West Indies collapse to 323-run defeat as New Zealand take series 2-0

New Zealand 575 for 8 dec. & 306 for 2 dec. (Latham 101, Conway 100, Ravindra 46*, Hodge 2-80) beat West Indies 420 & 138 (King 67, Campbell 16, Imlach 15*, Duffy 5-42) by 323 runs 

The West Indies’ three-match Test series against New Zealand ended with as much despair as it began with promise. With all ten second-innings wickets still intact, the visitors entered the day with a realistic hope of earning a draw. They were instead rolled over for 138 and subjected to a crushing 323-run defeat, handing the hosts a 2-0 series win.

They lost 5 wickets for 11 runs to be restricted to 99 for 5 at the lunch interval. The opening pair of John Campbell and Brandon King added 44 runs before variable bounce came into play on the fifth-day wicket. King continued his quick scoring from the previous day, bringing up his fifty in 63 balls. Campbell too seemed intent on blocking, as he had done late on Day 4. 

They were eventually dismissed in consecutive overs. King fell to a Jacob Duffy short ball for 67 before Campbell (16) fell victim to the aggression he’d suppressed the entire innings and was caught going for a big shot off the orthodox spin of Ajaz Patel.

There was no fight from the Windies middle order thereafter. Patel had first-innings centurion Kavem Hodge caught at short leg for a duck before player-of-the-series Duffy returned to remove Alick Athanaze (2) and Justin Greaves, also without scoring.

Skipper Roston Chase’s lean patch with the bat continued. He was the first to go after the break for five, another victim of the Duffy short ball. Shai Hope and Tevin Imlach then put together Windies’ longest partnership (by balls) since the first wicket. The pair scored just three runs between them in 54 deliveries before. Hope’s innings came to an end when he was adjudged LBW upon review, offering no shot to Patel after a 78-ball 3. 

The West Indies managed to prolong the game until the final session, but 20 minutes was all New Zealand needed to wrap up victory, with Duffy applying the finishing touches with the wicket of Jayden Seales (0) for figures of 5 for 42. Imlach was left unbeaten on 15.