The West Indies could have had a good day on the second day of the first cricket test against New Zealand on Friday had it not been for Kane Williamson, who took on them almost alone to post his third double century.
Tourists scooped up the grounds of Ross Taylor (38), Henry Nicholls (7), Tom Blundell (14), and Daryl Mitchell (9) in the first two sessions with a greatly improved bowling performance on the first day when they won the draw. and deployed.
But Williamson was an impregnable barrier to his effort to bring more balance to Friday’s test, methodically building the second-highest test score of his career.
At teatime, the New Zealand captain was not out 236, Kyle Jamieson was 35 and New Zealand 477-6.
Williamson had dramatic relief the hour before tea. After posting his double century of 369 balls in 554 minutes in a feat of concentration, technique and application, he went on offense and hit two fours and six of Kemar Roach’s consecutive balls.
He then passed Roach’s next ball to backup goalie Sharmarh Brooks. Williamson started walking from the ground, but the TV referee intervened and said there was no ball, indicating that Roach had overshot and given Williamson a dramatic respite.
Roach also had immense bad luck. He had been by far the best West Indies bowler in the game, the one that worried Williamson the most, but he was denied New Zealand’s most prized wicket. At tea I was 3-114.
Williamson resumed on Friday at 97 after helping New Zealand to 243-2 on the stumps on a shortened bay opening day of rain. He started by clipping a single and then hit his first milestone of the day, his 22nd century, with a signature shot, standing on tiptoe to hit a Roach short ball to the edge of the point.
He also brought out his double century with a Roach cap, a fluid cover that was another of the signature shots that dotted his entrances. His 200 included 30 fours or 120 runs from the limits.
Williamson had associations of 154 with Tom Latham for second field and 83 with Taylor for third.
His association with Jamieson was worth 68 in tea. But his individual effort was the backbone of a first inning that has put New Zealand in a dominant position in the event.
Every element of his ongoing entries on Friday showcased Williamson’s extraordinary talent and nature. Most hitters would have worried about spending barely a century on the stumps in a test game, probably slept restlessly that night.
Williamson showed no signs of concern, actually radiating calm when the stumps approached the first day and found him less than a century old.
He resumed the second day as if his entries had not been interrupted by a long night of anticipation. Williamson was still poised in the fold, relaxed and completely in command. The partners came and went, more relatively quickly, but Williamson was impetuous and immovable.
The West Indies position was made more difficult because hitter Darren Bravo and goalie Shane Dowrich are injured and may not be able to hit.
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