The West Indies cricket team seems to be somewhat unfamiliar with the famous proverb, `Catches win matches’ judging from the just-concluded two-test series which the hosts swept.
However in the aftermath of the tour the phrase should stick in their memory.
After all, you can’t expect to drop so many catches and expect not to come out on the losing end of the stick.
The West Indies suffered innings defeats in both test matches with the Kiwis coming out on top by an innings and 134 runs and an innings and 12 runs respectively.
In the second Test at Wellington, the West Indies fielders flopped some nine chances which might have greatly influenced the outcome of the contest.
They seemed to have a special; liking for the left-handed, middle order batsman, Henry Nicholls, who rode his luck on his way to a career-best 174.
In the process, Nicholls took the game away from the Caribbean side. The 29-year-old came to the crease with his side in a slightly precarious position of 78 for three.
This position was even more troubling since New Zealand were without their ace batsman, Kane Williamson, who had pummeled West Indies into the ground with an astonishing 251 in the first Test.
Nicholls should not have been able to pass 50 but he was given a whopping five chances before eventually crossing that landmark for the first time in 14 innings.
The Canterbury lefty was put down by Shamarh Brooks when on 21 in the 28th over.
While on 23, a flick off Alzarri Joseph sailed over the head of Jermaine Blackwood who was well inside the boundary.
Nicholls was also given two more lives when on 47 as Darren Bravo was caught off guard at second slip.
Nicholls duly help carry the score to 268 for six with Daryll Mitchell in tow.
The two forged an 83-run partnership.
Mitchell also benefited from a dropped chance.
He should have departed when on 38 had he not been put down by skipper Jason Holder himself.
Luckily, Mitchell only added four more runs to his score before being trapped leg before wicket by Chemar Holder.
Kyle Jamieson also benefited from the Christmas-like benevolence of the West Indies fielders as he was put down when on 15. This time, the culprit was John Campbell in the slip cordon.
Jamieson duly added 50 runs for the seventh-wicket with Nicholls.
At 336 for seven, it seemed unlikely that the hosts would reach 400. But Neil Wagner, dropped on 20 and 21 in consecutive overs, made use of the chances and went on to make 66 not out. This was also his maiden Test half century and saw New Zealand to 460 as the ninth wicket partnership added 95 rollicking runs.
The die-hard West Indian fans must have been fuming, having sacrificed their sleep during the week to see West Indies put up such an abysmal performance in the field.
But the Windies were not done yet.
They followed up that abysmal fielding display with yet another cataclysmic failure of a batting performance.
Once again, the opening partnership failed to bear fruit as Campbell continued his struggle with 14 in the first innings. His 68 in the second innings may seem timely and will definitely ask the question if it is enough to warrant him a spot in the Test side for the next series against Bangladesh next year.
While his poor run did not come as a surprise, faithful followers of West Indies cricket must have expected more from Kraigg Brathwaite who had scored a double century in the warm-up match. This form, coupled with the selectors giving him the responsibility of being Holder’s deputy was expected to be the ideal platform for him to score heavily under much-needed circumstances.
He, however, could only manage 55 runs total from his four innings.
Fans also expected the return of Darren Bravo to bolster the struggling batting line up and he entered the first test on the backs of scores of 135 and 93 not out in the practice matches.
However, when it came to the real matches, he only reached double figures once with his best score being 12.
Newly appointed vice-captain, Roston Chase, like Bravo, reached double figures only once and had a pair in the second Test while Brooks got progressively better with scores of one and two in the first Test, followed by scores of 14 and 36 in the second.
Jermaine Blackwood carried the bulk of the batting on his shoulders and did not disappoint. He scored his second Test century in the first Test and provided a glimmer of satisfaction for those in the Caribbean as he added 155 for the seventh wicket with pacer Alizarin Joseph who made a career-best 86 and showed up the frontline batsmen, Campbell, Brathwaite, Bravo, and Brooks.
Blackwood’s 69 in the second Test was the only score of substance in the first innings as the West Indies were shot out for a dismal 124. Only two other batsmen reached double figures.
The second innings was their best showing with the bat, having scampered to 317 with debutant, Joshua Da Silva, showing promise with a maiden half century and Holder reaching 61.
Interestingly, in the `A’ team match played simultaneously, West Indies `A’ showed a better fight with the bat than the senior side.
Romario Shepherd was undoubtedly the best batsman on show, scoring 133 in the first match and following that up with 77 not out in the second match.
Raymon Reifer also notched up a half century in the first match while Keemo Paul and Nicholas Pooran were dismissed in the 40s.
All in all, a lot of questions need to be asked of the selectors as West Indies head into the new year. Will Campbell retain his spot? Will (Shane) Dowrich remain the first choice wicketkeeper? Will Jason Holder remain captain? Is there space for Shimron Hetmyer in the XI? Can we expect new young blood to come into the fold? Where do we go from here?
