By Tony Cozier
In NAPIER
THEY obviously would not let on but the West Indies were relieved, rather than just content, to draw the second and final Test against New Zealand on an engrossing last day at McLean Park here yesterday.
Captain Chris Gayle, who stretched his magnificent eighth Test hundred from 146 overnight to 197, and the unusually significant contributions from fast bowlers Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell occupied the entire first session to extend New Zealand’s winning goal to 312 off the final 60 overs.
To achieve it would lift them above the West Indies at the foot of the increasingly pertinent International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings where they have been since losing by an innings to Australia in Adelaide last month.
They were advancing at a match-winning clip, at 208 for four with 103 needed from the remaining 16 overs on a pitch unblemished and unchanged from its first day perfection, when the seventh referral on an umpires’ decision for the innings went against Brendon McCullum.
It basically settled the issue.
It was the second in the ICC’s referral trial in quick succession. Both involved the belligerent wicket-keeper whose proven reputation as one of the international game’s most devastating hitters was well known to the West Indies.
The first was for a leg-side catch at the wicket off Jerome Taylor. Third umpire Mark Benson wasted no time advising Rudi Keortzen, his colleague in the middle, to stick to his not out decision.
McCullum’s instant response was to hook Taylor’s next ball for six to go with the two New Zealand’s Taylor, Ross, had earlier clouted into the square-leg grandstand off successive balls from Gayle.
When MCullum confronted Taylor again, he essayed a pull shot to a ball that past him outside off-stump on its way to Denesh Ramdin. Up, very, very slowly, went Koertzen’s left index finger only for the challenge to now come from McCullum (19 off 21 balls).
The replay shown on the television screen indicated no contact of bat on ball on its way through to the ‘keeper. But Koertzen held firm to his decision anyhow as Benson could offer no conclusive evidence that he shouldn’t.
Had he been able to use the “snicko” technology that showed no contact with the bat, McCullum would have stayed and who knows what would have happened.
It was only then New Zealand abandoned their push for victory and took the option of a draw. They were 92 short with nine overs and five wickets remaining when the captains finally agreed to end the fight.
The outcome keeps the ICC’s table unchanged with the West Indies No.7 and New Zealand No.8.
The evidence of the two drawn matches – the first in Dunedin was reduced from five to three days by rain – was that they are so evenly matched only a reversion to the old five Test series was likely to separate them.
Instead, they now change into coloured uniforms for the biff-bam of two 20/20 matches, the first at Eden Park in Auckland on Boxing Day, and five ODIS.
Throughout the five days here, the West Indies played catch-up.
They were 74 for four on the first day on winning the toss before Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 126 and his partnership of 163 with the equally dogged left-hander Brendan Nash saw them to 307.
New Zealand overtook that total with only four out only for Fidel Edwards to restrict the lead to 64 with a Test-best innings return of seven wickets.
Once more the West Indies faltered in their second innings, to 106 for four early on the fourth day.
Once more they were yanked out of a hole by a partnership involving the determined, level-headed Nash, this time 124 with his captain who batted through the last hour and a quarter of the third day, all through the fourth and into the start of the fifth when he was 146. Even then, the West Indies’ position was tenuous – a mere 214 to the good with seven wickets down. They needed to bat to lunch and even beyond to be safe.
Gayle and Edwards, proving to those demoted below him what is expected of a tailender, carried on for an hour and 20 minutes into a day of clear sunlight.
When Gayle was out to a freak dismissal three short of a richly deserved double hundred, Edwards and Powell occupied more overs and contributed valuable runs.
Gayle added seven powerful driven fours (four in a single over from Ian O’Brien) and a pulled six (off left-armer James Franklin) to the 13 fours and six sixes of the previous day.
His vigil of eight hours, 35 minutes and 396 balls was finally ended by a catch off keeper McCullum’s right boot and into his gloves as he underedged a sweep at off-spinner Jeetan Patel. It is not the kind of dismissal often seen on any ground.
Patel finished with five wickets in a Test innings for the first time but needed 45 overs to get them.
New Zealand’s bold bid to win proceeded even after first innings century-maker, left-hander Tim McIntosh, was lbw for 3 to Jerome Taylor (another umpiring referral).
It would have been further derailed but for Taylor’s simple miss at mid-on that reprieved Jamie How at 19 off Fidel Edwards. The error might have saved How’s Test career.
After a string low scores, he took his opportunity to blast eight fours in 54, four in one over from Edwards that yielded 19. When the left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn went for nine off the next over, the West Indies started to wobble.
How’s dismissal to Gayle’s first slip catch off Edwards was only a temporary blip. Ross Taylor and the ample left-hander Jesse Ryder resumed after tea and immediately set about chasing the 210 needed off 34 overs.
Taylor took three fours in an over off his namesake, following it with his two sixes as soon as Gayle tried his hand for the first time.
Singles were gathered at will to a deep set field and the partnership had rattled up 79 off 15 overs before an umpires’ referral reversed umpire Amish Saheba’s not out lbw to Ross Taylor (54 off 50 balls) off the steady Sulieman Benn who quickly followed with a rare maiden.
The final referral for a match littered with them followed and once McCullum had to go, the game was up. But it was a close run thing.
