WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Joshua Da Silva struck his maiden Test half-century but New Zealand took a little over an hour to wrap up a comprehensive innings and 12 runs victory in the second Test against West Indies on the fourth day at the Basin Reserve on Monday to seal a 2-0 series sweep.
The tourists resumed on 244 for six with captain Jason Holder on 60 and Joshua Da Silva on 25 but were dismissed for 317 midway through the first session, still 12 runs from making the hosts bat again after they scored 460 in their first innings.
Da Silva, in his first Test after replacing first choice gloveman, Shane Dowrich, struck a polished 57 and Alzarri Joseph chipped in with 24 but West Indies were always facing a tall order once they followed on by 329 runs.
New Zealand dismissed the visitors for 131 in their first innings early on Sunday and captain Tom Latham had little hesitation in enforcing the follow on.
The home side also won the first test in Hamilton by an innings and 134 runs inside four days.
The victory put New Zealand level with Australia on 116 points at the top of the International Cricket Council test rankings and they moved to third in the table for the World Test Championship final at Lord’s next year.
“It’s just tough when we didn’t take our opportunities when they came. We were good in patches but still not good enough,” said Holder, who was dismissed for 61.
“I don’t think conditions were that tough in order to get runs. The wicket was a really good wicket.
“We’ve just not been consistent over a period of time. We haven’t been able to string it together, more often than not.”
Opener Tom Latham, who stood in as captain while regular captain Kane Williamson took paternity leave for the birth of his first child, was impressed with the manner of the victory.
“Clinical is probably the word to use. The way we were able to set the game with the bat on the back of Henry’s innings was outstanding,” he said in reference to Henry Nicholls’s career-best 174.
“On the back of that …to put a team back in twice in two matches was not going to be easy for the bowlers … but they kept coming time and again and did the job with the ball.
“So, yeah, clinical is a good word for it.”
The start of play on Monday was delayed for 20 minutes due to light rain falling in central Wellington but Tim Southee and Neil Wagner picked up the four wickets required, while Da Silva scored his first Test half century.
Holder added one to his overnight 60 before he was bowled by Southee, who also had Joseph caught behind after an entertaining 24 – all from boundaries.
Da Silva fell lbw to Neil Wagner, who also bowled Shannon Gabriel without scoring to leave Chemar Holder not out 13.
For New Zealand, Wagner took three for 54 and Trent Boult finished with three for 96.
Despite winning the toss and having the advantage of bowling first on green wickets in both Tests, the West Indies bowlers struggled for consistency and their batsmen lacked the variety of shot selection to handle New Zealand’s swing and seam attack.
The top five West Indies batsmen totalled only 267 across their four Test innings, just 16 more than New Zealand maestro Williamson scored on his own in the first Test.
Even with Williamson out for the second Test, New Zealand were still able to post 460 as Nicholls shrugged off a batting slump to contribute his 174, aided by five dropped catches.
John Campbell’s 68 in the second innings of the final Test was the best contribution by the West Indies’ top order.
Their highest scores of the series came from Jermaine Blackwood (104) and Alzarri Joseph (89) batting at six and eight in a lost-cause second innings of the first Test.
New Zealand start a two-Test series against Pakistan on December 26 and will need another series sweep to be in with a chance of reaching the Test championship final. (WIRES)
