the first session. It was Southee and Boult who opened the bowling for New Zealand. Both swung the ball appreciably in the air. Finally, Southee got the breakthrough by dismissing the nightwatchman, Sulieman Benn by castling the tail-ender.
Once Benn was out though, New Zealand lost control of the proceedings. Kirk Edwards, the No 3 batsman came out attacking and played some fine shots on the back-foot. New Zealand bowlers, especially Jimmy Neesham the all-rounder was guilty of bowling short and wide to Edwards.
Brathwaite, the opener known for playing a steady hand also played a few shots, especially against the off-spinner and man of the moment, Craig. Actually, both batsmen went after the off-spinner. Edwards even thwacked him for a six down the ground and then one over long-on. It is clearly a plan to unsettle the off-spinner. It was Ish Sodhi, the leg-spinner who finally took the wicket of Edwards. He got one to spin past Edwards and then caught the edge of his bat, the next ball with a similar delivery.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 221 (Tom Latham 82, Kane Williamson 42, Ross Taylor 45*; Jerome Taylor 4 for 34, Sulieman Benn 3 for 73) lead West Indies 209 for 3 (Kraigg Brathwaite 85*, Darren Bravo 58*; Trent Boult 1 for 23) by 12 runs.
(Bharath Ramaraj, an MBA in marketing, eats, drinks and sleeps cricket. He has played at school and college-level, and now channelises his passion for the game by writing about it)
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