[ad_1]
Just six weeks ago in a nearly deserted Eden Park Outer Oval, Kyle Jamieson charged across the field in celebration after achieving a bowler’s prized feat, a hat-trick.
On Saturday at Basin Reserve, a cluttered hill at his feet screaming his name, Jamieson, surprisingly, had a shot at another. In a test match against the West Indies, no less, just the fourth of this dizzying international career at age 25.
Having smashed Roston Chase’s stumps by two out of two, Jamieson’s hat-trick shot was almost too good as the crowd of 5,528 and his teammates roared. A full inswinger hit Jermaine Blackwood on the pads and it looked like a good lbw scream.
Andrew Cornaga / AP
New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson takes another West Insides wicket, Alzarri Joseph as the touring side collapses.
But not for Chris Brown, like Jamieson, a former Auckland closer and now a test referee on his debut. Brown’s decision was correct, and even when Black Caps alternate captain Tom Latham tried his hand at a decision review system challenge, replays showed the ball had no leg stump.
READ MORE:
* Black Caps vs West Indies: Neil Wagner punches visiting bowlers in the Basin
* Black Caps vs West Indies: How Henry Nicholls Fought Until the 100th Century Basin Trial
* Black Caps vs West Indies: another Basin Reserve test win comes as Kyle Jamieson does it again
“Yes, I do [know it was missing]. I think it was more for the audience, ”Jamieson said with a smile. “It was a great atmosphere and we thought ‘why don’t we try it.’ Unfortunately, it was a bit too much. “
He had a brief flashback to that day at Eden Park, on October 29, when another “big fool” had Brad Schmulian come off the stump without offering a chance, for a Plunket Shield hat-trick.
“I thought I would be very lucky to try to do it twice in one season. It’s worth a try anyway. “
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
New Black Caps star Kyle Jamieson was in high demand at Basin Reserve.
Only two New Zealand test players accomplished the feat, both away from home: Peter Petherick against Pakistan in 1976 and James Franklin against Bangladesh in 2004.
Failures aside, it was another almost dreamy day for Jamieson, who finished 5-34 as the West Indies staggered to 124-8. They still need another 137 to avoid continuation, and with three days to play, another home win was reduced to microscopic odds.
It was Jamieson’s second five-wicket bag in his fourth test, and he dropped his current bowling average at 13.77 to go with a 54.66 batting average. Some numbers, those. His 20 innings on Saturday were his lowest score in testing.
The near-hat-trick was Jamieson’s first time rubbing his eyes of the day, the 15th inning for the West Indies.
Jamieson drew a lead from John Campbell, third ball, then was too fast and too accurate for Chase. After Blackwood survived his first installment, he nearly lost weight for the second time to a full pitch, but Brown declined again and another DRS challenge failed to reverse it.
Jamieson said: “The ball came out pretty well the first pair, I managed to get the wicket on the third ball and then Daryl Mitchell said ‘try a big first ball,’ and that worked, so it’s probably his wicket more than the one. Own. The way the ball was moving, if we kept the ball in good enough areas, things tend to happen. “
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
Kyle Jamieson strikes again, eliminating West Indies’ Shamarh Brooks on the second day of the second test.
What a 10 months it’s been for Jamieson, a former starting hitter at the school, who made his test debut at the Basin against India in February. He worked hard during the cricket break, developing variety in his bowling and focusing on charging and increasing his pace. All of that was shown again on Saturday, including a surprise puncher, as the grassy field helped with pacing and stitching.
Jamieson still pinched himself being part of a four-front attack with Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner, which first formed against India and is now set in stone.
“I consider myself very lucky to play on the same team as those guys, to play in the same era as three of New Zealand’s best rapids.”
And even, sometimes, watch them hit. Wagner’s assault on the West Indies bowlers caught everyone off guard when he threw four sixes on his highest score on the test, 66 not out of 42 balls.
After the Black Caps resumed 294-6 after being sent at bat, they broke the spirit of the West Indies when the world’s second test bowler, Wagner and Henry Nicholls (174) added 95 for the ninth wicket and scored 460.
Jamieson said of Wagner’s hit: “I was quite happy, quite nervous when he came out of 48 no with Boult and Southee in the ear giving him a bit of a stick. The way he hit and brought out that intention at the end of innings was quite special. “
