West Indies must bat out final day to save throwback Test  

West Indies 420 & 43-0 (King 37*, Campbell 2*) need 419 runs to beat New Zealand 575 for 8 dec. & 306 for 2 dec. (Latham 101, Conway 100, Ravindra 46*, Hodge 2-80)

Unlike the Bazballing English, the majority of cricket teams appreciate the significance of a drawn game. So with 419 runs still to get for victory, the West Indies will enter Sunday’s final day of the Bay Oval Test, one would assume, with the aim to survive. The Caribbean side ended the day on 43 without loss after being left three and a half sessions in which to chase 462. 

Through contrasting methods, openers John Campbell and Brandon King batted through 16 overs late on, ensuring the visitors got to stumps with all 10 wickets intact. King crunched seven fours on his way to 37, while the usually aggressive Campbell limited himself to defensive options, scoring just 2 from 50 balls. 

Windies’ first innings lasted only an hour on Day 4, as they lost their remaining four wickets for 39 runs. They began the day on 381 for 6, still 194 runs adrift of New Zealand’s first innings total. Anderson Phillip fell to Jacob Duffy on the third delivery of the morning for 17. While Shai Hope, who recovered from food poisoning and was finally eligible to bat, lasted only 7 deliveries before he too was undone by Duffy for 4.

There was a stubborn 69-ball ninth-wicket stand between Kavem Hodge and Jayden Seales, which yielded 29 runs, before the latter was bowled by Ajaz Patel for 15. Kemar Roach was the last man to go, caught behind off Michael Rae for a duck three balls later. Hodge finished unbeaten on 123 as the visitors were dismissed for 420.

With a 155-run lead in the bag and five and a half sessions to force a result, New Zealand went in search of quick runs. Their openers, for the second time this Test, responded with centuries. 

After getting through to Lunch unscathed at 35 without loss, the Black Caps picked up the pace in the middle session. By Tea, the lead was already 347. Hope let slip a chance from Conway when he was on 95. He went on to score an even hundred. Tom Latham followed suit with 101 as the pair put on 192 in 242 deliveries for the first wicket. The part-time orthodox spin of Kavem Hodge eventually accounted for both. 

Rachin Ravindra came and smashed 46 from 23 balls, while Kane Williamson kept things ticking over with 40 from 37. New Zealand made a target of skipper Roston Chase’s off-spin, scoring 106 runs from his 13 overs before declaring on 306 for 2 in their second innings.