Day 1: New Zealand 231 for 9 (Williamson 52, Bracewell 47, Shields 2-34)
The West Indies bowlers delivered an all-round effort to restrict New Zealand to 231 for 9 at stumps on Day 1 of the first Test in Christchurch. The visitors had to contend with two rain interruptions in the morning session before finding their rhythm and snatching the upper hand as bad light ended play early on Tuesday.
Returning veteran Kemar Roach (2-47) had opener Devon Conway caught in the slips for a duck on the third ball of the Test. Only 10.3 overs were possible before a second rain delay forced lunch with New Zealand at 17 for 1. The hosts must have been happy for the break with the ball nipping around in overcast conditions.
West Indies 213 all out (Fontaine 39, Bryan 36, French 3-21) beat England 154 all out (Falconer 52, Moores 37, Racha 4-21) by 59 runs
The West Indies closed out their Men’s Under-19 series against England with a 59-run victory in the final Youth One-Day International at Grenada’s National Cricket Stadium on Monday. The win handed the Caribbean side an impressive 5-2 series triumph.
West Indies made several changes to their playing eleven following Saturday’s series-sealing victory. Among the changes was the inclusion of openers Earsinho Fontaine (39) and Tyriek Bryan (36), the pair who began the series. They returned to share in a 77-run first-wicket stand, leading the Caribbean batters, before the hosts were dismissed for 213 in 49.2 overs.
Wicket-keeper Shamar Apple chipped in with 31 against figures of 3 for 21 from England’s Alex French. There were two wickets apiece from Ralphie Albert (2-35) and Farhan Ahmed (2-37).
The West Indies haven’t had a Test win against New Zealand in New Zealand in 30 years. Not since a drawn first match and an innings-and-322-run victory in the second handed them a 1-0 series win in 1995. Ahead of Monday evening’s start to their latest clash, Captain Roston Chase is desperate for a change in fortunes, hoping it will place his team on “the good side of history” at the end of the contest.
“[Winning] would mean a lot,” Chase said on the eve of the first Test. “We haven't won here (New Zealand) in a very long time. We don't want to be on the bad side of history all the time.”
The West Indies come into the series having lost all five of their games in the current 2025-27 cycle of the ICC World Test Championship. Meanwhile, this will be the first contest of the cycle for the former champions.
Beneath the determined optimism from the Windies skipper is the resignation that his team starts as justified underdogs. As a result, they have a lower starting point than the Kiwis.
Pride 169 for 1 (Mayers 89*, Boucher 50, Hinds 1-44) beat Red Force 168 (Webster 43, Cariah 35, Bishop 4-27) by 9 wickets
Barbados Pride are the 2025 CG United Super50 Cup champions. The Pride earned an emphatic 9-wicket win over Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Saturday.
Menacing 4-wicket spells from spinner Joshua Bishop (4-27) and seamer Dominic Drakes (4-34) first helped to dismiss the Red Force for 168 in 42.3 overs. While opener Tion Webster top-scored with 43, the other contribution of significance came from Yannic Cariah (35).
Amir Jangoo added 20 as Jason Mohammed signed off his Super50 career with 12. There was a wicket apiece for Matthew Jones (1-18) and Kemar Smith (1-31).
West Indies 222 for 6 (Dorne 102*, Tilokani 49, Minto 2-48) beat England 221 all out (Ahmed 54, Moores 42, van Lange 4-17) by 4 wickets
The West Indies took a series-winning 4-2 lead in their Men’s Under-19 contest against England following a comfortable 4-wicket win over the visitors in the 6th Youth One-Day International at Grenada’s National Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Despite a poor day with the bat, all-rounder Jonathan van Lange (4-17) starred with the ball to help dismiss England for an underpar total, before captain Joshua Dorne delivered another terrific display of batting to see the Caribbean side to victory.
England opener Isaac Mohammed had carved 45 from 57 balls. Still, an ordinary display from the middle-order left them desperate for a respectable total. Skipper Farhan Ahmed stepped up with a 76-ball top-score of 54, as wicketkeeper Joe Moores chipped in with 42 to help drag the visitors to 221 in 47.5 overs.
There were two wickets apiece for Matthew Miller (2-15) and Vitel Lawes (2-38).
