West Indies v New Zealand - Series Summary

On face value, a 4-1 result between two sides at opposite ends of the ATG pecking order comes as no surprise. However, if truth be told, New Zealand could have very easily taken the series 3-2, and Kiwi fans should be able to take solace in the fact that their team was able to compete on an equal footing with West Indies over the course of the last three Tests.

The first two Tests ended in comfortable victories for the home team once they had overcome a first day hiccup in Jamaica, with Kanhai and Haynes masterful with the bat and Marshall and Walsh irresistible with the ball. However, the matches in Barbados and Guyana provided two of the tightest finishes in all of Test history, and whilst the game at the Bourda really could have gone either way in the end, New Zealand were guilty of throwing away victory in Bridgetown, where they lost their last five wickets for just five runs to hand West Indies victory by 29 runs. The win in Antigua was just the fifth in New Zealand's history and the first against West Indies, and whilst the margin of victory was immense and the performance professional, it will rancour with the Kiwis that such success only came in a dead rubber.

As far as individual performances went, the bowlers were on top for much of the time on wickets that were, on the whole, less than ideal for batting, with Malcolm Marshall the standout on either side. Jack Cowie bowled exceptionally well for New Zealand when he was finally given a chance in the final three Tests, but Richard Hadlee was below his best despite claiming 23 wickets for the Blackcaps. Kanhai was the outstanding batsman on display and was well supported by Haynes, Lloyd and Dujon, but both Richards and Sobers had poor series by their standards and Greenidge managed just 45 runs in 6 innings after missing the first two Tests with injury. For New Zealand, skipper John Reid got better and better as the series went on, whilst Andrew Jones' form went the other way after a very promising start to his ATG career, and Turner, Donnelly and Crowe all made significant contributions without ever being able to dominate on a consistent basis.

All in all, it was a series of 'what might have beens' for New Zealand, but rather than dwelling on failure, the Blackcaps must be positive and take heart from the fact that they were able to run West Indies so close on the field, if not in the scoreline. With the likes of Chris Cairns, Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan all available for selection next season, things might in fact be looking up for New Zealand despite their defeat here, although a record that now reads 5 wins in 47 Tests is still nothing to shout about. West Indies on the other hand have now won their last five series to sit second behind England in the rankings, and season six of ATG cricket promises to be perhaps the most competitive ever.

Leading Series Averages

West Indies Batting
RB Kanhai 445 runs @ 49.44, PJL Dujon 317 @ 45.29, CH Lloyd 369 @ 41.00, DL Haynes 338 @ 37.56, IVA Richards 301 @ 33.44

West Indies Bowling
MD Marshall 29 wkts @ 20.62, GStA Sobers 14 @ 24.71, MA Holding 20 @ 27.40, CA Walsh 15 @ 28.73, CEL Ambrose 9 @ 30.44

New Zealand Batting
JR Reid 323 runs @ 40.38, AH Jones 366 @ 36.60, GM Turner 358 @ 35.80, MP Donnelly 355 @ 35.50, MD Crowe 310 @ 34.44

New Zealand Bowling
J Cowie 21 wkts @ 15.48, SL Boock 14 @ 25.00, RJ Hadlee 23 @ 27.61, JR Reid 10 @ 35.40, RO Collinge 7 @ 46.00

WEST INDIES WON THE SERIES 4-1


Players of the Series: MD Marshall & J Cowie

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

West Indies v New Zealand - Fourth Test

Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana

West Indies: CG Greenidge, DL Haynes, RB Kanhai, IVA Richards, CH Lloyd, *GStA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, MD Marshall, MA Holding, LR Gibbs, 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: AR Crafter (AUS) & DL Orchard (SAF)
Toss: West Indies

With the exception of the first Test in Jamaica, this series has been played on a succession of less than satisfactory wickets, and the quality, or lack of, of the pitch produced at the Bourda prompted Garry Sobers to insert the New Zealanders upon winning the toss. The trend in this series has been for a poor performance by the side batting first, and with the pitch offering up some very low bounce the tourists were bowled out before tea for 148 in just 43 overs, with Malcolm Marshall again the main destroyer. Turner (46) and Jones (28) had got the innings off to a good start after the recalled Sutcliffe's early departure, but from a relatively healthy position of 83-2, the Kiwis' innings folded once again, with only Reid's attacking 34 providing West Indies with any inconvenience.

However, by stumps West Indies had collapsed to 127-7 as 17 wickets fell on a remarkable first day. No-one was able to better Greenidge's 30 as Hadlee and Cowie once again spearheaded the New Zealand seam quartet, and it took a last wicket stand of 26 between Dujon (28) and Walsh (19* off 22 balls) on the second morning to nudge the hosts into a 19 run first innings lead. Turner and Sutcliffe wiped out the deficit by lunch, but a disastrous afternoon session saw the Kiwis slide from 39-0 to 103-7 as the wickets continued to tumble. Jones (13) and Crowe (22) were again victims of marginal umpiring calls, Tony Crafter the executioner-in-chief on this occasion, but Reid took the fight to the West Indians just as he had done in the first innings, and with MacGibbon able to bed in at the other end, 61 vital runs were added for the eighth wicket as New Zealand fought back. MacGibbon's share was just 9, but his stoicism allowed Reid to reach a well deserved fifty, and a further 29 runs were added with Boock (4) for the tenth wicket before New Zealand were finally bowled out for 197 early on the third morning, Reid finishing undefeated on 78.

With the game not even at its halfway point, West Indies now had a target of 179 for a 4-0 lead, but within seven overs they had slipped to 21-3 as Hadlee and Cowie again made full use of the new ball. Richards (2) played on to just his fourth ball from Hadlee to continue his wretched run, but Haynes again held firm with yet another fifty and West Indies looked on course for victory as the target dropped below 100. However, Hadlee returned after lunch to remove both Haynes (61) and Lloyd (26) in quick succession, and before the crowd had chance to draw breath Sobers was brilliantly run out for 4 by a direct hit from Crowe to reduce West Indies to 102-6, still 77 short of victory.

Rain now intervened to send the players in for an early tea, and when the evening session began all West Indies' hopes were pinned on the seemingly perennial Dujon to organize the tail and deny New Zealand once again. Malcolm Marshall proved a capable ally, and he contributed 17 to a 35 run partnership before Cowie got one through his defences to make the score 137-7, and Marshall trudged off with West Indies still 42 runs short with just three wickets left. Both Hadlee and Cowie were virtually out on their feet by this stage though, and Dujon and Holding were able to edge the score nearer and nearer to the target with a mixture of solid defence from Dujon and streaky hitting from Holding. As the runs required moved into single digits the game seemed over, but with six needed to win Holding (16) edged Reid to Donnelly at second slip and West Indies were eight down for 173.

Gibbs came to the wicket, took a single to keep the strike, and in the next over, bowled by MacGibbon, he nicked one through to Parore and suddenly West Indies were 175-9, still four runs away from victory, with last man Courtney Walsh striding to the wicket. It was pandemonium all around the Bourda at this stage, but the calmest man in the ground appeared to be Jeffrey Dujon, and after a lengthy conference with Walsh play restarted. Walsh survived the remainder of MacGibbon's over, but Reid forced Dujon to play out a maiden at the other end, giving MacGibbon another crack at the number eleven.

Determination was etched all over Walsh's face though, and a nudge off his pads for two pushed West Indies to within two runs of victory. Walsh held firm, and from the fourth ball of Reid's next over Dujon drove the ball through the covers to see West Indies home by the margin of one wicket, just the fourth such occurrence in ATG history. Dujon had batted two and a half hours for 39, an exceptional achievement in the circumstances, and the New Zealanders looked out for the count as thousands of ecstatic fans swarmed onto the ground. The series scoreline now read 4-0 to West Indies, but it could so easily have been 2-2, and the possibility of what would be an undeserved 5-0 whitewash now looms large after a remarkable three days in Georgetown.

Scores
NZL 1st Inns 148 (Turner 46; Marshall 4-41)
WI 1st Inns 167
NZL 2nd Inns 197 (Reid 78*)
WI 2nd Inns 179-9 (Haynes 61; Hadlee 4-72)

WEST INDIES WON BY 1 WICKET


Man of the Match: PJL Dujon

West Indies v New Zealand - Third Test

Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

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, BA Edgar, AH Jones, MD Crowe, MP Donnelly, *JR Reid, +AC Parore, RJ Hadlee, RO Collinge, J Cowie, SL Boock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: AR Crafter (AUS) & DL Orchard (SAF)
Toss: West Indies

The only way was up for New Zealand after their shocking display in Trinidad, and after three rain affected days at the Kensington Oval the tourists found themselves in a surprisingly dominant position, thanks in the main to three outstanding individual performances. Batting first on a pitch not expected to last the full five days, West Indies slumped to 201 all out, with Greenidge and Richards both departing for ducks and only a 94 run third wicket partnership between the consistent Haynes (64) and Lloyd (57) providing any sustained resistance. Hadlee and the recalled Cowie revelled in the damp conditions, sharing eight wickets between them, and when the tourists came to bat it was Andrew Jones who led the way with a splendid maiden ATG century.

Jones batted with great freedom, and at 191-2 New Zealand looked set for a sizeable first innings advantage. Jones finally fell for 121, fending a wicked Ambrose bouncer into the hands of Haynes at short leg, and from then on the Blackcaps sadly lost their way, eventually being dismissed for 282 as Marshall cleaned up the tail with the new ball. Jones' dominant display had still managed to give the tourists an 81 run lead though, and at its halfway point the game was following a remarkably similar pattern to the first Test. However, whereas West Indies went on to rattle up a second innings total in excess of 500 in that game, they staggered to 122-4 by the end of the third day here, having been 18-3 at one stage as Hadlee and Cowie again took centre stage. Richards completed an ignominious pair as he pulled his first ball from Cowie straight to Reid at midwicket, and it took a partnership of 102 between Lloyd and Kanhai to pull the hosts up by their bootstraps.

Kanhai fell for 44, but Lloyd went on to complete a glorious century on the fourth morning to drag West Indies back into contention. However, Lloyd played on to Reid the ball after reaching three figures and at 162-6 the lead was only 81, with another wicket set to expose the tail. Sobers and Dujon were the last pair of recognized batsmen, and with New Zealand seemingly on the verge of success, they set about forging a partnership to break Kiwi hearts. Both players made decidedly unsteady starts, Dujon especially, but gradually the strokes started to come more naturally and the scoreboard began ticking over at an ever increasing rate.

The pitch was by no means the easiest to bat on by now, but with Hadlee and Cowie clearly tiring New Zealand were badly let down by their supporting cast of bowlers, and the seventh wicket partnership progressed into the afternoon and swelled past the hundred mark. Sobers finally went for 63, bowled by a slower ball from Cowie having put on 114 with Dujon, who then proceeded to add a further 53 with Marshall (18) for the eighth wicket as the game ran away from the New Zealanders. Dujon was eventually out for a stroke-laden 86, but Ambrose and Walsh were able to rub a final pinch of salt into the wound with a last wicket stand of 31 before West Indies were finally bowled out late on the fourth evening for 360.

Despite everything that had transpired, New Zealand's target of 280 was certainly in the realm of the achievable, although a badly wearing pitch would surely make batting on the final day a most hazardous occupation. Edgar didn't even make it to the last day as he departed for a duck in just the second over, and with Jones and Crowe both out cheaply to poor lbw decisions from umpire Orchard on the fifth morning, New Zealand's challenge was wavering at 70-3. Turner looked in confident mood though, and in partnership with Donnelly he was able to construct a partnership that would take the tourists to the very brink of victory.

For once the West Indian pace attack misfired badly, and in the face of some very poor bowling Turner and Donnelly put on 143 wonderful runs for the third wicket, with Turner recording the sixth, and arguably most valuable, hundred of his career. With the tea break looming the scoreboard read 213-3, but with New Zealand just 67 runs away from the winning post, Sobers removed Donnelly for 60 and Reid for a golden duck with consecutive deliveries either side of the interval, and suddenly it was 'game on' again. Turner and Parore rallied though, and a partnership of 31 took the Blackcaps to within touching distance of glory at 244-5 before calamity struck. After six hours at the crease Turner, on 135, top-edged a cut off Marshall to Holding at third man, and an assured catch not only ended a fine innings but sparked a dramatic collapse that would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory for New Zealand.

Panic now seemed to paralyze the tourists, and the last five wickets fell for just six runs in twenty two balls as a rampant Marshall and Walsh saved the day for West Indies. Last hope Parore played a dreadful stroke to be caught in the covers for 23, and when Marshall trapped Collinge lbw to complete his five wicket haul, West Indies had triumphed by the slender margin of 29 runs and had clinched the series with two Tests still to play. Once again New Zealand had thrown away a glorious chance of victory, and the lack of self-belief that seems to permeate through the team was all too evident during those last, fateful overs. For the Kiwis, the only way remains up.

Scores
WI 1st Inns 201 (Haynes 64, Lloyd 57; Cowie 4-48, Hadlee 4-76)
NZL 1st Inns 282 (Jones 121; Marshall 4-53)
WI 2nd Inns 360 (Lloyd 102, Dujon 86, Sobers 63, Kanhai 44)
NZL 2nd Inns 250 (Turner 135, Donnelly 60; Marshall 5-72)

WEST INDIES WON BY 29 RUNS


Man of the Match: CH Lloyd

West Indies v New Zealand - Second Test

Queen's Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

West Indies: JB Stollmeyer, DL Haynes, RB Kanhai, IVA Richards, CH Lloyd, *GStA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, MD Marshall, MA Holding, CEL Ambrose, CA Walsh.
New Zealand: GM Turner, BA Edgar, AH Jones, MD Crowe, MP Donnelly, *JR Reid, RJ Hadlee, +KJ Wadsworth, AR MacGibbon, RO Collinge, SL Boock.

Debuts: JB Stollmeyer (WI)
Umpires: VK Ramaswamy (IND) & DR Shepherd (ENG)
Toss: New Zealand

After slipping to a comprehensive defeat in the first Test, New Zealand somewhat surprisingly fielded the same XI in Trinidad, whereas West Indies made two changes: Curtly Ambrose made his first appearance of the season at the expense of Alf Valentine, whilst a back injury to Conrad Hunte - who himself had been an injury replacement for Gordon Greenidge - allowed Jeff Stollmeyer to make a home town debut.

Stollmeyer would not have looked forward to batting on what was frankly a very poor strip though, and it came as something of a surprise when John Reid elected to bat upon winning the toss. Reid didn't fancy batting last on such a surface, but batting first proved to be no picnic either, and by tea Reid must have been deeply regretting his decision after West Indies' four-pronged pace attack had skittled the tourists for just 121. No-one made it out of the twenties for the Blackcaps - Donnelly top-scored with 26 - and a series of poor decisions by umpire Ramaswamy did not help the tourists' cause.

New Zealand now clung to the hope that Richard Hadlee could lead a revival with the ball, and when Stollmeyer edged behind for just 7 those hopes remained intact. Kanhai blitzed a quick fifty though, and with Haynes dropping anchor to great effect, West Indies took complete control. The scoreboard read 161-2 by the end of the first day, already a lead of 40, and by stumps on day two the lead had been stretched to over 300 as New Zealand's attack was simply outclassed.

Haynes converted his overnight 60 into his ninth ATG hundred, and there were also fifties from Richards, Lloyd and Dujon as the total passed 400. Boock was the only bowler to exert any control for New Zealand, and although Hadlee eventually finished with four wickets he still looked far from his best. West Indies were bowled out for 442 late on the second evening, and with a deficit of 321, New Zealand were faced with a veritable mountain for the second match in succession. Sizeable cracks were now appearing in the wicket, and after the openers had been softened up and then removed fending short pitched deliveries from Ambrose and Holding, it was the lesser pace of Sobers that ran through the middle order as New Zealand collapsed once again.

Andrew Jones was the only man to keep his head above water, and he managed to hold on for over four hours before edging a snorter from Ambrose to be ninth out for a commendable 79. Collinge became the only other batsman to reach 20 as he and Boock batted gamely for a further 40 minutes in adding 27 for the last wicket, but when Collinge holed out to Ambrose in the outfield, Sobers had his fifth wicket and West Indies had completed the most comprehensive of innings victories in less than three days play. Jones' innings apart, and even allowing for the state of the pitch, New Zealand's performance in this match had been nothing short of woeful, and with three Tests still to play it looks like being a very long tour for the beleaguered Blackcaps.

Scores
NZL 1st Inns 121 (Holding 4-42)
WI 1st Inns 442 (Haynes 108, Richards 76, Kanhai 64, Lloyd 62, Dujon 51; Hadlee 4-97)
NZL 2nd Inns 184 (Jones 79; Sobers 5-34)

WEST INDIES WON BY AN INNINGS & 137 RUNS


Man of the Match: DL Haynes

West Indies v New Zealand - First Test

Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

West Indies: CC Hunte, DL Haynes, RB Kanhai, IVA Richards, CH Lloyd, *GStA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, MD Marshall, MA Holding, CA Walsh, AL Valentine.
New Zealand: GM Turner, BA Edgar, AH Jones, MD Crowe, MP Donnelly, *JR Reid, RJ Hadlee, +KJ Wadsworth, AR MacGibbon, RO Collinge, SL Boock.

Debuts: AH Jones & AR MacGibbon (NZL)
Umpires: VK Ramaswamy (IND) & DR Shepherd (ENG)
Toss: West Indies

New Zealand had little to lose going into their first ever Test in the Caribbean, and when Garry Sobers won the toss and elected to bat on what promised to be a batsman's track, the tourists seemed set for some serious leather chasing under a cloudless Jamaican sky. There was just the hint of moisture in the pitch though, and when the debutant MacGibbon bowled Haynes for 18 with the fifth ball of his first over, West Indies had been reduced to 37-3 and New Zealand were suddenly in the game. Richards and Lloyd counter-attacked with typical gusto, but Lloyd gave MacGibbon his second wicket when he drove to Reid in the covers, and then the lower half of the innings crumbled in dramatic fashion as Stephen Boock ran riot. Boock tends to take his wickets in clutches, and a succession of poorly judged strokes gifted the left-armer the third best analysis in New Zealand's ATG history, behind his own eight and seven wicket hauls gathered against England.

West Indies' complacent approach had seen them bowled out for 201 inside a day, but at 135-5 on the second morning New Zealand looked like throwing away their advantage. Donnelly and Hadlee rallied the innings in attacking fashion though, and with support from MacGibbon (31), Hadlee was able to push the score on towards 300 before Walsh cleaned up the tail with the new ball after tea on day two. Hadlee remained unbeaten on 80 out of New Zealand's 286, and although this was probably a below par score on what was by now a blameless pitch, it still gave the Blackcaps a very handy lead of 85 on first innings.

However, just as has happened so often in the past, a promising position proceeded to slip through Kiwi fingers over the course of the next two days as the true nature of the pitch was finally revealed by the West Indian batsmen. Hunte and Haynes kicked things off with an opening stand of 88 on the second evening, and the third day belonged to Rohan Kanhai as the game cantered away from New Zealand. Had Wadsworth held onto a difficult chance in front of first slip when Kanhai had scored just 3 then things could have been very different, but Kanhai survived and proceeded to punish the tourists to the fullest extent as the runs piled up.

Kanhai took part in five consecutive fifty-plus stands, and passed 1000 career runs as he stroked his way to a fine double century. His final score of 225 was West Indies' joint fifth highest innings in their history, and matched Viv Richards' effort on the same ground against Australia during the dramatic 6 run win back in Season II. Sobers eventually declared on the fourth afternoon with the scoreboard reading 518-6, and New Zealand now had the task of chasing a record 434 for victory or batting out four and a half sessions for the draw. It soon became clear that escaping with the draw was going to be the one and only target for the tourists, and scores in the forties from Edgar, Jones and Crowe gave the innings a solid enough start. No-one was able to push on though, and with Marshall and Walsh at their probing best, wickets fell regularly as the Kiwi resistance was gradually whittled away.

A couple of stoppages for rain on the final day briefly threatened to come to the Blackcaps' rescue, but with a possible 23 overs remaining Walsh induced an edge from last man Boock and it was all over, New Zealand's final total of 271 giving West Indies a comfortable 162 run victory. Hadlee was again left unbeaten, this time on 38, but Marshall and Walsh had been able to extract lift and movement from a pitch that wore rapidly on the final day, and after holding the early advantage, New Zealand had been soundly beaten by a West Indies team that really clicked into gear in the second half of the game.

Scores
WI 1st Inns 201 (Richards 82, Lloyd 46; Boock 6-28)
NZL 1st Inns 286 (Hadlee 80*, Donnelly 68, Edgar 42; Walsh 4-45)
WI 2nd Inns 518-6 dec. (Kanhai 225, Haynes 68, Hunte 51, Dujon 50*, Sobers 45)
NZL 2nd Inns 271 (Edgar 45, Jones 42, Crowe 40; Marshall 5-63, Walsh 4-51)

WEST INDIES WON BY 162 RUNS


Man of the Match: RB Kanhai

West Indies v New Zealand - Tour Match

President's XI v New Zealanders
Beausejour Cricket Ground, Gros Islet, St Lucia
4 Day Game
Umpires: DM Archer & CE Cumberbatch
Toss: President's XI

PXI: AF Rae, *JB Stollmeyer, RB Richardson, AI Kallicharran, CL Hooper, AL Logie, BD Julien, +JL Hendricks, CC Griffith, IR Bishop, WW Daniel.
NZ: GM Turner, BA Edgar, AH Jones, MD Crowe, MP Donnelly, *JR Reid, RJ Hadlee, +KJ Wadsworth, AR MacGibbon, RO Collinge, SL Boock.

Rain badly affected New Zealand's warm-up match in St Lucia, but the tourists will still be taking a number of positives into the first Test after their performance at the BCG. The President's XI batted first on what was a very flat pitch, and their innings was totally dominated by skipper Jeff Stollmeyer, who amassed an unbeaten 203 out of a total of 360-7 before he declared shortly before the end of the second day's play. It was a near faultless innings, and as well as the Kiwi bowlers toiled, Stollmeyer was simply immovable. The next highest score was 34 from Julien at number seven, and rarely will one witness such a dominant display.

The New Zealanders responded well though, Turner and Edgar adding 99 for the first wicket before Jones joined Turner in a 158 run partnership for the second. Jones could have been caught behind off his very first ball, but the edge evaded Hendricks and Jones took full advantage, progressing to an excellent century that will surely fill him with confidence ahead of his likely Test debut in Jamaica. Turner also reached three figures, and New Zealand's batting held up well against the pace of Griffith, Daniel and Bishop.

Reid declared on the final afternoon with his team still 26 runs in arrears, but when the President's XI stumbled to 51-6 the tourists suddenly seemed in with a chance of an unlikely victory. Logie and Hendricks held firm though, and put together an undefeated partnership of 62 for the seventh wicket before time was finally called and the draw secure. MacGibbon may well have bowled his way into the Test side with a match return of 5-74 off 36 overs, and the Black Caps will be as optimistic as ever ahead of the first Test, although how long that optimism will last is most certainly up for debate.

Scores
PXI 1st Inns 360-7 dec. (Stollmeyer 203*)
NZ 1st Inns 334-5 dec. (Jones 110, Turner 104, Edgar 48)
PXI 2nd Inns 113-6 (Logie 45*)

MATCH DRAWN

West Indies v New Zealand - Series Preview

With scarcely a chance to draw breath following their tour of India, West Indies welcome New Zealand to the Caribbean for the first time knowing that a 5-0 whitewash would send them to the top of the ATG rankings. Garry Sobers' side really are the form team at the moment, having won their last four series, and one wouldn't bet against them putting the Kiwis to the sword over the course of the five Tests. Viv Richards' return to something approaching his best in the latter part of the Indian tour gives the batting line-up a solid feel, and the form of spinners Gibbs and Valentine provides the selectors with a variety of options in the bowling department.

In contrast to their hosts, New Zealand have won just four Tests in their entire ATG history, and one would feel that the tour will be largely an exercise in damage limitation for the Black Caps. John Reid retains the captaincy and leads a squad that contains two uncapped players in Andrew Jones and Tony MacGibbon, Jones being included at the expense of Bevan Congdon, whose run of just two fifties in his last 21 innings has cost him his place in the squad.

Current form (most recent result first)
West Indies WLWWW
New Zealand LDLLL

Previous series result
New Zealand 0 West Indies 2 (Season I, 3 Tests)

New Zealand Squad
JR Reid (c), MD Crowe (v/c), SL Boock, RO Collinge, J Cowie, MP Donnelly, BA Edgar, RJ Hadlee, AH Jones, AR MacGibbon, AC Parore, DN Patel, B Sutcliffe, BR Taylor, GM Turner, KJ Wadsworth.