New Zealand struggle as West Indies exploit pace-friendly wicket

New Zealand reached 231-9 at stumps on a rain-shortened day one of the first Test against the West Indies Tuesday after Justin Greaves triggered a middle-order collapse with the wicket of Kane Williamson.

New Zealand tumbled from 94-1 to 148-6 on a bowler-friendly wicket after Williamson was dismissed for 52, his 38th Test half-century.

Michael Bracewell and Nathan Smith arrested the slide with a 52-run stand for the seventh wicket. Smith eventually fell for 23 and Bracewell for 47.

After Matt Henry went for eight, Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy were both on four when bad light stopped play after 70 overs of a truncated day.

Bracewell rated the day “pretty even” given the nature of the wicket.

“It ebbed and flowed throughout the day and I think we’d be pretty happy with where we got to at the end of the day,” he said.

“It was a little bit ‘old school’ West Indies.

“You grow up hearing about the fast bowlers of the West Indies and it was certainly that today. It was an exciting challenge.”

Bracewell and Smith’s partnership was the second face-saving stand for New Zealand after Williamson and Tom Latham put on 93 following the dismissal of Devon Conway on the third ball of the Test.

The green wicket and heavy cloud cover ensured West Indies skipper Roston Chase gave his pace attack first use of the new ball when he won the toss and it revived memories of Calypso quicks from a previous era.

But after the immediate success of Kemar Roach, who removed Conway, the West Indies were made to wait 29 overs before again tasting success.

In the first session, extended by a 90-minute rain break, Williamson and Latham cautiously inched New Zealand to 17-1 in the 10.3 overs available before a second shower brought lunch.

When play resumed, the New Zealand pair batted with more freedom until Williamson celebrated his first Test innings in a year by passing the half-century mark.

On 52, a lapse in his normal diligence saw a full delivery from Greaves edged to Alick Athanaze at second slip to ignite the collapse.

In his next over, Greaves removed Latham for a patient 24 off 85 deliveries and Rachin Ravindra was then bowled for three by Jayden Seales.

In the space of 21 deliveries the West Indies took three wickets for nine runs as New Zealand slumped from 94-1 to 103-4.

Will Young and Tom Blundell added 17 for the fifth wicket before Young, on 14, gave Johann Layne his maiden Test wicket.

Blundell progressed to 29 before he went early in the final session as debutant Ojay Shields claimed his first Test wicket.

Shields, who earlier believed he had the prized wicket of Williamson for 33 only for a no ball to be declared, also removed Bracewell to finish with 2-34.

Greaves took 2-35 and Roach has 2-47.