TheSportsCampus

The Worlds Favourite Playground

Wednesday, May 22nd

Last update:02:29:29 PM GMT

Headlines:
You are here: Cricket Test Cricket West Indies cruise to 9 wicket win in 1st Test at Antigua

West Indies cruise to 9 wicket win in 1st Test at Antigua

User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 

Kemar Roach enhanced his reputation as one of the leading fast bowlers in world cricket with a superb five-wicket haul to bowl West Indies to victory over New Zealand in the first Digicel Test match on Sunday. He took five for 60 off 23.2 overs on a batsman-friendly surface at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, as the visitors were bowled out for 272 in their second innings. It was Roach's fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket and he ended the match with seven wickets for 115 runs.

This left West Indies with 102 for win and they erased the target in the final session of the final day to win by nine wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Chris Gayle hit 64 not out in the second innings to follow up his first innings 150 as the home side motored to victory.

Roach, who started the day with one wicket, broke the back of the Black Caps' second innings when he had Ross Taylor leg-before wicket and knocked over Kane Williamson's off stump before lunch. He returned with the new ball after the interval to have nightwatchman Neil Wagner caught behind and ended the innings when he bowled Kruger van Wyk.

Sunil Narine, playing in just his second Test, ended with eight wickets in the match and was named the Man-of-the-Match. Rampaul took two wickets in each innings. Sunday's effort took Roach to 34 wickets at an average of 22 runs apiece in six Test matches this year - the fourth most in the world.

Earlier this year, he demonstrated his ability with a 10-wicket match haul against Australia at Queen's Park in Trinidad on another unresponsive pitch. That performance catapulted him into the Top 20 in the International Cricket Council's Test match bowling rankings.

The two teams will travel to Jamaica on Monday for the second and final Test match, which kicks-off on Friday at Sabina Park.

Mini Scorecard:

New Zealand 1st Innings 351 all out (129.1 overs, 2.71rpo)
M Guptill 97 (249) S Narine 5-132
R Taylor 45 (96) K Roach 2-55

West Indies 1st Innings 522 all out (163.3 overs, 3.19rpo)
C Gayle 150 (206) K Williamson 2-47
K Powell 134 (288) C Martin 3-134

New Zealand 2nd Innings 272 all out (105.2 overs, 2.58rpo)
M Guptill 67 (151) S Narine 3-91
B McCullum 84 (139) K Roach 5-60

West Indies 2nd Innings 102/1 (19.3 overs, 5.23rpo)
C Gayle 64 (49) D Bracewell 1-25
K Powell 30 (47)

West Indies win by 9 wickets