West Indies openers hold firm after New Zealand declare on 575-8

Brandon King and John Campbell comfortably negotiated 23 overs in fading light before stumps to take the West Indies to 110-0 at the end of day two of the third Test after New Zealand declared on a mammoth 575-8.

The West Indies, with King unbeaten on 55 and Campbell not out 45, are still 465 runs behind.

New Zealand opener Devon Conway’s epic 227 and some late hitting from Rachin Ravindra, who had six fours and two sixes in his 72 not out, and Ajaz Patel (30 not out) allowed captain Tom Latham to give his bowlers more than an hour at the West Indies openers.

But King and Campbell were more than up to the task, seeing off the new ball and scoring freely on a flat Bay Oval wicket as New Zealand’s bowlers struggled to find a good length.

King’s 50 came from just 62 balls, hitting nine fours, and Campbell’s 45 was made from 60 deliveries and included seven fours.

Campbell was nursing a sore right hand that was struck in the nets prior to the match.

If the injury-depleted West Indies had any other options, he may have sat out the Test, such was the swelling and pain he was experiencing.

The visitors also have doubts over whether Kemar Roach, who is nursing a hamstring strain, will bat, while leading batter Shai Hope was ill and stayed at the team hotel on Friday.

Three West Indian bowlers took two wickets each, Justin Greaves the pick with 2-83 from 29 overs, while Jayden Seales had 2-100 and Anderson Phillip 2-154.

The battered West Indian bowling corps did show some fight after lunch, led by a sharp and accurate spell from Seales.

He trapped Conway lbw to make it 432-4, and the West Indies removed two more batsmen as New Zealand went to tea at 508-6.

Glenn Phillips lost his battle with Phillip after tea, edging to first slip, and Zak Foulkes was bowled by a peach of a ball, clipping the top of off stump.

Recalled spinner Patel lofted two sixes in the final over before the declaration in his 30 from 30 balls.

New Zealand had resumed after lunch at 424-3 at lunch, looking to punish an under-strength West Indian attack missing Roach.

The tourists did not help themselves in the field. Kavem Hodge dropped Conway when he was on 206, and Daryl Mitchell was shelled by Greaves at second slip when he was on nine.

Seales was first to strike in the afternoon, darting one past the inside edge of Conway and into the pads, a ball that would have clattered into middle and leg stumps.

Conway’s three runs after lunch saw him go past the top score of his batting idol, Neil McKenzie, who made 226 for South Africa against Bangladesh in 2008.

Mitchell fell for 11, getting a thick edge down the legside from Roston Chase, taken by wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach, who also accounted for Tom Blundell off Seales.

Earlier, Conway resumed on 178 and brought up his second Test double-century, his first since his debut in 2021 against England at Lord’s, when he cut a Seales short ball to the point boundary. His 200 came off 316 balls, with 28 fours.

Greaves then struck to remove Williamson just before lunch for 31, caught by Imlach.