New Zealand 334 for 1 (Conway 178*, Latham 137, Roach 1-63) vs. West Indies
On the eve of the third Test in Mount Maunganui, captain Roston Chase confirmed the West Indies would be replacing the fifth seamer in their playing XI from the Wellington Test with a batter. Chase remarked that the visitors thought the quicker bowlers “will be a bit more dangerous” at the Bay Oval.
Fast-forward to stumps on Day 1, where centuries from Devon Conway and Tom Latham have ushered New Zealand to 334 for 1. The number in the wickets column especially would have been difficult to imagine given the manner in which the Caribbean bowlers began the day.
Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales kept the Black Caps openers quiet and watchful for the first 40 minutes of the Test, encouraging dodgy leaves and plays and misses. They were unfortunate not to get an early breakthrough.
New Zealand's first boundary came in the ninth over, with just 16 runs on the board. With boundary balls becoming more frequent and the threat from the Windies attack becoming less potent, the hosts went on to post 83 runs at the Lunch interval.
Barbadian Joshua Dorne is set to lead the West Indies to the 2026 ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup taking place in Namibia and Zimbabwe from 15 January to 6 February 2026. Dorne is joined by Antiguan Jewel Andrew as the other returnee from the 2024 team.
While Andrew, who made his senior debut last October, has been away from the youth team lately, Dorne led the side to recent 5-2 and 4-3 series wins over England and Sri Lanka, respectively.
Full Squad: Joshua Dorne (c), Jewel Andrew, Shamar Apple, Shaquan Belle, Zachary Carter, Tanez Francis, R’jai Gittens, Vitel Lawes, Micah McKenzie, Matthew Miller, Isra-el Morton, Jakeem Pollard, Aadian Racha, Kunal Tilokani, Jonathan Van Lange
Reserves: Brendan Boodoo, Tyriek Bryan, Earsinho Fontaine, Deshawn James
Guyanese all-rounder Jonathan Van Lange retains his position as Dorne’s deputy, with Jamaican lift-arm wrist-spinner Vitel Lawes also making the cut.
West Indies captain Roston Chase has confirmed the inclusion of attacking left-hander Alick Athanaze as the lone change to their team for the final Test against New Zealand. Athanaze will replace seamer Ojay Shields for the Bay Oval Test, which begins later on Wednesday.
Chase believes there is enough bowling cover in the team, as Shields was one of five seamers in the visiting side’s XI in the previous game. “Shields has an injury,” he said. “We thought that was the best way to go, to add strength to the batting.”
Vice-captain and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who is yet to feature in the series, was among the options to come in for the West Indies. Before the start of the series, the Bay Oval looked like Warrican’s best chance at forcing his way into the team. An early assessment of the wicket, however, has led the Caribbean side to forgo a specialist spinner, as they did in the previous two Tests.
“Initially, we thought that this pitch would have been more suitable for spinners, especially seeing New Zealand bringing in Ajaz Patel,” Chase said. “But having looked at it, I don't think there will be much spin. I could be wrong. But we think that seam will be a bit more dangerous on the wicket.”
All-rounders Jason Holder and Akeal Hosein were the only West Indians bought at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction on Tuesday. Gujarat Titans (GT) acquired Holder, the former West Indies captain, for approximately USD 800,000 (INR 7 crore).
Gujarat will be Holder’s sixth team in the IPL, having previously represented Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Meanwhile, the left-arm spinner Hosein is set to experience his first taste of IPL action with five-time champions CSK. Hosein was snapped up for approximately USD 200,000 (INR 2 crore).
Six months after his shocking retirement from International cricket, former West Indies white-ball captain Nicholas Pooran is once again defending his decision. He insists the move to hang his Windies cap at age 29 was the right call.
“It was time for me to move on and do what’s best for my career,” he told the Beard Before Wicket Podcast. “Everybody thinks they know what's best for your career. I think people have an issue with [my decision] because I'm quite young. But what’s young? If I wake up tomorrow, get injured, and my career ends, is that young?”
The Trinbagonian never made a Test appearance and was absent from the ODI side for the two years leading up to his retirement. “Time is not guaranteed,” Pooran said. “I understand sports, and I understand what it feels like to be a fan as well, but I’ve worked hard to be in the position I am in today. There are not many cricketers who are in the situation (sought-after by franchises) that I am in.”
While Pooran understands the plight of Caribbean fans, he insists he wants them to extend the same courtesy to him. “I came from nothing,” he began. “And if you know where Trinidad and Tobago is, it's a dot on the world [map]. I feel it’s so difficult for us to be successful from there. I will never take (my accomplishments) for granted, knowing where we come from and the opportunities we had.”
