[ad_1]
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
Ton up: Black Caps hitter Henry Nicholls celebrates his sixth century of testing with the help of Daryl Mitchell.
When Henry Nicholls peeked out from the Basin Reserve players’ pavilion and saw West Indies captain Jason Holder win the toss, he knew there was a hot day ahead.
Just to add to the throbbing tension, the Black Caps No. 5 hadn’t passed 50 in 13 testing innings since scoring his fifth testing century, against Bangladesh in March of last year. That was also the 99th and most recent test ton at New Zealand Cricket’s spiritual home.
Seven hours later, when stumps were removed on the first day of the second test in Wellington, Nicholls was still on his feet, taking a few hits, taking advantage of his luck and returning a few shots.
Spark sport
Henry Nicholls struggled early, was lucky with missed catches, but flourished late on his way to an undefeated 117.
The southpaw under the most pressure of all in New Zealand’s batting lineup was 117 not out in 15 minutes less than five hours, his team enduring some torrid seasons to close at the top at 294-6.
READ MORE:
* Black Caps vs West Indies: Henry Nicholls century gives hosts the upper hand, alone, after a steamy day
* Black Caps vs West Indies: Century of Basin Reserve attracts centuries, but will it play the ball?
* The captain of the Black Caps, Kane Williamson, ruled out for the second test hours after receiving the green light
A big Saturday morning looms against the second new ball, but if Nicholls can fight back and Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee find the middle, a total close to 400 would be a remarkable comeback. It’s already the highest first inning in the last six Basin tests.
While none of his teammates in the top six were able to get past 50 with the ball by doubling and jumping from the deck, Nicholls stood his ground and punished some horrible West Indies fielding errors. He got off early on the short stage, skied one in clean air, hitched one for six just outside the boundary corridor, and then the big two – dropped at 47, twice, by Darren Bravo on the first slip.
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
Henry Nicholls falls short on the first day against the West Indies.
“Just try to get away from them, just like when you hit a limit or whatever. It’s hitting, it’s cricket, it’s pretty fickle, so you focus on what you’re doing and try to keep its players coming back for more spells, ”Nicholls said of his good luck.
Being a good test cricketer requires a lot of skill, patience, and a good deal of luck. Nicholls knew he needed racing, even if coach Gary Stead had given him a public vote of confidence.
It reached 78-3 after substitute captain Tom Latham received a painful blow to the forearm and Ross Taylor was hit multiple times and then sent on his way by Shannon Gabriel. It was left to him and Will Young (43), in their second test inning, to face the music and fight through it.
“I play the best I can when I play with that confidence, but after lunch there was a bit of a crazy period where Will said I was finding it really difficult and I was managing to score, but I also found it difficult.
“Sometimes on this type of surface, it can ebb and flow quite a bit. For me it is that positive intention and to seek to put the bowlers under pressure in a way that is effective for me. “
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
West Indies closer Shannon Gabriel celebrates after taking the wicket from New Zealand’s Ross Taylor.
That meant hammering the short ball, as he did so well in his memorable Cuenca century against South Africa in 2017, punishing anything and shrugging as the edges shot out of the receivers. Meanwhile, Young was hit by an impressive one-handed catch from the skipper.
Nicholls also raised his sixth century of testing in a strange way, trying to turn the ball into a leg when a leading edge flew past the point. Still, when the crowd of 3,583 rose around 6 p.m., every run counted as she raised her colorful bat-handle in tribute to seven-year-old cancer patient Hollie Beattie.
“There is certainly more rhythm in the wicket than usual here. When they got the lengths right, it was quite a challenge. That’s something our bowlers will look forward to, hopefully keeping up and bouncing throughout the test match, which will be good for us. “
Daryl Mitchell proved his worth too, with a quick 42 shot securing late momentum for the hosts.
The last time the Black Caps hit first and won a Basin test was against Sri Lanka in 2015, when Kane Williamson (absent for this test in baby watch) looted 242 and did not come out.
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
Will Young struggled through a difficult period with Henry Nicholls to score 43 on the first day of the second test.
For the West Indies, it was a much better effort on a grassy surface similar to Hamilton, which they used much better despite the annoying gale from the north.
Gabriel was menacing and rookie Chamar Holder had his moments, but they will regret the missed opportunities that were the difference between the stumps score and the hosts struggling to reach 250.
Another West Indies rookie keeper Joshua da Silva said: “Here’s how it goes, always frustrating when you drop catches, but you have to look forward to the next one. Just go ahead and try to get them again.
“Good tickets, him [Nicholls] He played a good hand and obviously had some chances. You need a little luck in cricket, as everyone knows. It came to the end and that’s all that matters. “
