The first Test between New Zealand and the West Indies at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, began with an exciting and dramatic opening day. In this new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship the West Indies bowlers took full control, reducing New Zealand to 231/9 by stumps.
West Indies captain Roston Chase won the toss and chose to bowl first, New Zealand got shaky notes Kemar Roach struck with the third ball of the match, dismissing opener Devon Conway for a duck. Conway pushed at a ball outside off stump, and the catch at second slip gave the visitors a perfect start.
New Zealand were under pressure early, but Kane Williamson, returning to Test cricket, joined Tom Latham to rebuild the innings. The pair played cautiously, leaving balls outside off stump and waiting patiently for scoring opportunities. Their focus and technique helped New Zealand settle down after the early blow.
But just as the partnership began to look steady, rain arrived and halted the match for a long time. The first session ended early, and New Zealand reached lunch at 17/1, having faced very few overs.
Once play resumed, Williamson and Latham continued their steady approach. They put together a 93-run partnership that gave New Zealand a stable platform ,Williamson played with his usual calmness and reached his 38th Test half-century. He also received a lucky break when debutant Ojay Shields bowled him on 33 but overstepped, turning a clean dismissal into a no-ball.
Justin Greaves was brought into the attack. He dismissed Williamson on 52 with a well-directed delivery. This wicket broke New Zealand’s rhythm Latham fell soon after for a careful 24. while Rachin Ravindra was removed by Jayden Seales on 3, while Will young was dismissed by Johann Layne on 14.
New Zealand needed hold the innings together. Wicketkeeper Tom Blundell and all-rounder Michael Bracewell tried to rebuild, but Blundell was dismissed for 29 by Shields, Bracewell showed strong determination, playing a responsible innings to guide New Zealand , He found support from Nathan Smith, who scored a fighting 23. Their 52-run partnership helped New Zealand cross 200 and provided some resistance.
Roston Chase broke the partnership by dismissing Smith, who was caught in the deep. Bracewell continued to fight but fell for a valuable 47, just three runs short of a half-century. His wicket, taken by Shields, was a major blow for New Zealand.
Matt Henry fell quickly afterward, giving Roach his second wicket. With nine wickets down, the umpires stopped play early due to bad light. Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy remained unbeaten on 4 runs each.
At the end of the day 231/9 in 70 overs.
Kemar Roach was the stand out bowler for West Indies took 2/47 in 17 runs and Ojay Shields and Justin Greaves gets 2 wickets each and one wicket each for Jayden Seales, Johann Layne, and Roston Chase
New Zealand vs West Indies 1st Test Day 1 Match summary
Toss : West Indies won the toss and Opted to bowl first
New Zealand 1st innings : 231/9 in 70 overs
Top scorer : Kane Williamson 52 runs off 102 deliveries, Michael Bracewell 47 runs off 73 balls
Top Bowler : Kemar Roach 2/47 in 17 overs, Justin Greaves 2/35 in 10 overs
Looking Ahead of Day 2
Day 2 will be very important. West Indies will try to take the last New Zealand wicket as quickly as possible ,especially since the pitch still has good seam and bounce for the bowlers.
Once the West Indies begin their batting, the pressure shifts to them. They will face New Zealand’s strong pace attack of Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, and Nathan Smith on the same green and tricky Hagley Oval pitch. A strong opening partnership will be essential to handle the early swing. If the openers fail, New Zealand could gain control again very quickly.
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