Duffy’s five-for powers NZ to thumping win over Windies

Jacob Duffy took 5-38 as New Zealand cruised to a nine-wicket victory over the West Indies in the second Test in Wellington on Friday for a 1-0 series lead.

Seamer Duffy bagged his second five-wicket haul in only his third Test to help roll the West Indies for 128 after lunch on day three, the hosts needing just 56 for victory.

Devon Conway (28) and Kane Williamson (16) guided New Zealand to an emphatic win just before tea at the Basin Reserve.

Debutant Michael Rae took 3-45 for the home side while Kavem Hodge was the pick of the West Indian batters in their second innings, scoring 35.

New Zealand lead the three-Test series 1-0, after the first match in Christchurch ended in a draw.

With this win, New Zealand have boosted their prospects of a second appearance in the ICC World Test Championship final.

The win earned New Zealand 12 World Test Championship points and allowed the 2021 champions to leapfrog Pakistan and India to join Sri Lanka in third place on the standings.

New Zealand now have a win-loss percentage of 66.67, with leaders Australia (100 percent) and second-placed South Africa (75 percent) the only teams ahead of them.

The West Indies, meanwhile, have now lost six of their seven outings in this cycle and remain winless.

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham was delighted with how his inexperienced bowling unit took the fight to the visitors.

Like Duffy, Zak Foulkes was playing just his third Test match, Blair Tickner his fourth and Rae was on debut.

“I think the way they stood up this week was outstanding,” said Latham, whose options were depleted by injury.

“We obviously weren’t at our best with the bat, but I think the way the bowlers managed to pull ourselves well ahead of the game was great.

“I thought we bowled fantastically well and sort of adjusted things a little bit in terms of how we wanted to operate,” he added.

It was a limp batting effort from the West Indies, who resumed day three at 32-2, trailing by 41 runs having lost John Campbell and nightwatchman Anderson Phillip late on day two.

By lunch they were on the ropes at 98-6 and needing a significant fightback — like they did in the first Test — to have any chance.

It took just 9.2 overs for New Zealand to clean up the tail, the collapse starting when Justin Greaves fell for 25 to an lbw off Duffy that was reviewed by New Zealand and would have clipped the top of leg stump.

“Obviously disappointed,” West Indies skipper Roston Chase said of his team’s batting.

“I thought we were in a good position up to this morning, even though in the first innings we thought that we should have got some more runs.

“But it didn’t happen, so very disappointing for us after the bowlers really put up their hands and brought us back into the game.”

On day one the tourists were dismissed for 205, before New Zealand made 278-9 declared in reply.

West Indies collapse: Brandon King and Hodge started brightly on Friday, negating a pitch that was offering variable bounce to the New Zealand bowlers.

King was the first to depart, for 22, after a dreadful mix-up running between the wickets, run out by Michael Bracewell.

That sparked a mini-collapse as first Shai Hope and then Chase were removed by Rae and Duffy respectively.

Hodge patiently moved to 35 as wickets fell at the other end, but he departed after Will Young took a stunning diving catch from a pull shot at midwicket.

Chase said his players needed to take accountability for their batting.

“It’s converting the start once you get in, buckling down and having that determination to carry it as far as possible,” he said.

“(We got some) good balls, yes, but I think sometimes we just give it away and it’s a little too easy when we get to the 30s and the 40s.”

The third and final Test is in Mount Maunganui starting on Thursday.

Agencies