Resuming on 196 for 6 following on after being bowled out for 138 in their first innings, the West Indies showed some fight with a 155-run seventh wicket partnership between Jermaine Blackwood and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph. However, once Joseph was dismissed for a career-best 86, the West Indies fell away to inevitable defeat.
Blackwood scored only his second Test century (104) in one of the few bright moments for the West Indies. His was the eighth wicket to fall as the home side closed in for the kill.
Afterwards, a frustrated captain, held nothing back.
“We just weren't good enough. We passed the bat quite a few times but credit to Kane, he made us toil,” said Holder who tried to find a few positives to highlight.
“We still had some positive stuff with our bowling unit. Our batting wasn't good enough. I have to congratulate Blackwood and Joseph for their innings. But quite frankly our top order needs to do better.
“We're still scratching our heads. Our preparations have been good. We had two solid warm up games and although the surface was different, I think we need to show better application up top.”
Holder said the team had to find solutions to the problems plaguing the team that has now lost three of their last four Test matches.
“We need answers and we need ‘em quickly,” Holder said while revealing that the West Indies will be without the services of their most experienced bowler for the remainder of the tour and the possible loss of his wicketkeeper through injury.”
“Kemar pushed through this Test match but he'll be going home to be with his family now. Shane, we're not quite sure about the extent of his hand injury. Looking pretty doubtful for the second Test. As I said to the other guys, it's time to deliver and stop talking. We've talked a lot and we've promised a lot. Now it's time to look ourselves in the mirror and fight. We've thrown in the towel too easily. We need to change that.”
Williamson was unbeaten on 97 at the close with the hosts on 243-2 on a grassy pitch at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Opener Tom Latham was dismissed for 86 but Ross Taylor is 31 not out.
West Indies captain Jason Holder won the toss and chose to bowl first on a well-grassed pitch after morning rain washed out the entire first session.
When play finally got going after lunch, West Indies struck in the fourth over when Shannon Gabriel trapped Will Young lbw for four. Young had escaped being caught behind the ball before when wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich inexplicably pulled out of a catch after Gabriel’s rising delivery took the edge of the opener’s bat.
Notwithstanding the early success, the West Indies bowlers were not nearly as effective as they could have been. They struggled with line and in some instances, length which allowed Williamson and Latham to proceed relatively untroubled.
A vast number of deliveries were simply allowed to go by to the wicketkeeper.
Aided in part by the wayward bowling, Williamson and Latham posted a second-wicket stand of 154 before the latter was bowled by Kemar Roach.
Any hopes of further breakthroughs were quickly dashed however as Taylor and his captain put on an unbroken stand of 75 by the end of the day’s play.
Asked to face 26 testing overs at the end of the day, the West Indies reached 49 without loss. Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell on 20 and 22, respectively, will resume on Day 3 with the visitors still 470 runs behind a New Zealand total made possible by Kane Williamson’s imperious 251.
Resuming from his overnight score of 97 and New Zealand 243 for 2, the Black Caps captain’s marathon knock was the backbone of the home side’s massive total. Kane faced 412 deliveries in his almost 10 and a half hour stay at the crease.
Ross Taylor, who joined Williamson at the crease at 168 for 2, added seven runs to his overnight score of 31 before becoming Shannon Gabriel’s second victim when he edged to wicketkeeper Shamarh Brooks, who replaced an injured Shane Dowrich.
Williamson dominance of subsequent partnerships of 30 with Henry Nicholls (7); 72 with Tom Blundell (14) and 56 with Daryl Mitchell (9), emphasized his impact on the New Zealand’s innings. His was the last wicket New Zealand to fall when he was caught by Roston Chase at deep midwicket from an Alzarri Joseph after a 94-run seventh-wicket stand of 94 with Kyle Jamieson, who remained unbeaten on 51 when the declaration came.
Williamson’s 251 included 34 fours and two sixes.
Gabriel finished with 3 for 89, while Kemar Roach, who should have got Williamson’s wicket but for a no-ball, returned 3 for 114 from 30 overs. Joseph had figures of 1 for 99.
