By Tony Cozier
In NAPIER
Daren Powell has apologised to the New Zealand team for his angry outburst during the second day of the drawn second Test at McLean Park.
“Daren was very contrite about the incident and was very eager to put things right,” manager Omar Khan said yesterday. “I accompanied him to the New Zealand dressing room where he gave the team an unreserved apology.”
“It was accepted in the spirit in which it was given and the matter is now behind us,” he added. “It was something we don’t want to see on any cricket field and Daren was aware of that.”
Match referee Javagal Srinath was informed of Powell’s apology and considered it enough not to merit action from him under the International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct.
Powell ran through the crease on delivery and deliberately threw the ball towards the slips from 18 yards after batsman Brendan McCullum started to move down the pitch on his approach. Umpire Rudi Koertzen called the no-ball that brought the scores level on first innings.
After Powell and McCullum continued to exchange words at the end of the over, captain Chris Gayle removed him from the attack for him to cool off.
He did and, when Gayle brought him back, Powell claimed the wicket of James Franklin.
Chris Gayle joined a list of illustrious West Indians with his six-hitting during his second innings 197 in the drawn second Test against New Zealand.
His seven sixes equalled the West Indies record for the number in one innings, previously shared by three master batsmen.
They are Viv Richards against England at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) in 1986 on his way to Test cricket’s fastest hundred, off 56 balls, Gordon Greenidge, in his 213 against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland in 1987 and Brian Lara in his 216 against Pakistan at Multan in 2006.
