West Indies v New Zealand - Fifth Test

Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's

West Indies: CG Greenidge, DL Haynes, RB Kanhai, IVA Richards, CH Lloyd, *GStA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, MD Marshall, MA Holding, CEL Ambrose, CA Walsh.
New Zealand: GM Turner, B Sutcliffe, AH Jones, MD Crowe, MP Donnelly, *JR Reid, +AC Parore, RJ Hadlee, AR MacGibbon, J Cowie, SL Boock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: HD Bird (ENG) & DR Shepherd (ENG)
Toss: New Zealand

After suffering one of the closest, most heartbreaking defeats imaginable in the fourth Test, the New Zealanders arrived in Antigua with the series not only lost but with a 5-0 whitewash a very distinct possibility. The selectors retained faith with the XI that came within one wicket of victory in Guyana, but when their first innings slumped to 33-3 after John Reid had won the toss and elected to bat on a hard, flat wicket, it looked like it would be a case of yet another opportunity missed for the Kiwis. Sutcliffe (4) and Jones (0) had departed in the same Malcolm Marshall over, and Lloyd's throw from cover had sent Crowe packing before he had even faced a ball.

Turner and Donnelly fought back admirably though, sharing a stand of 73 before Turner was trapped lbw by Holding for 58, then Donnelly and Reid put together a stand of 102 for the fifth wicket, a partnership that was finally brought to an end by a stunning catch from Greenidge at point as Donnelly cut at Sobers. Donnelly was out just five runs short of a deserved century, and Reid also fell short of what would have been a maiden hundred when he was caught by Sobers off Richards' part-time spin, but a pair of forties from Parore and Hadlee pushed New Zealand to a score of 344, their first total of over 300 in the series, and over the course of day two Jack Cowie bowled the tourists into a position of real strength.

Kanhai (74) and Richards (56) threatened to turn the game West Indies' way after both openers had been dispatched with only 13 on the board, but from a comfortable 121-2 the innings fell away as Cowie ran through the middle order, and it was only thanks to a seventh wicket stand of 61 between Dujon (40) and Marshall (27) - both of whom were dropped by Boock - that the hosts were able to post a total in excess of 200. Cowie bowled magnificently to return a career best analysis of 6-73, and West Indies' total of 246 gave the tourists a 98 run lead as they began their second innings early on day three.

Twice before in the series New Zealand had held advantages of similar proportion without being able to capitalise, and when Turner (4) and Jones (10) both departed within the first six overs, the doubts must have begun to resurface in the Kiwi camp. However, Sutcliffe and Crowe decided that attack was the best form of defence, and both men were able to raise their first fifties of the series as the runs started to flow. The pair added 112 in just 26 overs together, and when Sutcliffe went for 53, Donnelly picked up the baton with his second confident innings of the match. With the series long since put to bed, West Indies' bowlers did not seem up for the fight, and Ambrose in particular was put to the sword, finishing with the sorry figures of 1-75 off 11 overs on his home ground. Ambrose had been picked ahead of Lance Gibbs for this game, and one could not help but think that the lack of a specialist spinner was now costing West Indies dear.

Crowe completed a fine century, the sixth of his career, off just 139 balls, and New Zealand's lead was well past 350 when Donnelly was dismissed for 65 on the third evening. By the close that lead had been extended past 400, and Reid completed his second fifty of the match before rain on the fourth morning brought about the declaration. Crowe remained unbeaten on 147, his highest ever score, and West Indies were presented with a target of 443 for victory or the prospect of batting through five sessions for the draw. The innings got off to the worst possible start when Haynes emulated Crowe's dubious first innings achievement of being run out without facing a ball, and midway through the afternoon the scoreboard read a sorry 51-4 as Cowie removed the illustrious triumvirate of Greenidge (8), Kanhai (13) and Lloyd (8) for the second time in the match.

West Indies' batsmen were showing the same disinterest as their bowlers, and when Richards played on for 36 in Reid's first over, the writing was most definitely writ large on the wall. New Zealand were simply not going to be denied this time, and after the heart-breaking defeats in Barbados and Guyana it was now a case of 'third time lucky' for the tourists. The innings folded alarmingly after Richards' departure, and shortly after tea West Indies were bowled out for just 98, handing New Zealand a whopping 344 run victory - the second largest such victory in ATG history - with over a day to spare. It was nothing more than the Blackcaps deserved after their efforts in the second half of the series, and had luck gone their way the final series scoreline of 4-1 could have been very different. As it is, West Indies now move up into second spot in the rankings, and whilst New Zealand remain anchored to the foot of the table, at least they have something positive to take away from their first tour of the Caribbean.

Scores
NZL 1st Inns 344 (Donnelly 95, Reid 72, Turner 58, Parore 40, Hadlee 40)
WI 1st Inns 246 (Kanhai 74, Richards 56, Dujon 40; Cowie 6-73)
NZL 2nd Inns 344-4 dec. (Crowe 147*, Donnelly 65, Sutcliffe 53, Reid 53*)
WI 2nd Inns 98

NEW ZEALAND WON BY 344 RUNS


Man of the Match: J Cowie