New Zealand on verge of first Test victory against West Indies

Bridgetown, June 23: New Zealand are on the verge of a famous Test victory after setting the West Indies a massive 474 to win the first Test at the Kensington Oval after Sunday's third day.

West Indies openers Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds faced a barrage of pace from New Zealand for four overs in failing light at the close, but survived several loud appeals for leg before wicket. West Indies were 5-0 at the close, still needing 469 to win.

New Zealand scored 243 in their second innings and now have two days to bowl out the West Indies on a wicket that has offered variable bounce from the start and which is now beginning to crumble in parts.

New Zealand have never won a test match in the Caribbean since they first toured here in 1972.

The tourists, after scoring 337 in their first innings, were reined in by a plucky display of bowling from a West Indies bowling attack missing strike bowler Merv Dillon for all but six overs of the day. Dillon was selected despite a lower back strain that had been bothering him for several days.

Left arm seamer Pedro Collins, playing just his 12th test, picked up the responsibility of strike bowler and was rewarded with six for 76 from 30 overs, his best test figures.

The West Indies would have to smash the world record for a test run chase to salvage the match. India succeeded in scoring 406 against the West Indies in the 1975-76 season in Trinidad but no-one has scored more than that since then and won the match.

The West Indies effectively threw away any chance of competing in the test when they were bowled out for 107 on Saturday, sacrificing their wickets to rash, one-day shots.

Resuming the day on four for one in their second innings, New Zealand started disappointingly when opener Lou Vincent was given out leg before wicket leaving a Collins delivery that straightened considerably having scored just two.

Chris Harris presented Ramnaresh Sarwan with a stiff chance at short leg from his first ball but Sarwan, celebrating his 22nd birthday, could not hold the ball. Harris smashed a huge six before falling leg before to Darren Powell.

Nightwatchman Daryl Tuffey, who had already scored 28 in the first innings, played confidently to reach 31 but was trapped when skipper Carl Hooper brought himself on for an over before lunch. The ploy worked and Tuffey edged a ball to Chris Gayle at slip, leaving New Zealand 69 for three at lunch.

Craig McMillan, a disappointment on tour so far, fell to a lazy drive off Collins which Hooper pocketed at second slip but Astle and Fleming grasped the initiative in the hour after lunch, scoring 69 runs as the absence of Dillon was sorely felt.

Astle, rediscovering the form that has made him one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world, hit 11 fours in 112 balls in his innings of 77 as he and Fleming added 76 runs for the sixth wicket.

 Adam Sanford suffered most as Astle cracked him for four fours from one over. Hooper was left with few options but his young bowlers acquitted themselves well, especially Collins with his seamers moving both ways.

Hooper himself was spot on, bowling 17 overs of offspin for just 19 runs.

Astle eventually departed edging Collins to Lara at first slip. Fleming sought to accelerate the run rate after tea as the lead stretched over 400, but fell to a glorious leaping catch by Wavell Hinds on the boundary when the captain had added 34 to his first innings 130.

Wicketkeeper Robbie Hart added 24 to his first innings score of 57 and tail-enders Ian Butler and Shane Bond added 30 for the final wicket before Butler was Collins' sixth victim after scoring a career-best 24.

The second of the two-test series begins on Thursday in Grenada, the first time test cricket has been played there.