Tag: New Zealand

CHRISTCHURCH: Big centuries by Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra put New Zealand firmly in control of the first Test against the West Indies with a lead of 481 at stumps on day three in Christchurch on Thursday.

The pair put on 279 for the third wicket before Latham was out for 145. Ravindra followed soon after for 176.

At stumps, Will Young was 21, Michael Bracewell was on six, and New Zealand were 417-4 to go with their 64-run first innings lead.

The West Indies would need to break their own record fourth innings chase to overhaul New Zealand, having reached 418-7 to beat Australia in 2003.

After two days of overcast skies favouring swing and seam bowling, the pitch flattened out under bright sunshine as day three progressed.

The West Indies attack was not so threatening, and they also suffered from a lack of discipline, conceding runs to fielding lapses and giving away 23 extras, including 11 wides.

Latham and Ravindra presented contrasting styles as they set a New Zealand-best third wicket partnership against the West Indies, and Latham passed 6,000 Test runs.

New Zealand captain Latham laid the foundations of the innings in a clinical 84-run opening stand with Devon Conway, who made 37.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

After a brief partnership with Kane Williamson, who fell for nine, Latham was on 40 when he was joined by Ravindra in an aggressive move.

While Latham was methodical and largely chanceless, Ravindra took to the bowling in one-day mode and made the West Indies suffer for dropping him on eight and 13.

His 176 came off 185 deliveries, with one six and 27 fours, including one from the first ball he faced.

He also smacked fours to pass the 50, 100 and 150 milestones.

Latham faced 250 deliveries for his 145 and hit 12 fours.

For the West Indies, Kemar Roach had both Latham and Williamson caught behind to return figures of 2-61.

He accounted for Latham with a shorter length delivery that found an inside edge on its way to Tevin Imlach.

Ojay Shields took 2-64, bowling Ravindra with a yorker and having Conway caught at square leg.

READ: Pakistan stars unlikely to participate in full BPL season: sources

CHRISTCHURCH: A five-wicket haul by Jacob Duffy gave New Zealand a 64-run first-innings lead over the West Indies after the tourists were all out for 167 in the first Test on Wednesday.

At stumps on day two in Christchurch, New Zealand, were 32-0 in their second innings to be 96 ahead. Devon Conway was 15 not out with Tom Latham on 14.

Once the forgotten man of New Zealand domestic cricket, Duffy found himself the enforcer in only his second Test.

In 16 deliveries following a rain break in the final session, Duffy removed the last four West Indian batters while conceding only two runs off his bowling.

The fast bowler had earlier dismissed the West Indies top scorer, Shai Hope, for 56 to finish with career-best figures of 5-34 off 17.4 overs.

Half-centuries from Hope and Tagenarine Chanderpaul provided the backbone of the West Indies innings in a 90-run stand for the third wicket.

Hope, wearing sunglasses under heavily overcast skies because of an eye infection, went to the crease with the West Indies in early trouble at 10-2.

Despite being affected by conjunctivitis and needing breaks to be treated with eye drops, he produced a near-chanceless sixth Test half-century.

But on 56, he allowed a short ball from Duffy to brush his gloves on its way to wicketkeeper Latham and was gone.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Matt Henry struck twice with a double-wicket maiden, having Roston Chase and Justin Greaves caught behind by Latham as the West Indies slumped from 100-2 to 106-5.

Chanderpaul battled his way to 52 from 169 deliveries before he was undone by Zak Foulkes as the floodlights came on under murky skies after the tea break.

The West Indies opener had been dropped twice, on five and 24, by Conway at leg slip.

But Conway, leaping to his left, pouched the third chance sent his way at midwicket.

After a 30-minute rain interruption, Duffy removed Tevin Imlach (14), Johann Layne (0), Jayden Seales (2) and Ojay Shields (0).

The West Indies took just three balls to end the New Zealand first innings at the start of the day, without an addition to the overnight score of 231.

Foulkes, the last man out, was then immediately in the action with the ball, removing John Campbell for one with his first delivery.

Will Young completed the dismissal with a smart one-handed catch to his left at third slip, but then dropped a regulation chance when Alick Athanaze, on four, edged Henry.

However, the scoreboard had not moved before Henry bowled Athanaze in his following over with a ball that nipped back sharply.

READ: Former South Africa pacer tips Maaz Sadaqat as Pakistan’s ‘next superstar’

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand reached 231-9 at stumps on a rain-shortened day one of the first Test against the West Indies on Tuesday after Justin Greaves triggered a middle-order collapse with the wicket of Kane Williamson.

New Zealand tumbled from 94-1 to 148-6 on a bowler-friendly wicket after Williamson was dismissed for 52, his 38th Test half-century.

Michael Bracewell and Nathan Smith arrested the slide with a 52-run stand for the seventh wicket. Smith eventually fell for 23 and Bracewell for 47.

After Matt Henry went for eight, Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy were both on four when bad light stopped play after 70 overs of a truncated day.

Bracewell and Smith’s partnership was the second face-saving stand for New Zealand after Williamson and Tom Latham put on 93 following the dismissal of Devon Conway on the third ball of the Test.

The green wicket and heavy cloud cover ensured West Indies skipper Roston Chase gave his pace attack first use of the new ball when he won the toss, and it revived memories of Calypso quicks from a previous era.

But after the immediate success of Kemar Roach, who removed Conway, the West Indies were made to wait 29 overs before again tasting success.

In the first session, extended by a 90-minute rain break, Williamson and Latham cautiously inched New Zealand to 17-1 in the 10.3 overs available before a second shower brought lunch.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

When play resumed, the New Zealand pair batted with more freedom until Williamson celebrated his first Test innings in a year by passing the half-century mark.

On 52, a lapse in his normal diligence saw a full delivery from Greaves edged to Alick Athanaze at second slip to ignite the collapse.

In his next over, Greaves removed Latham for a patient 24 off 85 deliveries, and Rachin Ravindra was then bowled for three by Jayden Seales.

In the space of 21 deliveries, the West Indies took three wickets for nine runs as New Zealand slumped from 94-1 to 103-4.

Will Young and Tom Blundell added 17 for the fifth wicket before Young, on 14, gave Johann Layne his maiden Test wicket.

Blundell progressed to 29 before he went early in the final session as debutant Ojay Shields claimed his first Test wicket.

Shields, who earlier believed he had the prized wicket of Williamson for 33, only for a no ball to be declared, also removed Bracewell to finish with 2-34. Greaves took 2-35, and Roach has 2-47.

READ: Pakistan squad for ACC U19 Asia Cup 2025 unveiled

New Zealand batting talisman Kane Williamson returns to the Test arena for the first time in a year to bolster the hosts’ line-up in the first Test against the West Indies in Christchurch, which begins Tuesday.

The 35-year-old sat out New Zealand’s only other Tests this year — a 2-0 series win in Zimbabwe in August — but has a formidable Test record against the West Indies.

From seven home innings, he averages 72.57, while over 10 innings in the West Indies, the figure is an impressive 51.33.

One of the greatest batsmen of his generation, Williamson has a career average of 54.88 from 105 Tests, with 33 centuries.

He scored 156 against England in his last Test innings at Hamilton in December last year.

West Indies captain Roston Chase said Monday there was only one way to quell Ken Williamson.

“Patience. I would say the most important thing is patience,” Chase said as his West Indies team went through their final practice.

The West Indies face a monumental task. They have not won a Test in New Zealand since 1995 and lost both the Twenty20 and ODI series last month.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“We want that win,” said Chase, who believes his side can end that 30-year win drought. “We don’t want to be on the bad side of history all the time.

“I mean, we fought well in the two white-ball series, and I just think if we can learn a bit faster and adapt a bit faster, especially with problem solving, we can get over the line with the red ball for sure.”

While the Test opens New Zealand’s campaign in the new edition of the World Test Championship, the West Indies have already played five in recent months without success, losing 3-0 to Australia and 2-0 to India.

The recent lack of five-day cricket for New Zealand, whose previous outing before Zimbabwe was that home series against England a year ago, did not faze captain Tom Latham.

“For us it’s about trying to hit the ground running and try to get into the mode of Test cricket as quick as we can,” he said.

“And if we do that, hopefully that gives us a good chance at the back end of the match.”

Christchurch’s Hagley Oval presented a green wicket on the eve of the Test on Monday.

It led Latham to predict that “it will be no different” from previous Tests at the venue where the team that wins the toss elects to bowl first.

READ: Virat Kohli breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s longstanding record

New Zealand is preparing to enter the franchise-based T20 league market with plans to launch the NZ20 tournament in January 2027, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The proposed league is expected to feature six privately owned teams and will operate independently of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), following a model similar to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

According to the report, the league has yet to secure NZC approval, but if cleared, NZ20 will replace the current Super Smash competition, which has been run by local cricket associations for more than two decades.

The existing six-team tournament, featuring Auckland, Northern Districts, Wellington, Central Districts, Canterbury, and Otago, has increasingly served as a developmental platform, while NZ20 aims to deliver a more fan-centric and commercially-driven competition.

Don MacKinnon, who heads the NZ20 Establishment Committee, told ESPNcricinfo that the concept was born out of discussions with former New Zealand players, including Stephen Fleming, and consultations with the New Zealand Players Association.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“We are looking at a short, high-quality tournament in the peak of summer, ideally at our holiday venues and iconic grounds. The focus is on entertaining fans, featuring the best New Zealand players, and ideally some internationals,” MacKinnon said.

The report adds that private investment will allow NZ20 to innovate in ways not possible in the Super Smash, including enhanced fan experiences both at stadiums and online.

Interest from investors is reportedly strong, including from India and other international markets, although no confirmation has been made regarding IPL franchise involvement.

The planned schedule calls for a men’s tournament in January 2027, followed by a women’s league in December 2027.

Scheduling will need to account for overlaps with other global T20 leagues, including the Big Bash League, SA20, and ILT20.

READ: Pakistan’s T20I Tour of Sri Lanka Confirmed, Schedule Revealed: Reports

AUCKLAND: New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has named seasoned batter Kane Williamson in the 14-man Test squad on Monday to face the West Indies in a three-match series next month.

The 35-year-old former captain, New Zealand’s record Test run scorer, retired from T20 internationals earlier this year and sat out the two-Test series away to Zimbabwe in July-August.

“Kane’s ability on the field speaks for itself, and it will be great to have his skills as well as his leadership back in the Test group,” head coach Rob Walter said.

All-rounder Daryl Mitchell was included and is expected to be fit after suffering a minor groin injury in the first ODI against the West Indies eight days ago.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Pace bowler Zak Foulkes, who made his debut in the second Test against Zimbabwe with match figures of 9-75, is included in the pace attack with Jacob Duffy, who won his first Test cap in the same match.

Blair Tickner returns to the Test side for the first time since 2023, following back-to-back player of the match performances in the recent one-day international series against England.

The first Test begins in Christchurch on December 2. The series moves on to Wellington on December 10 with the final Test at Mount Maunganui on December 18.

New Zealand squad for West Indies Tests

Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

READ: Pakistan-Australia ODI series likely to be postponed: reports

Captain Mitchell Santner delivered late fireworks with the bat as New Zealand beat the West Indies by five wickets in the second one-day international on Wednesday to win the series.

Santner smashed 34 not out off 15 balls to carry the hosts home at 248-5 with three deliveries to spare after the tourists posted 247-9.

The match at Napier’s McLean Park was reduced by rain to 34 overs each after a three-hour wait to start.

West Indies captain Shai Hope unfurled a brilliant 109 off 69 balls to give them a chance of squaring the three-match series after the hosts won the opener by seven runs in Christchurch on Sunday.

But some wayward late bowling opened the door for New Zealand, who have now won 11 successive ODI bilateral series at home dating back to 2019.

The result was hanging in the balance with three overs remaining, when the home side still required 40 runs to win.

Santner then struck the otherwise impressive seamer Matthew Forde for two fours and a six in successive balls.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

He swatted a six and four from the following over bowled by Shamar Springer to swing the advantage firmly to New Zealand.

Seasoned all-rounder Santner sealed victory with a cover drive off Jayden Seales and said he always felt the target could be hauled in.

“I thought 247 was a good score. They batted really well, but it’s one of those grounds where, if you get a good start, you can cash in at the back end,” he said.

Tom Latham was left not out on 39 while the chase was set up nicely by half-centuries to Devon Conway (90) and Rachin Ravindra (56) before New Zealand lost momentum through the middle stages.

Earlier, Hope produced his 19th ton in the format, finishing with 13 fours and four sixes as he became the seventh West Indies player to go past 6,000 ODI runs.

He is the second fastest to reach the milestone — in 147 matches — behind Viv Richards.

The tourists pummelled 111 off the last nine overs, with lower-order batter Justin Greaves, Romario Shepherd, and Forde all passing 20 to provide support for Hope.

Nathan Smith bagged late wickets for New Zealand to record career-best figures of 4-42 while fellow seamer Kyle Jamieson took 3-44.

The final ODI will be played in Hamilton on Saturday.

READ: No India-Pakistan clash as ICC announces U19 World Cup 2026 schedule

New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell could miss the remainder of the ongoing ODI series against West Indies after sustaining a groin strain during his match-winning century in Christchurch.

Mitchell’s brilliant 119 off 118 balls helped New Zealand edge the visitors by just seven runs in the series opener, but the injury now casts doubt on his availability for the rest of the series.

Mitchell will remain in Christchurch to undergo scans to determine the severity of the strain, while left-hander Henry Nicholls has been called up for the second ODI in Napier on Wednesday.

Nicholls, who last featured in an ODI in April, has been in outstanding domestic form this season, topping the Ford Trophy run charts with 306 runs at an average of 76.50, including back-to-back centuries against Otago and Auckland.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Mark Chapman also remains as the other spare batter in the squad, boasting an impressive 101.33 average from four ODIs this year.

Notably, New Zealand’s squad is already dealing with multiple injuries, with Mohammad Abbas (ribs), Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring) all sidelined.

Kane Williamson, who recently battled a minor groin issue against England, was rested from the ODI series to focus on preparations for New Zealand’s upcoming Test matches against West Indies.

READ: Asia Cup Rising Stars final likely to be marred by trophy controversy: sources

DUNEDIN: Jacob Duffy took 4-35 as New Zealand romped to a crushing eight-wicket win in the fifth T20 international (T20I) against the West Indies on Thursday to seal a 3-1 series victory at University Oval on Thursday.

Seamer Duffy removed three batters with the new ball as the West Indies collapsed to 21-4 before recovering from 48-5 to be all out for 140 in 18.4 overs.

New Zealand made short work of the chase, coasting to 141-2 from 15.4 overs, with opener Devon Conway top scoring with 47 not out, including four fours and a six.

After some close, exciting earlier matches, the West Indies’ aggressive batting in an attempt to level the series proved too haphazard in seamer-friendly conditions.

Roston Chase top-scored with 38 while Romario Shepherd struck a lively 36 off 22 balls in the lower order.

Duffy was named player of the series after taking 10 wickets at an average of 12.10.

“We just wanted to be clinical, finish off the series and take it home,” said the 31-year-old, who became the first New Zealander to take five four-wicket hauls in T20 internationals.

“We could see there was going to be a little bit in the pitch for us, and we did well to restrict a good West Indies team to 140.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

New Zealand got off to a flying start, racing to 69 off 7.1 overs before Tim Robinson departed for a hard-hit 45, having smacked five fours and three sixes.

The result was almost assured before Rachin Ravindra was next out for 21 to leave New Zealand 106-2 after 11.5 overs, needing just 35 for victory.

Mark Chapman joined Conway and hit two sixes to be unbeaten on 21 at the end.

West Indies captain Shai Hope said his team struggled to adjust to the conditions, though he made no excuse for their aggressive approach at the top of the order.

“It was something we spoke about, wanting to put good bowling under pressure and not allowing them to settle too much,” Hope said.

“It didn’t work out for us this time around. There are pleasing signs, but certainly areas we can improve on.”

The teams will square up again for three one-day internationals starting in Christchurch on Sunday, followed by three Tests in December.

READ: Revised schedule for T20I tri-series in Pakistan revealed

Seamer Kyle Jamieson held his nerve in the final over for a second straight game to seal a nine-run victory for New Zealand over the West Indies in a tense finale to the third T20 international on Sunday.

The visitors threatened to surpass New Zealand’s 177-9 in Nelson but were dismissed for 168 when Romario Shepherd was caught in the deep off the penultimate ball for a career-best 49.

New Zealand took a 2-1 lead in the five-game series, following a match that emulated the pattern of the first two, with the chasing team falling just short.

West Indies’ hopes appeared dashed at 88-8 in the 13th over before Shepherd and fellow seamer Shamar Springer began striking the ball cleanly to the boundary.

The pair combined for 78 off just 6.3 overs before Springer was splendidly caught and bowled by Jacob Duffy for 39 with an over remaining.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Needing 12 to win, the final pair could only score two off Jamieson’s first four deliveries before the towering pace bowler removed Shepherd to spark victory celebrations.

Jamieson had also been effective when New Zealand levelled the series in Auckland on Thursday, conceding 12 in the final over of a nerve-jangling three-run victory.

New Zealand lost their way after opener Devon Conway was run out for 56 off 34 balls, with Daryl Mitchell the most effective of the middle order with a lively 41.

Alick Athanaze, with 31, and Ackeem Auguste, who scored 24, provided a steady start to the West Indies chase, but the loss of six wickets for 35 runs stunted their hopes.

Duffy took 3-36 and Ish Sodhi 3-34, which moved the leg-spinner to third on the all-time list of T20 international wicket-takers with 156.

Sodhi is behind only the 182 victims of Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and the 164 of fellow New Zealander Tim Southee.

The fourth T20 will also be played in Nelson on Monday.

READ: PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi hails Pakistan’s Hong Kong Sixes title win