Ross Taylor’s third century in consecutive tests and a devastating spell by Trent Boult have given New Zealand the upper hand after the third day of the third test against the West Indies, with it the chance to secure a rare series win.
In the face of Boult’s aggression, the West Indies crumbled to be all out for 103 in two and a half hours in their second innings, leaving New Zealand 122 to win the match for a 2-0 series victory. New Zealand was 6-0 after two overs in its second innings at stumps.
Earlier, Taylor’s 131 helped the home team to 349 in reply to the West Indies’ 367. Off-spinner Sunil Narine completed Test-best figures of 6-91 to give the West Indies’ a first innings lead of 18.
But any advantage the tourists enjoyed quickly evaporated when Boult ripped through their top order, removing Kraigg Brathwaite (7), Kieran Powell (0) and Kirk Edwards (1) to leave them 13-3 in the ninth over.
The third day has been decisive in each of the last two tests. A total of 16 West Indian wickets fell on the third day at Wellington as New Zealand bowled out the tourists for 193 and 175 in reply to its 441 to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Seventeen wickets fell at Seddon Park on Saturday as Narine wrapped up the New Zealand innings after its resumption at 156-3, then the West Indies’ second innings ended in 31.5 overs.
Boult took 4-23 to lift his tally of wickets in the series to 20 and Tim Southee took 3-12, claiming all three of his wickets in the last over of the innings to go from 98 to 101 wickets in Tests.
The innings began to teeter when Boult, in explosive form after his match figures of 10-80 in Wellington, dismissed Brathwaite and Powell in the same over — the fifth of the innings — then removed Edwards four overs later.
The troubles deepened when out-of-form Marlon Samuels was out for 8 at 40-4 and New Zealand struck its critical blow when Kane Williamson took a brilliant catch at second slip to dismiss first innings century-maker Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 20, leaving the West Indies 46-5.
The first part of the third day belonged to Taylor who, resuming on 56 not out, carried on to his 11th test century in 284 minutes of 239 balls. Taylor was the only New Zealand batsman who looked completely confident against the spin of Narine and he provided the foundation of the innings as New Zealand limited the West Indies’ lead.
He became only the second New Zealander after Mark Burgess to score three centuries in consecutive tests. In an historical oddity, Burgess achieved the feat in a Test against Pakistan in 1969, another against England in 1971 and a third against the West Indies in 1972 during an era when New Zealand’s Test opportunities were severely limited.
Taylor joined Nathan Astle on 11 test centuries and only Martin Crowe (24) and John Wright 17 have scored more for New Zealand.
Brief Scores
West Indies: 367 and 103 (Darren Sammy 24; Trent Boult 4-23, Tim Southee 3-12) lead New Zealand: 349 (Ross Taylor 131, Kane Williamson 58; Sunil Narine 6-91) and 6-0 (Peter Fulton 4 not out) by 116 runs.