Parore glitters to prise open Test
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Your support makes all the difference.New Zealand 341-8 dec West Indies 102-5
New Zealand are unlikely to win a match in which too much play has been lost to the weather, but they spent the fourth day of the first Test severely embarrassing the West Indies and, in quick time, restoring their confidence so badly shaken by the marijuana-smoking scandal on their recent tour of South Africa.
They owed their total of 341 for 8 declared, manufactured from the potential crisis on Saturday of 128 for 5, to wicketkeeper Adam Parore's maiden Test century, and his eighth-wicket partnership of 118 with the left-hander, Matthew Hart, whose 45 was also his highest Test score.
The West Indies seemed resigned to the reality that the match was dead, if not buried, and simply went through the motions against opponents who eagerly seized their chance to score some telling psychological points. None of their four fast bowlers felt it necessary to overly exert themselves on a comfortable batting pitch but when they themselves went in, Danny Morrison, the little, battle-hardened New Zealander, showed exactly what could be achieved.
Bowling with appreciably more pace and fire than any West Indian, he removed four batsmen as the faltering West Indies finished 102 for 5, still 40 short of the further indignity of following on. Morrison exploited the carefree approach of batsmen who underestimated their task, removing the opener Stuart Williams and the usually careful Jimmy Adams to top-edged hook strokes.
He also claimed Brian Lara's wicket in an opening spell of three wickets for 427 from his opening burst of 11 overs. Lara, accorded his now customary regal welcome by a crowd of 3,000 basking in the first sunshine for two days, was given an equally rousing send-off when he dragged his twelfth ball back into his stumps from an airy drive.
While Morrison rested Sherwin Campbell, the little opener in his debut Test, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, one of four consecutive left-handers in the West Indies middle-order, added 48. Campbell batted with eye-catching assurance for 51 but Morrison's return late in the day brought his demise, lbw trying to work a ball of full length to leg.
New Zealand's effort was not even diminished by the loss after five overs of their other new-ball bowler, Dion Nash, who fractured his left little finger while fielding.
(Fourth day; West Indies won toss)
New Zealand - First Innings (Overnight: 221 for 6)
A C Parore not out 100
M N Hart c and b W Benjamin 45
D J Nash c Campbell b Ambrose 3
Extras (nb15 lb5 b12) 32
Total (for 8 dec, 124.1 overs) 341
Fall (cont): 7-328 8-341.
Bowling: Ambrose 31.1-12-57-3 (1nb); Walsh 30-5-69-2 (12nb); W K M Benjamin 33-4-94-1; K M B Benjamin 25-7-91-2 (2nb); Chanderpaul 3-1-10-0; Arthurton 2-0-3-0.
West Indies - First Innings S C Williams c Parore b Morrison 10
S L Campbell lbw Morrison 51
B C Lara b Morrison 2
J C Adams c Doull b Morrison 13
K Arthurton run out (Rutherford) 1
S Chanderpaul not out 18
J R Murray not out 3
Extras (nb4) 4
Total (for 5, 46 overs) 102
Fall: 1-10, 2-21, 3-49, 4-54, 5-98.
To bat: W K M Benjamin, K C G Benjamin, C E L Ambrose, *C A Walsh.
Bowling: Morrison 15-6-33-4 (1nb); Nash 5-2-11-0; Doull 9-4-24-0 (2nb); Hart 14-2-32-0 (1nb); Thomson 3-2-2-0.
Umpires: B Aldridge and N Plews.
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