After the defiant draw in Christchurch, West Indies arrived in Wellington with renewed belief. Instead, Day 1 of the second Test at the Basin Reserve followed a familiar pattern. A promising start gave way to another collapse as the visitors were bowled out for 205 inside 75 overs, handing New Zealand a clear advantage.
Tickner Leads, Debutant Rae Impresses
Blair Tickner spearheaded the attack with an excellent spell of fast bowling, finishing with 4 for 32, while debutant Michael Rae marked his first Test with an impressive three-wicket haul. Together, they ensured West Indies’ first-innings total fell well short of expectations.
However, New Zealand’s strong day was tempered by concern as Tickner was stretchered off with a suspected shoulder dislocation late in the day, further depleting an already injury-hit bowling unit missing Matt Henry.
Solid Opening, Middle-Order Collapse Again
Put in to bat, West Indies began positively. Openers Brandon King (33) and John Campbell (44) added 66 for the first wicket, countering the new ball confidently. Tickner broke the stand by trapping King lbw, then struck again soon after to dismiss Kavem Hodge for a duck.
Campbell continued to look fluent, finding boundaries off Rae, and at lunch West Indies were well placed at 92 for 2.
Rae Turns The Game After Lunch
The momentum shifted immediately after the break. Rae, adjusting his angle from around the wicket, induced an edge from Campbell to first slip to claim his maiden Test wicket. Shai Hope and Roston Chase then rebuilt patiently, adding 60 runs, and at 175 for 4 at tea, West Indies appeared back on track. But the final session brought another dramatic unraveling.
Late Collapse Hands Control To New Zealand
Tickner removed Hope for a composed 48 with a sharp bouncer before dismissing Chase (29) with a nip-backer that clipped the stumps. Soon after, the pacer injured himself while fielding and left the ground, denying him a potential five-wicket haul.
Rae continued to make inroads, having Justin Greaves caught behind for 13 before trapping Kemar Roach lbw for a duck following a successful review. Glenn Phillips and Jacob Duffy cleaned up the tail as West Indies lost their last six wickets for just 30 runs.
Reflecting on the day, West Indies captain Shai Hope admitted his side failed to capitalise.
We let ourselves down in the back end, especially with the foundation we had at the beginning. The openers laid a very good platform, but we put too much pressure on the lower order. Credit must be given to good bowling.
Hope also expressed sympathy for Tickner.
We never want to see injuries like that on a cricket field. You want to compete against the best at full strength, so we wish him well.
New Zealand Close Strongly, Eye Big First-Innings Lead
New Zealand ended the day on 24 without loss, already trimming the deficit and setting themselves up to push for a sizeable first-innings advantage. With the series level and valuable World Test Championship points at stake, Day 2 looms large.
