Windies Crushed in Kensington

New Zealand recorded their first victory over the West Indies in the Caribbean, winning their 12th encounter in convincing fashion by a massive 204 runs with a day to spare at the Kensington Oval here yesterday to take a 1-0 unassailable lead in the two-match Cable & Wireless series.

Set the mammoth task of recording the highest ever total, 474, to win a Test match, the West Indies catapulted for 269, losing their last six wickets for 65 runs in the face of some hostile bowling from fast bowler Shane Bond who finished with career-best figures of five for 78 and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori who grabbed three for 53. Final scores: New Zealand 337 and 243; West Indies 107 and 269.

Opener Chris Gayle and world record-holder Brian Lara lashed entertaining innings of 73 each but got little support from the both the top and lower-order in yet another inept batting display by the Windies.

Gayle, who took some 29 balls before clipping Bond to mid-off for two, and Wavell Hinds gave the homesters some hope after resuming at the overnight position of five without loss with Hinds in particular playing a number of fluent drives, especially through the off-side.

Hinds was quickly into his strides, hitting Daryl Tuffey through mid-off and through the covers with fine timing while Gayle, who was circumspect at the start, opened up by spanking Ian Butler for 10 in his first over, including a forcing back-foot drive which sped through the covers with rapid pace.

The introduction of spin had immediate effect with the wily Vettori inducing Hinds to a bat-pad catch at forward short-leg, Mark Richardson accepting the straightforward chance. Hinds? 37 runs included six fours in 87 minutes off 65 balls.

Enter Ramnaresh Sarwan. Bond bowls a short ball and the 22-year attempts a similar pull shot that caused his demise in the first innings when he skied a catch to Vettori at short mid-wicket. This time he succeeds in keeping the ball down as the sprinkling of spectators went into sighs in relief.

Unmindful of this, Sarwan hooks the next delivery for four while Gayle upped the tempo with three fours, the last one bringing up his sixth half-century in Tests.

At lunch, the West Indies were 107 for one, having scored 102 in the session for the loss of Hinds, with Gayle on 50 and Sarwan 10.

Sarwan greeted Bond?s first delivery after lunch with a majestic cover drive and with Gayle continuing to flow the second-wicket partnership flourished.

Tragedy, in the form of another injudicious and ill-advised hook shot from Sarwan, however struck with the score on 133.

Having done their homework admirably, the New Zealanders lured Sarwan (18) into taking the bait as he repeated the same shot that caused his demise in the first innings.

With the addition of nine runs, Gayle was trapped lbw to Bond as he pushed forward hesitantly to the aggressive Bond, his 73 laced with 12 fours in 172 minutes off 131 balls.

Skipper Hooper never looked settled despite playing a beautiful on-drive off Tuffey. Chasing a wide delivery outside the off-stump off the same bowler, Hooper edged it to his opposite, Stephen Fleming, at slip to leave the West Indies on 179 for four.

Lara, as he did in the first innings, was clearly showing signs of returning to form following his elbow injury and by tea was on 27, his best scoring strokes being square-driven boundaries off Butler and Vettori and an extra cover drive off Tuffey. The now reliable Shivnarine Chanderpaul was 14 not out and hopes of West Indies at least taking the game into the final day still remained.

Adding three to his teatime score, Chanderpaul was completely deceived in the flight by Vettori as he advanced to drive the left-arm spinner. He only succeeded in edging the delivery to Fleming at slip as the homesters slipped deeper into trouble at 204 for five.

It was soon 216 for six, as like Sarwan, wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs (six) went in similar fashion to his first innings dismissal, pulling a short ball to mid-wicket where Nathan Astle ran back to take a marvellous catch.

In ?no man?s land?, Lara tried desperately to shield the lower-order while providing the last bit of entertainment for the fans.

The left-hander spanked Vettori through mid-on and swept him for another boundary before reaching 50 with a six over long-off. He lost the over-ambitious Darren Powell, caught at slip by Astle, essaying a big drive at 226 and after adding a useful 30 with Pedro Collins, forced Fleming to claim the second new ball.

The move paid handsome dividends as Collins was trapped lbw with the first ball.

Lara added four more fours, two off Tuffey and two off Bond before the latter had the last laugh, yorking him with a slower delivery. His 73 included 11 fours and six in 190 minutes off 131 balls.

Mervyn Dillon, whose participation in the Test, raised eyebrows about his prior fitness, was dismissed off the first ball he faced, edging a catch to Lou Vincent in the slip cordon.

New Zealand?s captain Fleming was fittingly adjudged man-of-the-match for his fine 130 in his team?s first innings.

Apart from winning their first Test match in the West Indies on their fourth tour to the Caribbean, the Black Caps also increased their overall winnings to seven as compared to the Windies? 10 with the other 14 ending in draws.

The second and final Test starts at the Queen?s Park in Grenada on Friday. It will also be the first time that the ?Spice Island? will be hosting a Test match.