New Zealand favourite but Windies riding momentum
Jason Holder, the Windies captain, described his side as being “in a pretty good place” ahead of its first Test against New Zealand at Basin Reserve in Wellington, starting on Friday.
Holder said the team wasn’t dwelling on its victory in a Test match in England earlier this year, when it lost a hard-fought series 2-1, but that his boys would use that Headingley triumph as motivation if needed. In that match, Shai Hope became the first player to score a century in each innings of a Test at the famous Leeds ground. “It's done a lot. It was significant,” said Holder. “But for me, that's gone. That's buried in the past. We can obviously call on it at times when we're down if need be, but I just tell the guys that's gone and we need to create our future and pretty much live in the present.”
Heading into the two-Test series, Windies is looking for a first away win over New Zealand since 1995. The home team hasn’t played Test cricket since hosting South Africa in March, but the Caribbean side is more match-ready, having beaten Zimbabwe 1-0 away after the series in England.
“We're in a pretty good place at this point in time. We've built up quite nicely this past year. We're still not the finished product, but we're heading in the right direction,” said Holder on the eve of the match.
New Zealand, meanwhile, has decided on its final XI, with Matt Henry chosen as Tim Southee’s replacement, preferred over Lockie Ferguson, after the senior paceman went home to be with his wife for the birth of their second child. Although Ferguson took seven wickets for New Zealand A against Windies earlier this week, Kane Williamson, the New Zealand captain, said Henry had been playing well for a long time and deserved a chance. Henry will make up a three-pronged pace attack with Trent Boult and Neil Wagner.
“He probably hasn't had the opportunities he's deserved and now is a great opportunity for him,” said Williamson of the 25-year-old right-arm pacer who has 22 wickets at 48.50 from eight Tests so far. “He's a different bowler to Lockie but has been bowling with good pace and does tend to move the ball well.”
While the Basin Reserve pitch continued to show a distinctly green hue on Thursday, Williamson described it as “really good” and said it would suit bowlers and batsmen over the five days. “As the days develop and the pitch ages it does become a good batting surface. There's always bounce for all bowlers so spinners get a bit out of it, seamers get a bit out of it. And as batters there's always value for your shots because there's a fast outfield and good pace in the surface,” he said.
With BJ Watling injured, Tom Blundell is also set to make his Test debut behind the stumps for New Zealand.
Holder’s last outing at the Basin Reserve, four years ago, ended in heavy defeat. On a typically green surface, he won the toss and elected to field only to see New Zealand post 441 and then bowl Windies out for 193 and 175, to win by an innings and 73 runs.
However, Holder said he was still prepared to bowl first if he won the toss. “I could definitely see the reason why people come here and want to bowl first,” he said. “I don't think there would be too many batsmen in world cricket who would turn up and see that much grass on a pitch and be really into it. But we can be asked to bat tomorrow if I happen to lose the toss so we've got to have an open mind towards it.”
The new face in the Windies squad is Sunil Ambris, the 24-year-old Windward Islands batsman, who has so far played one One-Day International, scoring 38 not out batting at No. 6 against England in Southampton earlier this year. He replaced Kyle Hope, who was dropped after scoring just 101 runs from five Tests with 43 as his best.
The Windies team, which had a training camp in Brisbane prior to reaching New Zealand, played one warm-up match before the first Test, a three-day game against New Zealand A at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. On that occasion, Shai Hope and Ambris had hit 110 and 153 respectively as Windies finished on 451 for 9 in their first innings. It then bowled the local side out for 237 but was in turn bowled out for 186 in its second innings, with Kraigg Brathwaite, the vice-captain, retiring out for 88. Jeet Raval and Tom Latham then took NZ A to 72 for no loss when the match ended.
Teams
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Kane Williamson (capt), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (wk), Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.
Windies (from): Jason Holder (capt), Kraigg Brathwaite, Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich (wk), Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach.
