Death spiral

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – West Indies lost a clatter of wickets before tea to find themselves in a familiar downward spiral on the second day of the ill-important second Test at the Basin Reserve on Saturday.

At the interval taken at 3:40 pm (10:40 pm, Friday, Eastern Caribbean time), West Indies were tottering on 42 for four in their first innings, in response to the hosts’ massive 460 all out.

They trail by 420 runs heading into the final session.

Jermaine Blackwood, in for only 10 deliveries, was already counter-attacking with three fours in his 12 not out and was accompanied by Shamarh Brooks on eight.

Henry Nicholls, unbeaten overnight on 117, had earlier converted that effort into a career best 174 while Neil Wagner smashed a cameo 66, before New Zealand were bowled out about 20 minutes after lunch.

Faced with a difficult 1-½ hours before tea, West Indies suffered a massive top order collapse for the second straight game, as Tim Southee (2-14) and Kyle Jamieson (2-4) shone in the all-seam four-pronged attack employed by the hosts.

Kraigg Brathwaite was the first casualty of the innings, nicking Southee to Ross Taylor at first slip without scoring in the third over of the innings without a run on the board.

His partner John Campbell (14) and Darren Bravo (7) tried to resist in a 22-run second wicket stand until Southee got left-handed Bravo to tap a return catch to his right which was easily pouched.

The left-handed Campbell, who struck two fours and faced 37 balls, never really settled and Jamieson got him in his opening over, caught by stand-in captain Tom Latham at second slip.

And West Indies were in deeper trouble when off the very next delivery, Jamieson shattered Roston Chase’s stumps with a full length delivery to send him back without scoring.

Resuming from their overnight 294 for six, the Black Caps piled the pressure on West Indies with the left-handed Nicholls dominating their attack.

All told, he struck 21 fours and one six in an innings spanning 280 deliveries and a shade over seven hours, to overtake his previous best of 162 two years ago against Sri Lanka in Christchurch.

He extended his overnight seventh wicket stand with Jamieson (20) to exactly 50 and after fast bowler Alzarri Joseph struck twice in the first session, he combined with Wagner to punish the visitors in a 95-run, ninth wicket partnership.

Wagner attacked from the outset, slamming eight fours and four sixes in a 42-ball innings but which was not without chances.

Debutant fast bowler Chemar Holder and Chase both put down Wagner down in successive overs – both at fine leg – off speedster Shannon Gabriel and Joseph respectively, when the batsman was on 20 and 21 respectively.

With West Indies chasing the game, New Zealand lost only two wickets in the opening session, both to Joseph, who came on immediately after the drinks break and created chances with his angle from wide of the crease.

Jamieson, on one overnight, nicked him to captain Jason Holder at second slip, and Tim Southee played on while cramped for room by the angle and extra bounce.

Either side of that, though, it was all New Zealand, with Nicholls adding just 43 to his overnight score to be unbeaten on 160 at lunch with the free-hitting Wagner on 48, carrying their side to 422 for eight.

Nicholls, who lived a charmed life on Friday’s first day for his unbeaten 117, glued the lower order together and shut West Indies down entirely from one end.

The luck that defined his batting on day one seemed to continue through the start of the day’s play, when he inside-edged Gabriel past his stumps, but as the morning went on he grew increasingly fluent.

Nicholls eventually perished after lunch, taken at extra cover off off-spinner Chase (2-54) while Wagner perished in the same over, picking out Brooks at mid-wicket.

Gabriel, who failed to add to his tally on Saturday, finished with three for 93 while Joseph picked up three for 109.

Chemar Holder ended with two for 110.