New Zealand v West Indies - Tour Match
North Island v West Indians
McLean Park, Napier
3 Day Game
Umpires: FR Goodall & SJ Woodward
Toss: West Indians
North Island: BA Young, *GO Rabone, JF Reid, JM Parker, MJ Greatbatch, SA Thomson, BW Yuile, +FLH Mooney, DJ Nash, RS Cunis, GB Troup.
West Indians: RC Fredericks, DL Haynes, RB Kanhai, EdeC Weekes, FMM Worrell, *GStA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, WW Hall, CC Griffith, J Garner, CEH Croft.
Both camps praised the ground staff at McLean Park for producing a good cricket wicket ahead of West Indies' tour match against Geoff Rabone's North Islanders, but bat very much dominated ball on day one as the tourists rattled up an impressive total of 361-5. Des Haynes led the way with an authoritative 105, and once he was run out by substitute fielder Jeff Crowe it was Everton Weekes that came to the fore, posting a partnership of 106 with erstwhile captain Frank Worrell on his way to a chanceless, undefeated 127.
touch ahead of the first Test
Current skipper Garry Sobers declared overnight, and runs were far harder to come by on the second day as the hosts stuttered their way to a score of 216-6 by the close. Griffith delivered an impressive opening spell to help reduce the innings to a rocky 31-3, but the middle order rallied around the stoic presence of Mark Greatbatch, who completed a hard-earned century on the third and final morning after almost six hours at the crease. His innings was not without controversy though; he appeared to have been trapped absolutely plumb in front by Garner when on 66, but umpire Woodward refused to heed the West Indians' vehement appeals, and from that point on the atmosphere out in the middle remained decidedly thorny.
West Indies at bay for over six and a half hours
Indeed, the applause from the fielders when Greatbatch finally reached his hundred was decidedly muted, and one had to feel for the stocky left-hander as his reprieve on the previous day was hardly of his own doing. North Island's innings finally closed on 289, Frank Mooney having contributed a delightful 57 in support of Greatbatch, and despite a second declaration of the match by Sobers at tea after a brief West Indian second innings, the game was destined for a draw. The tourists did manage to capture four wickets in the final session, but Young and Parker batted together for an hour and a half to blunt the pace barrage that was sent their way, and Test skipper John Reid will be hoping to see the same levels of resolve from his batsmen when the first Test gets underway in Wellington.
Score Summary
WI 1st Inns 361-5 dec. (Weekes 127*, Haynes 105, Worrell 48)
NI 1st Inns 289 (Greatbatch 108, Mooney 57)
WI 2nd Inns 89-2 dec.
NI 2nd Inns 53-4
Day 2 - North Island 1st innings 216-6 (Greatbatch 84*, Mooney 18*; 71 ov)
Day 3 - North Island 2nd innings 53-4 (27.2 ov) - end of match
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