HAMILTON, New Zealand – West Indies were left facing a tall order at tea after New Zealand captain Kane Williamson struck a wonderful double hundred to put his side firmly in command of the second Test at Seddon Park on Friday.
At the second interval taken at 3:45 pm (10:45 pm Eastern Caribbean time, Thursday), the Black Caps were 477 for six in their first innings, thanks to Williamson’s absolutely superb 236 not out – just shy of his career best of 242 against Sri Lanka in Wellington six years ago.
He resumed the day on 97 and quickly picked up from where he left off on Thursday’s opening day, dominating the West Indies four-pronged attack.
All told, the right-handed Williamson has so far faced 400 balls and slammed 33 fours and one six, posting his 22nd hundred and third Test double.
His only blemish came on 221 when he was caught behind off a no-ball from seamer Kemar Roach.
Resuming the morning on their overnight 243 for two, West Indies lost Ross Taylor after the veteran right-hander added just seven to his overnight 31 when he edged speedster Shannon Gabriel behind to Shamarh Brooks in the second over.
Brooks has deputised for Shane Dowrich who failed to take the field because of a hand injury.
Taylor’s dismissal ended an 83-run stand with Williamson which started in the final session on Thursday’s opening day.
There was joy for Williamson in the next over from Roach, however, as he reached his hundred with a lovely back foot drive to the cover boundary.
Williamson lost Henry Nicholls to a catch at second slip by Jason Holder off Roach, the West Indies captain taking the chance on the second attempt, but he found an ally in Tom Blundell (14) to add 72 for the fifth wicket.
The partnership guided New Zealand safely to lunch on 346 for four but they lost Blundell in the second over following the resumption when the right-hander played back to Gabriel and was pinned lbw.
Williamson, unfazed by the wickets to fall, then inspired two key partnerships to further increase West Indies’ agony.
First, he dominated a 56-run, sixth wicket stand with Daryl Mitchell (9) before posting further 68 in an unbroken seventh wicket partnership with Kyle Jamieson who was unbeaten on the break on 35 from 50 balls, having lashed three fours and two sixes.
Gabriel (3-89) and Roach (3-114) have shared the wickets to fall with three apiece.
West Indies could find themselves short in their batting reply as both Darren Bravo and Dowrich are injured and failed to take the field on Friday.
Earlier on Thursday, West Indies delight at winning the toss on a lush green wicket turned to frustration as New Zealand were rarely troubled by the tourists seamers.
After the start of play was delayed two hours by rain, the West Indies were delighted to win the toss with an emerald wicket that potentially offered untold demons for their pace attack.
But after Gabriel bowled debutant Will Young early for five, the tourists found they did not get the assistance they expected from the wicket.
Gabriel, Roach and Holder could not keep a consistent line and saw rare chances spoiled by fielding errors.
The 2.01 metre (6ft 7in) Holder used his height to extract some bounce but the no-risk approach of opener Tom Latham, who made 86, and Williamson served only to tire the big Barbadian.
Together, Latham and Williamson frustrated West Indies in an excellent stand of 154 for the second wicket. On 80, Latham was well out of his crease when he aborted an attempted cheeky single, but Brooks’ shy at the stumps went well wide.
Roach, wearing a black armband in memory of his father who died recently, eventually bowled the left-hand opener off an inside edge from a full-length delivery.
The composed Williamson underscored his self-restraint on 49 when he faced 24 balls before reaching his 33rd half-century with a single off off-spinner Roston Chase.
