HAMILTON–Ross Taylor edged toward his third century in consecutive Tests as New Zealand reached 249-5 at lunch yesterday (last night T&T time) on the third day of the third Test against the West Indies in New Zealand.
Taylor, who made 217 not out in the drawn first Test at Dunedin and 129 in the second at Wellington– which New Zealand won, was 89 not out at lunch, batting with wicketkeeper BJ Watling who was on 14.br>
New Zealand, resuming at 156- 3, lost captain Brendon McCullum early in the day, the third victim of off-spinner Sunil Narine. McCullum had added one to his overnight score of 11 when he tried to cut a ball too close to him, edging it to West Indies captain Darren Sammy at first slip who took his third catch of the innings.br>
Taylor was undefeated on 56 and Kane Williamson was bowled by Narine for 58 as New Zealand closed the second day 156 for three, in reply to West Indies 367 all out, highlighted by centuries from Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Denesh Ramdin.br>
Taylor and Williamson added 95 to ease some of New Zealand's pressure after their openers went cheaply on a slow wicket.br>
The Black Caps needed the stand after West Indies captain Darren Sammy celebrated his 30th birthday by pulling off two brilliant catches to reduce them to 43-2.br>
Opening the bowling, he stooped on his follow-through to pick up a low return catch to remove Hamish Rutherford and then used his sharp reflexes at leg slip to dispose of Peter Fulton.br>
Narine posed the biggest threat, occasionally bamboozling both Williamson and Taylor with his variations including the use of the carrom ball across the right-handers from round the wicket.br>
He trapped Williamson lbw for 58 before stumps after review upheld the decision by umpire Nigel Llong.br>
Taylor himself survived an early lbw shout that was referred to the third umpire and Brendon McCullum was with him on 11 at the end.br>
Earlier, the tourists added 60 runs for the final two wickets after Chanderpaul scored his 29th test century and later took their score beyond 350. The 39-yearold Chanderpaul, who became the sixth highest run-scorer in Test cricket when he reached 98, was unbeaten on 122.br>
Veerasammy Permaul and Tino Best both swung lustily with energetic Best adding a record 35-run stand for the final wicket against New Zealand.br>
Best made 25 and Permaul got 20, as the Caribbean side was dismissed about three minutes before the scheduled lunch interval.br>
Tim Southee finished with the best figures of 4-79 and now needs just two more wickets to reach 100 Test victims. The Windies trail 0-1 in the three-Test series. (CMC)
SCOREBOARD
WEST INDIES 1st Inns
K Brathwaite c Williamson b Southee . . . . .45
K Powell c wkpr Watling b Wagner . . . . . . . .26
K Edwards c wkpr Watling b Southee . . . . . .6
M Samuels c Williamson b Anderson . . . . . . .0
S Chanderpaul not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
N Deonarine lbw b Deonarine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
+D Ramdin c wkpr Watling b Anderson . .107
*D Sammy c wkpr Watling b Southee . . . . . . .3
S Narine b Boult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
V Permaul c Fulton b Southee . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
T Best c wkpr Watling b Sodhi . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Extras: (b2, lb6, w1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
TOTAL: (all out) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-77, 3-78, 4-82, 5-86, 6-
286, 7-296, 8-307, 9-332, 10-367
Bowling: Boult 26-2-84-1 (w1); Southee 28-3-
79-4; Wagner 21-4-67-1; Corey Anderson 19-
3-47-3; Williamson 5-0-17-0; Sodhi 17.2-0-65-
1
NEW ZEALAND 1st Inns
P Fulton not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
H Rutherford c and b Sammy . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
K Williamson b Narine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
R Taylor not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
B McCullum c Sammy b Narine . . . . . . . . . . . .12
C Anderson c Deonarine b Permaul . . . . . . .39
B Watling not out 14
Extras: (b6, lb7, nb3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Total: (5 wickets; 98 overs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
To bat: T Southee, I Sodhi, N Wagner, T Boult
Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Rutherford), 2-43
(Fulton),3-138 (Williamson), 4-174
(McCullum), 5-224 (Anderson)
Bowling: Best 9-1-29-0; Sammy 19-8-41-1;
Permaul 31-6-76-1; Narine 36-14-81-3;
Deonarine 3-0-9-0
Position: New Zealand trail by 118 with five
first innings wickets standing
Umpires: I Gould (England), N Llong (England)
TV umpire: P Reiffel (Australia)
Match referee: R Mahanama (Sri Lanka)
Reserve umpire: D Walker (New Zealand)