Source: Saturday Express
West Indies captain Roston Chase still believes his side can win in New Zealand, despite crashing to a heavy nine-wicket defeat inside three days in the second Test at the Basin Reserve Thursday night (T& T time) to trail the three-match series 1-0.
The visitors crashed to 205 all out in the first innings and 128 in the second in a performance Chase described as “very disappointing”.
But the red-ball captain maintained that the regional team remains capable of ending a near three-decade winless drought in the country when the series finale bowls off on December 18 at Mount Maunganui.
“It was and always will be the motivation for this team to win a game in New Zealand. The last time we won was in 1995, so we want to leave here with a win,” Chase said after the match.
“We came close in the first game, and we still think that we are capable enough to get a win, but it’s just for the batting to be consistent, because the bowlers have shown that they are capable of getting us those 20 wickets that we need to get.”
His call for a turnaround came at the end of a deeply disappointing batting display that left the tourists trailing in the series following a brave batting performance in the first match, which ended in a draw thanks to a double century from Justin Greaves, a ton from Shai Hope and a fighting half-century from Kemar Roach.
This time around, only four batters reached double figures. New Zealand, needing only 56 for victory, knocked off the runs in ten overs, losing just captain Tom Latham before Devon Conway (28 not out) and Kane Williamson (16 not out) wrapped up the result.
For Chase, the most frustrating aspect was how sharply the side’s batting fell away just days after producing a record fourth-innings 457 for six to save the opening Test in Christchurch.
“A different game, different conditions, but I still thought the pitch was one that we could score runs on,” Chase said.
“Personally, I thought it was not as tough as the first game in Christchurch… I just thought that we made some mistakes at some crucial points in the game and we just never really got our feet back into the game today.”
He admitted that the West Indies squandered opportunities long before their final collapse, particularly in the first innings where several players got starts but failed to convert.
“I’m obviously disappointed. I thought we were in a good position up to this morning, even though in the first innings we thought that we should have gotten some more runs with several batsmen getting some starts, but we didn’t really convert into anything big,” he said. “We thought that we left some runs out there in the first innings, and we thought that we would have gotten those runs in the second innings, but it didn’t happen.”
Chase reserved praise for his bowlers, who restricted New Zealand to 278 in their first innings and kept the match competitive before the batting let the side down.
“I’m very disappointed for us after the bowlers really put up their hands and brought us back into the game,” he said.
The day had begun with West Indies resuming on 32 for two after a shaky second evening, but Brandon King and Kavem Hodge appeared settled while adding 18 runs early on.
Then came the moment that shifted the contest decisively. King drove Michael Rae to cover and set off for a single, only for Hodge — who had initially responded — to send him back. King was left stranded short of his ground as Michael Bracewell’s sharp pick-up and throw were cleanly gathered by wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay.
Five balls later, New Zealand struck again. Rae removed Shai Hope, who looped a simple return catch attempting a defensive stroke, as the score slumped to 58 for four.
Chase’s own wretched form continued when he gloved a rising delivery from Jacob Duffy to the keeper for just two. Hodge, who top-scored with 35, fell next when substitute fielder Will Young clung on at short midwicket at the second attempt, leaving the visitors reeling at 88 for six.
Greaves and Tevin Imlach briefly halted the slide, but after lunch, Duffy trapped the first Test hero, Greaves, lbw via review and then forced Imlach into an edge to Latham at second slip for 26.
Rae bowled Jayden Seales, and Duffy completed the rout by removing Ojay Shields to secure his second five-wicket haul in as many Tests.
Duffy finished with five for 38, supported by Rae’s three for 45, as West Indies were dismissed for their sixth-lowest total in Tests against New Zealand.
In reply, Anderson Phillip removed Latham for nine, but that was the lone success as Conway and Williamson marched briskly to 57 for one at nearly six an over, sealing victory before tea.
Despite the heavy defeat, Chase insisted there is no loss of belief within the squad.
He said the bowlers have proven their ability to create winning positions, but the batting must “come up to par” if they are to square the series.